Shiji: An Annotated Edition

Author: (Chinese) Sima Qian / Han Zhaoqi et al. (Commentary)
Publisher:
Publication Date: 2005-04-01
Features: The Records of the Grand Historian (Shiji) chronicles events from the legendary Yellow Emperor to Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty during the Taichu period, serving as a comprehensive history in the form of biographies. It comprises five sections: Annals, Tables, Treatises, Genealogies, and Biographies, totaling 130 chapters and 520,000 words. It is not only a monumental work of history renowned for its grand scale and profound depth, unparalleled in ancient times, but also one of the greatest literary works in the history of Chinese literature. Shiji is a vivid gallery of richly diverse character portraits, featuring over a hundred distinct personalities, most of whom possess a prominent characteristic absent in any later literary works depicting human figures. The overall tone of the tragedies in Shiji is high-spirited and uplifting, failing to evoke feelings of despondency but instead inspiring readers with courage. The tragic characters in Shiji are all idealistic, goal-oriented, resolute, and relentless in their struggles. They have made significant contributions to historical development or, at the very least, once shook the contemporary society and left an impact on later generations. In short, they fully embody the value of human life. Therefore, from the perspective of posterity, their deaths are deemed worthwhile. This aspect distinguishes Shiji from Western tragedies and from later Chinese tragic tales.