Three Kingdoms: Chinese Classics (Classic Novel in 4-Volumes)

Rating:
Summary: Wonderful
Review: I could'nt put this one down. It is an action packed epic. I was actually sorry that I did'nt get the unabridged version because I wanted to continue reading even after I was finished. The characters are well developed and the plots are interwoven to make everything flow together in a very exciting way. Try it!

Rating:
Summary: Greatest book ever written.
Review: I am 18 years old, and i have read this book numerous time in Chinese and in Vietnamese. It fill with battle of wits, and will, intertwine with historical events and figures, if i have one book to reccommend, this would be the one. The English version of this book have left out some important ideas and events, also have numberous error in translation, if u can read chinese, then you should try to get it in Chinese. Buy it.

Rating:
Summary: Good summary of story
Review: The translated version of the classic "Romance of the Three Kingdoms". Well translated, but Roberts cuts out some key interesting points that are integral in the story. For intstance he forgets to leave in Cao Cao's speech before his death, Zhuge Liang's seven battles with the barbarian leader as the Han Shu prime minister, etc.. It is akin to writing Moses' story, yet leaving out the fact that he parted the sea or that he spoke to Ramses.

Rating:
Summary: Epic
Review: First off, you have to read the full translation of this book. I read the 1976 abridged version of Three Kingdoms translated by Moss Roberts first and thought it was pretty good, but felt that the story wasn't developed enough and lacked cohesion. Then a few years ago I finally found and purchased the full unabridged version published by the University of California Press and also translated by Dr. Roberts. This is the full-blown epic from start to finish with all the details and many of the translation errors of the previous editions eliminated. The prose was also improved and flows eloquently throughout the book's entire 3000+ pages. Three Kingdoms is the tale (part historical, part legend and myth) of the fall of the Later Han Dynasty of China. It chronicles the lives of those feudal lords and their retainers who tried to either replace the empire or restore it. While the novel actually follows literally hundreds of characters, the focus is mainly on the 3 families who would eventually carve out the 3 kingdoms from the remnants of the Han. The Liu family in the Shu kingdom led by Liu Bei, The Cao family in Wei led by Cao Cao, and the Sun family in Wu eventually led by Sun Quan. The book deals with the plots, personal and army battles, intrigues, and struggles of these families to achieve dominance for almost 100 yrs. This book also gives you a sense of the way the Chinese view their history: cyclical rather than linear (as in the West). The first and last lines of the book sum this view up best: "The empire long united must divide..." and "The empire long divided must unite..." If you are at least a little interested in Chinese history (ancient or modern) and culture this book is a must read.

Rating:
Summary: Girls, don't read it.
Review: Only guys seem to absolutely fall in love with this looooooooooong novel. I know this novel has like 10 volumes but I read the shortened one which had only 3 volumes. But still, I was bored to death reading it. I was just looking at the book, not actually reading it. That's how boring this book is. All there are in this book are war and killing. Guys, go ahead and read it but girls, I'm afraid you might not like it.

Rating:
Summary: A superb translation of a superb historical novel
Review: Having read both the original Chinese text and Mr. Roberts' accurate translation, I can say without hesitation that Mr. Roberts' achievement is nothing short of monumental. If you want to understand China and how Chinese think, this book is a must.

Rating:
Summary: So well translated that you will have to ration out chapters
Review: Three Kingdoms is a terrific book on many levels. It can be read as a story book of the heroic culture of China in the past, or as a strategem. No matter how you may read the 3 Kingdoms, it is by far a book that almost any fan of literature will cherish. The book is centered around the destruction and rebuilding of a kingdom. The Shu in western China, led by Liu Bei; Wei in the northern heartland controlled by Cao Cao and Wu in the south that was established by Sun Jian, expanded by his son Sun Ce and later stabilized by his brother Sun Quan. The epic has at its core, filial duty, sacrifice, honor, and deception. I highly recommend reading Moss Roberts translation of the Three Kingdoms. By far it is the most comprehenisive edition translated into English. It is a must read to fully understand the ancient culture of China. By understanding the past culture of China, we can better understand the writings of post-modernist American-Chinese writers of the present.

Rating:
Summary: Historical and Philosophical China Comes Alive.
Review: Guanzhong Luo's _Three Kingdoms_ begins with the dissolution of the Han Dynasty and sweeps a broad arc to the consolidation of the Wei. Historic kings, ministers,and legions of heroes struggle in its pages. The story can be appreciated on the level of adventure, military strategy (Mao Tse-tung was said to carry this book with him on campaigns as a guide), or philosophy, as the protagonists are guided by principles of Confucianism, Taoism, and Five-Phases Cosmology. This epic is loved throughout Asia, with anecdotes from its pages being used to entertain and instruct. Moss Roberts' wonderful scholarship ensures the integrity of this translation.

Rating:
Summary: If you're looking for a copy of the Three Kingdoms...
Review: And have the money and space, get this one; has the original chinese characters on one page, the facing page has the translation. Moss's annotations are insightful and interesting- the only complaint is the lackluster grammar and spelling... But, looking beyond that, this is a great addition to any literary collection, public or private. (And if you need to see what the book is about, you probably wouldn't be reading this)

Rating:
Summary: Lost in Translation
Review: The Three Kingdoms have been, since its creation, the staple of literature in the Orient. It has been translated into Korean, Japanese, and numerous other languages and has been read by scholars, historians, and military strategists everywhere in Northern Asia. However, as anyone who has already read the Three Kingdoms in any of the North Eastern Asian languages will promise, the English version unfortunately does not capture the essence in which the "Odyssey" of China rose to its widespread fame and ubiquity. It lacks the characterstics that demand to stand as one of the greatest historical and legendary pieces in existence today. That is why it is literature, not simply history. The artistic hand of Luo Guanzhong is almost wiped off and a bland history with awkward word choice is left that leaves little to imagination and wonder.

For people who are interested in the epics of Chinese literature, to gain a simple understanding of the events and perhaps some of the strategies, the book can be recommended. However, to truly appreciate the epic that has created sayings that if you read the story three times, you can be deemed a scholar, the translation simply lacks too much.

It is unfortunately, another case of great literature unable to be shared since it was lost in translation.