Three Kingdoms
January 10th 2007 01:51
The reason I read this book is because a guy I used to work with told me that China had five novels which were considered its greatest five ever produced and that I should read them. That could be the recurring theme of my next few posts. Just an idea.
I've always enjoyed asian cultural stuff, and I don't just mean video games, ninjas, fried rice and Jackie Chan movies. Though those are my four favourite things. The story of the Three Kingdoms is used by a video game company named Koeii to make their highly popular series "Dynasty Warriors". The characters you play as are featured as having been real people in the book. The events that take place in both the game and the book are historically based. Guan Yu really was defeated and killed at Fan Castle. Zhang Fei really did defy Cao Cao's army at Chang Ban bridge (the story of that is actually very funny).
Aside from the large amount of people involved (some with very similar sounding names) the book stretches across China setting an epic scale for conflict. At this time in China's history civil war, internal government corruption, pointless bureaucracy and class instability are rife and pushing the country towards revolution and collapse. Two wars, one born from religious roots the other political galvanise three factions, though two of them are the main contenders for the throne. Cao Cao and Liu Bei, two very different men, though both are great and both seek the same end but through different means. Liu Bei is a virtuous and selfless man, seeking to rule justly over the people of China, where Cao Cao is an ambitious man, seeking too keep china unified and peaceful. LIke I said, they are interesting guys. I won't give you a complete plot summary of the book, it would take too long and would bore you.
What I will do however is point out that the book is intelligent, epic in scale, rich in history and is filled with tales of individual valour and courage. Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Liu Bei are three of my favourite characters and the stories of the hardships they face, the trials that they both pass and fail at are remarkable to read.
JZ
I've always enjoyed asian cultural stuff, and I don't just mean video games, ninjas, fried rice and Jackie Chan movies. Though those are my four favourite things. The story of the Three Kingdoms is used by a video game company named Koeii to make their highly popular series "Dynasty Warriors". The characters you play as are featured as having been real people in the book. The events that take place in both the game and the book are historically based. Guan Yu really was defeated and killed at Fan Castle. Zhang Fei really did defy Cao Cao's army at Chang Ban bridge (the story of that is actually very funny).
Aside from the large amount of people involved (some with very similar sounding names) the book stretches across China setting an epic scale for conflict. At this time in China's history civil war, internal government corruption, pointless bureaucracy and class instability are rife and pushing the country towards revolution and collapse. Two wars, one born from religious roots the other political galvanise three factions, though two of them are the main contenders for the throne. Cao Cao and Liu Bei, two very different men, though both are great and both seek the same end but through different means. Liu Bei is a virtuous and selfless man, seeking to rule justly over the people of China, where Cao Cao is an ambitious man, seeking too keep china unified and peaceful. LIke I said, they are interesting guys. I won't give you a complete plot summary of the book, it would take too long and would bore you.
What I will do however is point out that the book is intelligent, epic in scale, rich in history and is filled with tales of individual valour and courage. Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Liu Bei are three of my favourite characters and the stories of the hardships they face, the trials that they both pass and fail at are remarkable to read.
JZ
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Comment by DuskDevi
Rucks and Rolls
Rugby World Cup 2007
How are you buddy?
This sounds amazing.
Share please!
Great idea.
'speak' with you soon JZ...
Dusk
Comment by JoshZ
A Simple Christian
the story about Zhang Fei needs some backup material for it to make complete sense. It is during a time of rebellion, when Liu Bei's forces are riding with a combined imperial army, which included Cao Cao. At this moment of the story, they are being held up by an enemy champion who is calling out for single combat.
Who dares go out to give battle?" said Yuan Shao.
"I will go," said Yu She, a renown general of Yuan Shu, stepping forward. So Yu She went, and almost immediately one came back to say that Yu She had fallen in the third bout of Hua Xiong. Fear began to lay its cold hand on the assembly. Then Imperial Protector Han Fu said,
"I have a brave warrior among my army. Pan Feng is his name, and he could slay this Hua Xiong." So Pan Feng was ordered out to meet the foe. With his great battle-ax in his hand, Pan Feng mounted and rode forth. But soon came the direful tidings that General Pan Feng too had fallen. The faces of the gathering paled at this.
"What a pity my two able generals, Yan Liang and Wen Chou, are not here! Then should we have someone who would not fear this Hua Xiong," said Yuan Shao.He had not finished when from the lower end a voice tolled,
"I will go, take Hua Xiong's head, and lay it before you here!" All turned to look at the speaker. He was tall and had a long beard. His eyes were those of a phoenix and his eyebrows thick and bushy like silkworms. His face was a swarthy red and his voice deep as the sound of a great bell.
"Who is he?" asked Yuan Shao. Gongsun Zan told them it was Guan Yu, brother of Liu Bei.
"And what is he?" asked Yuan Shao.
"He is in the train of Liu Bei as a mounted archer."
"What! An insult to us all!" roared Yuan Shu from his place. "Have we no leader? How dare an archer speak thus before us? Let us beat him forth!" But Cao Cao intervened.
"Peace, O Yuan Shu! Since this man speaks great words, he is certainly valiant. Let him try. If he fails, then we may reproach him."
"Hua Xiong will laugh at us if we send a mere archer to fight him," said Yuan Shao.
"This man looks no common person. And how can the enemy know he is but a bowman?" said Cao Cao.
"If I fail, then can you take my head," spoke Guan Yu. Cao Cao bade them heat some wine and offered a cup to Guan Yu as he went out.
"Pour it out," said Guan Yu. "I shall return in a little space." Guan Yu went with his weapon in his hand and vaulted into the saddle. Those in the tent heard the fierce roll of the drums and then a mighty sound as if skies were falling and earth rising, hills trembling and mountains tearing asunder. And they were sore afraid. And while they were listening with ears intent, lo! the gentle tinkle of horse bells, and Guan Yu returned, throwing at their feet the head of the slain leader, their enemy Hua Xiong. The wine was still warm!
Later in the book Guan Yu enters the service of Cao Cao in order to save the lives of soldiers and of his oath brother's sisters. Cao Cao makes a remark about Guan Yu's great strength. Guan Yu tells him "My brother, Zhang Fei, is much stronger than I am." Cao Cao took notes on this and told his underlings "Let's not ever mess with Zhang Fei." Later, at Chang Ban......
Wen Ping and his company pursued Zhao Zilong till they saw Zhang Fei's bristling mustache and fiercely glaring eyes before them. There he was seated on his battle steed, his hand grasping his terrible serpent spear, guarding the bridge. They also saw great clouds of dust rising above the trees and concluded they would fall into an ambush if they ventured across the bridge. So they stopped the pursuit, not daring to advance further. In a little time Cao Ren, Xiahou Dun, Xiahou Yuan, Li Dian, Yue Jing, Zhang Liao, Xu Chu, Zhang He, and other generals of Cao Cao came up, but none dared advance, frightened not only by Zhang Fei's fierce look, but lest they should become victims of a ruse of Zhuge Liang. As they came up, they formed a line on the west side, halting till they could inform their lord of the position. As soon as the messengers arrived and Cao Cao heard about it, he mounted and rode to the bridge to see for himself. Zhang Fei's fierce eye scanning the hinder position of the army opposite him saw the silken umbrella, the axes and banners coming along, and concluded that Cao Cao came to see for himself how matters stood.
So in a mighty voice he shouted: "I am Zhang Fei of Yan. Who dares fight with me?" At the sound of this thunderous voice, a terrible quaking fear seized upon Cao Cao, and he bade them take the umbrella away.
Turning to his followers, he said, "Guan Yu had said that his brother Zhang Fei was the sort of man to go through an army of a hundred legions and take the head of its commander-in-chief, and do it easily. Now here is this terror in front of us, and we must be careful." As he finished speaking, again that terrible voice was heard,
"I am Zhang Fei of Yan.Who dares fight with me?" Cao Cao, seeing his enemy so fierce and resolute, was too frightened to think of anything but retreat.
Zhang Fei, seeing a movement going on in the rear, once again shook his spear and roared, "What mean you? You will not fight nor do you run away!" This roar had scarcely begun when one of Cao Cao's staff, Xiahou Jie, reeled and fell from his horse terror-stricken, paralyzed with fear. The panic touched Cao Cao and spread to his whole surroundings, and he and his staff galloped for their lives. They were as frightened as a suckling babe at a clap of thunder or a weak woodcutter at the roar of a tiger. Many threw away their spears, dropped their casques and fled, a wave of panic-stricken humanity, a tumbling mass of terrified horses. None thought of ought but flight, and those who ran trampled the bodies of fallen comrades under foot.
See, he's a pretty frightening guy.
Note, I got these extracts from http://www.threekingdoms.com
I have a buddy (Sharky that commented in my last post) whose dad owns a copy of the series on dvd's. It's hideously bad acting. They could redo it I guess. I'd love to see what someone like Peter Jackson would do with the story.
I might write about Monkey or I might do a different asian culture. I have a great book by a guy named Eiji Yoshikawa (who is an excellent author by the way).
Look forward to whenever you drop by again Dusk.
JZ
Comment by KarenC
Genghis Gal
I love Chinese history and everything about that crazy country and still haven't read Three Kingdoms or Journey to the West (although I have a fabulous set of Monkey Magic playing cards), two of the most influential Chinese books ever written (along with The Art of War, of course).
Reading this post has reignited my passion for Chinese literature - I have Three Kingdoms and Journey to the West in Mandarin - for children, with really fun pictures - and it's still a bit too complicated for me, given the complexity of the setting, so I think I'm going to have to tackle them both in English.
Thank you,
Karen
Comment by JoshZ
A Simple Christian
It's a great book. I particularly like the fact that I found a complete and unabridged copy on the net at www.threekingdoms.com that also has links to essays written by some of the main characters.
Catch you soon I hope.
JZ