Romance of the Former Han (3)

Cai DongfanJul 2024

4.3

Word count: 40K words
Chapters: 9

Summary

This book is one of the series of full-length historical novels written by Cai Dongfan in the Republican era under the guiding idea of "using historical fiction to save the nation." It covers the period from the contending warlords at the end of the Qin dynasty and Liu Bang's founding of the Han to Wang Mang's usurpation. Readers who love history should not miss it. It is a monumental work of historical fiction that takes the official histories as its warp and anecdotes as its weft, with a distinctive format and the author's own commentary and annotations. The writing is warm and natural, accessible and easy to understand. Both plot and style are excellent, making it highly readable. The work values authenticity: through the techniques of historical fiction it gives history a strong narrative drive and faithfully recreates the sweeping history of the Qin and Western Han dynasties, portraying one grand epic after another of heroes and their times.

Editor's review

Former Han Romance (3) continues Cai Dongfan's long narrative from the end of the Qin to Wang Mang's usurpation, and this volume tests the reader's grasp of character relationships and the timeline even more. Its value lies not only in "telling stories": the author takes the official histories as the warp and anecdotes as the weft, and uses self-commentary and annotations to explain where the material comes from and to judge the merits and faults of figures, so it reads as if a Republican-era storyteller were beside you supplying background and reminding you what is true and false. The writing is accessible and warm, and the plot advances with rhythm, making it suitable for readers already immersed in this series to continue. When reading, one may treat it as "a long historical drama with commentary," enjoying the narrative while also noticing how the author strings scattered historical materials into a chain of cause and effect. For more solid historical training, it is advisable to consult the relevant sections of the official histories alongside it, treating the romance as an entry point rather than an endpoint.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers who have finished the first two volumes and want to continue tracking the trajectory of the mid-to-late Western Han
General history enthusiasts who enjoy chapter-based narrative and the author's interlinear commentary and annotations
Middle school history teachers who want to use a continuous story to help sort out the political evolution of the Qin-Han transition
Casual readers interested in the fates of figures around the time of Wang Mang's usurpation

Not a good fit for

Professional history readers who expect purely academic textual research and do not accept the embellishments of historical fiction
Beginners who do not yet know the basic figures of the late Qin and early Han and would easily be confused by jumping straight into this volume
Readers who prefer short stories or the pace of modern fiction and lack patience for a long chapter-based work

Reading tips

First skim the chapter titles to get a sense of the period covered in this volume, then read the main text through, to avoid losing your bearings when many characters appear densely.
As you read, note the years of key events and changes in figures' positions, especially the relationship between consort clans, powerful ministers, and imperial authority.
After each section, return to the author's self-commentary and think about what material he based his judgments on, cultivating an awareness of historical sources.
Read alongside the relevant annals and biographies in the Book of Han, focusing on how the romance handles different accounts of the same event.

版权信息
自序
第十七回破釜沈舟奋身杀敌损兵折将畏罪乞降
第十八回智郦生献谋取要邑愚胡亥遇弑毙斋宫
第十九回诛逆阉难延秦祚坑降卒直入函关
第二十回宴鸿门张樊保驾焚秦宫关陕成墟
第二十一回烧栈道张良定谋筑郊坛韩信拜将
第二十二回用秘计暗渡陈仓受密嘱阴弑义帝
第二十三回下河南陈平走谒过洛阳董老献谋

FAQ

What period of history does the third volume mainly cover?

According to the material, the series as a whole covers the period from the contending warlords at the end of the Qin and Liu Bang's founding of the Han to Wang Mang's usurpation. The third volume falls in the later part of this long narrative; when reading, one should combine it with the first two volumes to grasp the continuity of figures and situations. For the specific chapter contents, refer to the main text of the book.

Is the author's self-commentary and annotations helpful for understanding the main text?

Yes. The annotations often explain the sources of historical material, distinguish rumors, and evaluate figures, helping readers understand why the author narrates as he does. On a first reading you can read the main text first to keep continuity, then return to the annotations; this usually works better.

How is this series different from novels like Romance of the Three Kingdoms?

Although it tells its story in the style of historical fiction, it explicitly takes the official histories as the warp and anecdotes as the weft and includes self-commentary and annotations; the author points to the basis of his material and judges true and false, rather than creating as freely as a purely fictional novel. When reading, one should still be aware of its literary embellishment.

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About the author

Cai Dongfan Author · China · 1877–1945

Cai Dongfan (1877–1945) was a native of Xiaoshan, Zhejiang, and a modern Chinese writer of historical romances. Beginning in 1916, he spent ten years completing the 11-volume, 1,040-chapter Popular Romances of Successive Dynasties, which recounts the rise and fall of dynasties in an accessible style; he also wrote Romances of Empress Dowager Cixi. Drawing on historical sources and adapting them into simple classical Chinese and the chapter-based vernacular form, his works balance historical fact with narrative interest, allowing ordinary readers to follow the broad course of a dynasty through its chapter headings. The collection holds 381 of his works, including dynastic romances on the Jin, Ming, Tang, Later Han and Republican periods, as well as series such as the Six Histories and the Popular Romances of Successive Dynasties, commonly classified as history reading and classical literature. Regarded as a representative figure in Chinese historical romance writing, Cai Dongfan's series have had a lasting influence in popularizing historical knowledge and continuing the romance tradition, and remain accessible introductions to Chinese history for readers today.