Romance of the Three Kingdoms

Romance of the Three Kingdoms (三国 演义chinese /三国 演义, Pinyin Sanguo Yǎnyì ) is a novel by the Chinese author Luo Guanzhong through the turbulent period of the Three Kingdoms (ca. 208-280 ) and is one of the most popular Chinese novels. He is also counted among the four classical novels.

The novel represents the first appearance of Yanyi tradition, novels as an interpretation of historical sources, in particular from dynastic histories to create. Today's most prevalent version dates from the 17th century and contains 120 chapters, however, there is also an older version from 1522 with 240 chapters.

The story is told in this work from the fall of the Eastern Han to the formation of the Three Kingdoms. The book begins in the year 168 with the Yellow Turban Rebellion that shook the Eastern Han Dynasty in 184. Described Chronologically then, a period of 100 years. First, start at the court of the Han military to draw power for themselves, especially Dong Zhuo and Cao Cao. Liu Bei away belongs to the ruling family. It includes a scene in Pfirischgarten a brother oath with Zhang Fei and Guan Yu, because he wants to fight the insurgency and restore the power of the dynasty. Liu Bei and Sun Quan's army defeat the usurper Cao Cao in 208 in the Battle of the Red Wall, after which the three empires rise.

The plot of the novel is marked by political and military conflicts that lead to political scandals, intrigues, battles and skirmishes. Also playing strategy and stratagem a role.

A central plot is not present, however, the novel makes a great historical painting, which consists of individual episodes that are self-contained and contain an immense variety of figures.

Historical sources of the novel, which is based largely on facts that are the Sanguo Zhi ( Chronicles of the Three Kingdoms ), and other writings of the official history. However, the Sanguo Zhi records not only historically verifiable events, but there are in this work already legends and anecdotes before.

At least since the Tang Dynasty has been the matter of collection of the Three Kingdoms as a preliminary issue of storytellers. With regard to the Song period are sources that there might have been a school of professional storytellers who specialized in this substance.

Also in Chinese Drama, the southern Song dynasty and the Zaju the Yuan period stories about the Three Kingdoms have been processed. As a further source of Chinese dramas is a rough historical narrative before, which was printed 1321-1323, the Sanguo zhi Pinghua ( Folk narrative of the history of the Three Kingdoms ).

In the novel, the material wealth of this narrative tradition was converted to a multi-layered epic. The novel underlying the Confucian principle of legitimate succession, as is the principle of justice and loyalty of friends (Yi) to the criterion of evaluation of events and people.

In relation to the staff of the novel Luo Guanzhong important part on historical statements and created striking and vivid characters who have an aftereffect of the people today. Liu Bei, for example, appears as a model, just and legitimate prince, Zhuge Liang embodies wisdom, and stand forth with supernatural powers, Zhou Yu plans hapless strategies and Cao Cao embodies a villain who has become proverbial in China.

The novel is written in an easy to understand literary Chinese, and composition and structure are related to the oral narrative traditions. The portrayal of the characters is marked by tension and drama of the action and dialog, but can not find descriptions of mental processes take place.

A significant factor was the story of the Three Kingdoms on the literature and oral tradition of China and to the moral question of values. Stratagems that are developed in the novel, are still used today in textbooks of military theory.

The author Luo Guanzhong be attributed to other novels, some of which are still preserved. In particular, he is also co-author of the Shuihu Zhuan.

In 2008, the novel in a South Korean- Chinese co-production under the title Three Kingdoms was - The War of the Three Kingdoms ( Original title: San guo zhi jian long xie jia ) filmed.