Sunday, July 21, 2019

Romance of the Three Kingdoms


Romance of the Three Kingdoms
by Luo Guanzhong

Finished a classic historical Chinese novel called Romance of the Three Kingdoms by Luo Guanzhong (or at least that’s to whom they attribute the book).  The book is believed to be written in the 1300s, is set in 170 AD, and concludes with the reunification of the country.  I only read volume 1 of 3, which was not an easy task as it is very long and has an immense number of characters and storylines.  The main story follows the leadership of the dynasty that includes military battles, power-play within the leadership, and family turmoil. In many respects, while very different, it had a feel of Game of Thrones with intrigue and battles at every chapter.  Not easy to write a one paragraph review, but I will say that, given its depth and impact on Chinese literature, it’s easy to understand why this is one of the most widely read historical novels in China. You’ll need a few weeks of commitment to get through volume one – no idea how long to add for the last two volumes.

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