Romance of the Three Kingdoms. Colorful Collectible Edition

Author: Luo Guanzhong (Ming Dynasty)
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-04-01
Features: Romance of the Three Kingdoms is also known as Romance of the Three Kingdoms and Popular Romance of the Three Kingdoms. It 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 the completion of the book, the Three Kingdoms stories had already undergone centuries of historical development. In the Tang Dynasty, the Three Kingdoms stories were widely circulated, even familiar to children. With the development of urban literature, the storytellers of the Song Dynasty had already specialized in telling Three Kingdoms stories, which were then called Telling the Three Kingdoms. The Three Kingdoms of the Yuan Dynasty, The Story of the Three Kingdoms, was essentially a manuscript used by storytellers. Although it was relatively brief and rough, it had already begun to take shape like Romance of the Three Kingdoms. Based on folk legends and the creative works of folk artists, Luo Guanzhong also drew upon the materials cited in The Records of the Three Kingdoms by Chen Shou and the annotations by Pei Songzhi (including materials from The New Tales of the World and its annotations), and through immense creative effort, he wrote the magnificent masterpiece—Romance of the Three Kingdoms.
The mighty Yangtze flows eastward, its waves erode the heroes. Lu Bu, Zhao Yun, and Guan Yu, Guandu, Red Cliffs, and Zhongshan Pass—beheading Huahong, the empty city strategy, Changban Slope, and the seven captures and releases. A single glance leaves one in awe; the Three Kingdoms rise in turmoil, under the red sun of the setting sky. This work depicts the chaotic era of the Three Kingdoms period, where powerful figures fought for supreme political power and frequent wars. It presents the historical panorama of the Wei, Shu, and Wu states vying for dominance! Romance of the Three Kingdoms is an excellent historical novel created based on the historical facts and folk legends of the Three Kingdoms period. Its rich and varied content offers readers profound and diverse insights. The story begins with Liu, Guan, and Zhang sworn brothers in the peach garden during the reign of Emperor Ling of the Han Dynasty, describing major historical events of 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.
In the late Eastern Han Dynasty, warlords fought for power. The so-called "Eighteen States" coalition marched to attack Dong Zhuo under the banner of "supporting the imperial family and saving the people," but their true intentions were intrigue and deceit. Each harbored their own ambitions, all vying to become kings. Romance of the Three Kingdoms presents a gallery of characters from the feudal ruling class, some of whom are lifelike artistic archetypes. The artistic characteristics of character portrayal in this work are: in the struggle of realistic contradictions, the characters' personalities are revealed through their own words and actions.
The Battle of Red Cliffs was the decisive event that determined the division of the Three Kingdoms. The three groups—Cao, Sun, and Liu—fought desperately to strengthen their own forces. Several key figures appeared on this historic stage, including Zhuge Liang, Sun Quan, Zhou Yu, Lu Su, Huang Gai, Cao Cao, and Jiang Gan, among others. Zhuge Liang's mission to East Wu unveiled the curtain of various conflicts. With Cao Cao's army pressing forward, the internal struggle between the "war faction" and the "surrender faction" in East Wu intensified. In the debate over the pros and cons of "fighting" and "surrender," Sun Quan wavered between the two. He feared Cao Cao's overwhelming military power and dared not fight, yet he was unwilling to submit to Cao Cao. The author portrays Sun Quan's inner conflict through his repeated hesitation, such as his "pondering without speaking" and "bowing his head silently."
Not only Sun Quan, but also Zhuge Liang, who was sharp-witted, eloquent, and strategic; Zhou Yu, narrow-minded; Lu Su, cautious and meticulous; Huang Gai and Kan Ze, brave and composed—all left a deep impression on the readers. The distinct personalities of each character are revealed through their unique words and actions, achieving harmony between personality and behavior, and presenting exceptionally vivid individualized portrayals. Even Jiang Gan, who made only two brief appearances, was vividly depicted as a foolish yet self-satisfied figure through his own words and actions. This direct method of describing characters through their words and actions has greater artistic expression than the author's narrative.
Liu Shan is a character of great importance, and the author does not lack in side portrayals of his personality, but his image remains unclear. In Chapter 119, when he is captured and behaves as if "happy and forgetful of his homeland," the author describes his foolishness and incompetence through his words, body language, and expressions, creating a passage of text that exceptionally portrays character personality.