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/lit/ - Literature

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17329278 No.17329278 [Reply] [Original]

Is the romance of the three kingdoms worth reading?

If so what’s the best translation?

>> No.17329293

>>17329278
it's okay.

>> No.17329346

>>17329278
>is it worth reading?
Yes. I read it over a two month period while commuting to/from work a few years ago. Probably the comfiest reading experience I've had in a while.
[spoilers]Had to hold back tears when Liu Bei died...he deserved better, bros.[/spoilers]

>What's the best translation?
Moss Roberts, without a doubt. FLP published a version that, while cheaply made, is ideal for commuting.

>> No.17329379
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17329379

>>17329346
Well, shit. Guess I forgot how to use spoiler tags.
Ah well. The Romance covers 120 years of History, so I guess it isn't THAT big of a spoiler to say that Liu Bei dies.
Anyway, here's the FLP edition I was talking about. I also have their translation of Water Margin--I don't think its nearly as good as the Romance (either in terms of the book or the edition itself). The book is much more interesting on a structural level than a literary one, and suffers from (presumably) being drawn from various literary traditions--the characters, while fun, seem to lack the depth found in the Romance.

>> No.17329382

>>17329278
I enjoyed it quite a lot. I thought it chronicles ancient chinese military campaigns well, in a format that's interesting to read.

>> No.17329477

>>17329278
I'm reading it, anon. Seems like cool historical fiction. I thought about reading about Rome. But then I realized that I know shit about the Chinese. And there is even an snes game, which I might play after I finish the books.

> Unity succeeds division and division follows unity. One is bound to be replaced by the other after a long span of time. This is the way with things in the world. At the end of the Zhou Dynasty the empire was divided into seven competing principalities, warring against one another till finally they were united by Qin. When Qin had fulfilled its destiny, there arose Chu and Han to contend for the reign, and ultimately it was Han that united the country.

Take a look at the start of it. This is the first paragraph of Yu Sumei's translation. Looks cool doesn't it?

>> No.17329513
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17329513

>>17329346
>Had to hold back tears when Liu Bei died...he deserved better, bros.

>> No.17329529

>>17329513
The guys that portrayed Cao Cao and Sima Yi in this show did such a phenomenal job.

>> No.17329601

>>17329529
They really did, no point in watching any other Three Kingdom movies or shows.

>> No.17330332

>>17329601

IMDB me fren

>> No.17330785

>>17330332
https://m.imdb.com/title/tt1514753/

>> No.17330802

yes, it's one of the best stories ever told. read the Moss Roberts unabridged

>> No.17330811

>>17329601
the Red Cliff movie is worth watching

>> No.17330842

im actually reading the c.h. brewitt-taylor translation right now, and the story is well worth your time and its full of great moments and genuinely cool fights, but look elsewhere when it comes to english translation. c.h. brewitt-taylor was not a creative writer by profession and he also published it in the 1920s, and both of these things show. but again, the story is a blast if you can latch onto the names you know amongst the endless tide of geneologies and names just 1 or 2 roman characters off from one another