Customer Reviews

Three Kingdoms: A Historical Novel. Abridged Edition

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I came across Roberts's translation of Three Kingdom a year ago and was surprised how good it is. Other than being lucid and close to the original, it reads astonishingly well, reproducing the fast-paced narrative as well as the intimate vernacular which Lo wrote his Chinese. Few Chinese prose classics has been as well done as this (certainly, of all translations of Three Kingdom, this must be the best, far better than Brewitt-Taylor's), and it's worth starving yourself to get the full version rather than the abridged one.

Three Kingdoms needs very little introduction. In China, Japan, Korea and elsewhere it has spanned countless dramas, operas, serials, comic strips, video, Nintendo games etc., and it boosts by far the most well-known pantheon of characters in East Asian literature: Guan Yu, epitome of loyalty, deified in China; reckless Zhang Fei; their ruler-brother Liu Bei; the supreme strategist Zhuge Liang; the villain-ruler Cao Cao (used as a foil for Liu Bei but also portrayed as a cunning tactician); Sun Quan and his fellow advisor Zhou Yu; lion-hearted Zhao Yun...the list goes on. But Three Kingdoms is worth reading not just because its pantheon of wonderfully vibrant characters, but also as a strategem and for its masterful blend of history, culture, political insights and popular storytelling. Lo embellished and at times changed history, but always for the sake of heightening the dramatic effect.

Since I am a novice in the realm of Chinese history, I felt that the abridged version of Romance of the Three Kingdoms would be a better starting point to satiate my appetite that has been whetted by various video games. I find this odd, since I've always lived by the rule of never reading abridged versions, and never buying greatest hits albums. I wouldn't say disappointment settled in, but when reading such a story of chivalry, honor, and valor, you don't want the beautiful writing to end. But then it did. Needless to say, I was left wanting.

Moss Roberts is a poet, no doubt. The language he uses in translation would make this a great work no matter what the age. Essentially, Three Kingdoms is the abridged version of about 90 years of Chinese history chronicling the fall of the Han Empire, the splintering into Three Kingdoms; Wei, Shu, and Wu; and the rise of Wei to prominence. It deals with betrayal, honor, strategy, and respect. And if you can read this, and not have Zhao Zhilong (Yun) be your favorite character, you are a better person than I. His abilities are outstanding.

This is an abridged version (4th time I've said that... Theme?) so you're getting a taste. The original work is 4 volumes and in excess of 2400 pages, this is a hair over 400, so you see what you're getting. I'm about to tackle the original, I've got to get through my Sophocles first, though, and I'll let you know how much better that is. If you're at all interested in Medieval Chinese History, consider this a jumping off point, the chocolaty exterior before the creamy filling.