One Big Old Book
“What is Romance Of The Three Kingdoms? Who wrote it and why is it so famous?”
If you’ve found yourself here and you don’t know what Romance Of The Three Kingdoms is, then you and I are about to become very fast friends as you can see this is one of my favourite things to talk about!
The Romance of the Three Kingdoms is a historical novel that tells the story of the chaotic period of Chinese history that followed the fall of the Han dynasty. It was written by Luo Guanzhong, a Chinese writer who lived in the late Ming and early Qing dynasties. Even without taking into account its cultural significance (it’s one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature, along with the Journey To The West, The Water Margin and Dream Of The Red Chamber) it has everything that makes a good book in and of itself; a compelling narrative, well-designed characters, moral themes and enduring literary excellence. It’s generally considered a must-read for anyone interested in Chinese history and literature, but as you can guess, I’m quite biased about this!
But what is it actually about?
Well, as the name suggests, the novel is set during the turbulent period of the Three Kingdoms (220-280 CE) era in Chinese history. It reflects the political intrigue, military strategies, and complex relationships of the time, and the historical context shows prominent figures who have become deeply ingrained in Chinese culture; there’s a good chance you’ve seen or heard references to it in other places already*. The novel’s depictions of these characters and events has had a strong hand in shaping perceptions of the past and influencing subsequent works of literature, art, and entertainment.
As an epic that spans 120 chapters and totals around 800, 000 words, Romance Of The Three Kingdoms has a grand scale and weaves together multiple, intricate plotlines, and covers a period of over one hundred years. It should also be noted though that Romance Of The Three Kingdoms is a work of historical fiction, and blends historical fact with imaginative extravagance to help portray the characters’ struggles and virtues.
Personally, I find these fictional embellishments to be central to its charm, and part of what helps it tell its story so engagingly. The moral themes of loyalty and honour, friendship and betrayal are much more at the novel’s heart than historical accuracy, and if Luo Guanzhong decided that the best way to show Zhao Yun’s virtue and loyalty is to charge alone against two armies to save his lord’s infant son, then I am not here to complain about how that probably didn’t happen exactly as described! It is cool though.
*Magic: The Gathering, Gundam, Fist Of The North Star, Overwatch, Smite and the Fate/ Series are just a few examples of places where you may have seen references to Romance Of The Three Kingdoms. And that’s before we even start on the countless films/games/manga/etc that are directly inspired by it!
