Romance of the Three Kingdoms - Family Bookshelf

Author: Chen Shou
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2007-01-01
Features: The Records of the Three Kingdoms is a historical chronicle written by Chen Shou during the Jin Dynasty, documenting the period of the three rival states of Wei, Shu, and Wu. It provides a detailed account of sixty years of history, from the first year of Emperor Wen of Wei (220 AD) to the first year of Emperor Wu of Jin (280 AD). The work consists of thirty volumes of The Book of Wei, fifteen volumes of The Book of Shu, and twenty volumes of The Book of Wu, totaling sixty-five volumes. Chen Shou was a court official during the Jin Dynasty, and since Jin succeeded Wei to the throne, The Records of the Three Kingdoms regards Wei as the legitimate dynasty. The Records of the Three Kingdoms includes a chronicle for Cao Cao, while The Book of Shu and The Book of Wu feature biographies of Liu Bei titled The Biography of the First Emperor and Sun Quan titled The Biography of the Wu Emperor, respectively. There are only biographies (zhuans) and no chronicles (jì). The Records of the Three Kingdoms is not only a monumental work of history but also a masterpiece of literature. Based on respect for historical facts, Chen Shou used concise and elegant language to paint vivid portraits of the figures of the Three Kingdoms era. The characters are portrayed with life and depth, making them extremely vivid.