Abridged version of Romance of the Three Kingdoms.

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Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #156051 in Books
• Published on: 1999-09-29
• Format: Abridged
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 504 pages

Synopsis
This volume tells the story of the fateful last reign of the Han dynasty (206 BC - AD 220) when the Chinese empire was divided into three warring kingdoms. Writing some 12 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.

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Customer Reviews

Excellent
The reviews for this product come up a bit higgledy-piggledy, the same reviews appear on the 1 volume abridgement, the 4 volume paperback and the 5 volume library binding set: this review is for the 4 volume paperback set.

Most people nowadays come to the series through Koei's games. This is no bad thing, since any introduction to the Three Kingdoms, howsoever made, is to be welcomed.

What you have here is a pot of dramatised history, analogous to the caveat "based on a true story" as you might see in feature films. The books cover the last days of the Han and go through to the rise of the Jin, concentrating for the most part on the travails of Cao Cao, Liu Bei and the Sun family with a supporting cast of dozens. It's slickly written- at least, the translation makes it slickly written (Chinese literature can be a bit stacatto to Westerners) so well done to Moss Roberts for making it so eminently consumable. It's a thundering read, high paced and conveying very well the spirit of adventure that uncertain times instill in men of virtue.

Factor in the fact that this is an ancient story that has survived intact for many years, you're looking at £25 very well spent.

Spend more money
It's is worth spending more money on the unadbridged version. This book cuts a lot out of the beginning, like Lu Bu's ordeal at Xia Pei and also Sun Jian's happenings etc. It cuts Sun Ce out completely.

Having read the original(s) I'd say, this is a good buy if you're not sure if you want to spend a fair bit of money. It gives you an idea of what is to come, and if like me, you love, spend more money on the unadbridged versions.

An Epic beyond proportion!!!
I first got into the Three Kingdoms Era from playing Dynasty Warriors (ok, I admit that's pretty sad). So I got the abridged edition which was much cheaper and read it in under a week, it was so amazing. I just had to buy the complete 5 book set because the abridged version cuts out so many chapters it left me quite unsatisfied, especially near the end.
Words cannot express just how much I loved these books with its tales of heroic deeds, deception and devotion. Cao Cao's stupidity/arrogance is hilarious sometimes. An abridged edition is quite good, as it does cut out some of the 'boring' bits. But then you miss out on some really good chapters. BUY THEM NOW!!!! CAO CAO COMMANDS IT!!!