Romance of the Three Kingdoms

Author: Luo Guanzhong
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-03-01
Features: Luo Guanzhong's epic historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms has been deeply loved by readers of all levels since its publication, becoming a household name in Chinese classical literature. Set against the historical period from the first year of Emperor Ling of the Han Dynasty (184) to the first year of Emperor Taikang of the Jin Dynasty (280), the novel artistically recreates the complex political and military struggles between the three states of Wei, Shu, and Wu, as well as the internal conflicts among various political groups and factions. Through artistic techniques, it portrays a host of vivid and lifelike characters, making it an immortal work in the gallery of Chinese literature. Romance of the Three Kingdoms is also known as Romance of the Three Kingdoms and Popular Romance of the Three Kingdoms, and is one of the most famous and outstanding long, chaptered historical novels in the history of Chinese fiction. The author of Romance of the Three Kingdoms is Luo Guanzhong, a figure from the late Yuan Dynasty and early Ming Dynasty. Before its completion, the "Three Kingdoms story" had already undergone centuries of historical development. During the Tang Dynasty, the story of the Three Kingdoms was widely circulated and even children were familiar with it. With the development of urban literature, the storytellers () of the Song Dynasty had already specialized in telling the story of the Three Kingdoms, which was then called "Speaking of the Three Kingdoms." The Romance of the Three Kingdoms that emerged in the Yuan Dynasty was essentially a manuscript used by storytellers. Although it was relatively brief and rough, it already had the scale of Romance of the Three Kingdoms. Based on folk legends and the creations of artists, Luo Guanzhong also drew on the materials cited in Chen Shou's Records of the Three Kingdoms and Pei Songzhi's annotations (including materials from Records of the Time and its annotations), and through immense creative effort, wrote the grand masterpiece—Romance of the Three Kingdoms. Romance of the Three Kingdoms is an excellent historical novel created based on the historical facts of the Three Kingdoms period and folk legends. Its content is rich and varied, offering readers profound and diverse insights. The story begins with the peach garden alliance between Liu, Guan, and Zhang in the years of Emperor Ling of the Han Dynasty, describing major historical events that occurred during the late Eastern Han Dynasty and the Three Kingdoms period over nearly a century, as well as numerous heroic figures who left their mark on history. Through moving and realistic stories, the author reveals the darkness and corruption within the feudal ruling class, condemning the cruelty and vileness of the rulers.