Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #33503 in Books
• Published on: 2003-03
• Original language: Mandarin Chinese
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 708 pages

Synopsis
ROMANCE OF THE THREE KINGDOMS is Lo Kuan-chung's retelling of the events attending the fall of the Han Dynasty in 220 AD, one of the most tumultuous and fascinating periods in Chinese history. It is an epic saga of brotherhood and rivalry, loyalty and treachery, victory and death. As important for Chinese culture as the Homeric epics have been for the West, this fourteenth-century masterpiece is still loved and read throughout Asia.

Customer Reviews

Romance of the Three Kingdoms
Firstly i was interested in the games that were created (Dynasty Warriors) using the book as a foundation. But after a while the history began to interest me and with my friend purchasing this book i decided to do so. From the opening chapter to the end of the first volume the book just kept giving and giving. The book shows you how betrayal, honour, friend ship and trust took their part in the crumbling of the Han Dynasty and the building of the Three Kingdoms. The book is well written and the author uses the perfect word choice to describe the characters and the battles. I am currently reading the second volume and hope to report on that too. My advice is to get the book as soon as possible and be whisked away to a world of warriors and heros!

ROTK
This review is looking at both books one and two as they are meant to be read together.These books are a good blend of History and Fiction. Focusing on the major powers in the 'Three Kingdoms' period, it looks mostly at the eponymous kingdoms, Wu, Shu and Wei. The fact that the novelist lived at the time is a mixed blessing. On one hand he has a keen insight into the events and the context surrounding them. Unfortunately, his early ancestors sided with Shu's leader Liu Bei (or Pei). The bias placed on the Shu characters can get a little grating at times and it places questions on the texts overall validity. However, it remains a good read and highlights an intruiging clash of ideologies, each faction representing one style of rule. You'll soon find yourself siding with one side or another, and when you do the books become difficult to put down.

Very rewarding if you have the patience
Mandatory reading for anyone interested in Chinese classics. Long and complicated but more involving as you go. Excellent insight into ancient Chinese minds, politics, and military strategies. This is a book known to virtually all chinese, with excerpts dramatized in street theatre and references made to it in literature through the ages.