Shiji: An Annotated Edition (Volume 1 and 2)

Author: Sima Qian (Chinese), annotated by Han Zhaoqi et al.
Publisher:
Publication Date: 2004-05-01
Features: The Records of the Grand Historian (Shiji) is a comprehensive history that chronicles events from the reign of Xuanyuan to the Taichu period of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty. It is written in the biographical style and consists of five parts: 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 characters, with over a hundred distinct personalities, most of whom possess a unique quality absent in any later literary works depicting human figures. The overall tone of the tragedies in Shiji is high-spirited and stirring; it does not evoke feelings of despair or melancholy but instead inspires readers with courage. The tragic characters in Shiji are all idealistic, goal-oriented, unyielding, and relentless in their struggles. They have made significant contributions to the course of history or, at the very least, once shook the society of their time and left an impact on later generations. In short, they fully embody the value of human life. Therefore, in the eyes of posterity, their deaths are justified. This aspect sets Shiji apart from Western tragedies and from later tragic stories in Chinese literature.