Mao Zonggang criticized this: Romance of the Three Kingdoms (Full Set of 2 Volumes)

Author: Luo Guanzhong (Ming); Mao Zonggang (Qing) Criticized
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2006-06-01
Features: The establishment of classical masterpieces in the history of Chinese literature was, of course, primarily due to the unique charm of these works themselves. However, it was also greatly related to the efforts of a large number of insightful novel critics who rigorously analyzed and commented on them after the novels were published. Names like Li Zhuowu, Jin Shengtan, Mao Zonggang, and Zhi Yanzhai are closely associated in people's minds with Journey to the West, Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Water Margin, and Dream of the Red Chamber. They not only pioneered a new era in the history of Chinese classical novel criticism but also allowed more readers to gain a deeper understanding of the essence and charm of these classical masterpieces through their critiques.
The immense popularity of Romance of the Three Kingdoms is not only due to its inherent appeal but also to the indispensable contributions of Mao Zonggang's critiques and revisions of the work. Mao Zonggang revised Luo Guanzhong's original text, organized the chapter titles, removed the prefaces and postfaces, modified the poetry and prose, added or deleted trivial details, and refined the wording, thus forming the 120-chapter version that is widely read today. Although some of Mao Zonggang's comments may seem outdated, many of them are insightful. For example, in Methods for Reading Romance of the Three Kingdoms, he repeatedly praises the book by using phrases like "the marvel of the marvels in Romance of the Three Kingdoms," highlighting its brilliance. The structural issues he raised, such as the existence of major and minor turning points and the interplay between the beginning and the end, hold significant importance in the history of Chinese novel criticism.
The vast Yangtze River flows eastward, its waves washing away heroes. Romance of the Three Kingdoms is an outstanding historical novel created based on the historical facts and folk legends of the Three Kingdoms period. The novel depicts over a hundred years of history from the reign of Emperor Ling of the Han Dynasty to the reign of Emperor Wu of the Jin Dynasty, using a grand and sweeping brushstroke to portray the rise and fall, the struggles for dominance, and the historical process of the three states of Wei, Shu, and Wu, as well as the numerous heroic figures who left their mark on the era. It is a model of historical romance.