Top 10 works of Chinese literature
- By Elaine Duan
0 Comment(s)
Print
E-mail China.org.cn, December 1, 2010
Romance of Three Kingdoms (simplified Chinese: 三国演义; pinyin: Sān Guó Yǎn Yì)
Romance of Three Kingdoms is the most popular historical fiction epic in Asia. It is a literary masterpiece focusing on a long and impressive history of dynastic change which is summed up in the first sentence of the novel: The Empire, long divided, must unite; long united, must divide.
Written by Luo Guanzhong 600 years ago and based upon events in the turbulent years at the end of the Han Dynasty, the novel depicts a fascinating dynastic cycle from the fall of the Han Dynasty to the division of the Empire into three competing kingdoms through to the reunification of the empire by the Jin Dynasty. The novel spans 113 years of Chinese history, starting in 169 and ending with the reunification of the empire in 280.
Considered by some as the greatest novel ever written, it involves military conflict and a flesh-and-blood game of risk played out on the entire land of China. There are many encounters between fierce warriors, accounts of intrigues and brilliant military strategies, but ultimately the novel is about human motivation, loyalty, and greed for power.
There are two popular English translations, by C.H. Brewitt-Taylor and Moss Roberts.
Go to Forum >>0 Comment(s)