Three Kingdoms: A Historical NovelThree Kingdoms tells the story of the fateful last reign of the Han dynasty (206 B.C.-A.D. 220) when the Chinese empire was divided into three warring kingdoms. Writing some twelve hundred years later, the Ming author Luo Guanzhong drew on histories, dramas, and poems portraying the crisis to fashion a sophisticated, compelling narrative that has become the Chinese national epic. This abridged edition captures the novel's intimate and unsparing view of how power is wielded, how diplomacy is conducted, and how wars are planned and fought. As important for Chinese culture as the Homeric epics have been for the West, this Ming dynasty masterpiece continues to be widely influential in China, Korea, Japan, and Vietnam, and remains a great work of world literature. This abridged edition is particularly useful for undergraduate courses. For the complete text, see the unabridged edition, now available in two parts: Part One; Part Two |
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LibraryThing Review
User Review - bezoar44 - LibraryThingA wonderful translation of a complex historical epic. The Romance of Three Kingdoms covers the period 168 AD to 280 AD -- the collapse of the Han dynasty into three warring kingdoms, the Wei, Wu, and ... Read full review
LibraryThing Review
User Review - Kade - LibraryThingLuo Guanzhong's historical epic is the national literary treasure of the People's Republic of China, their national legend much like King Arthur for the English, or Charlemagne and his Paladins for ... Read full review
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