Romance of the Former Han (5)
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Summary
This book is one of the serial historical novels written by Cai Dongfan in the Republican era under the guiding idea of "using popular historical romance to save the nation." It recounts the period from the rival contenders for power in the late Qin dynasty and Liu Bang's founding of the Han to Wang Mang's usurpation of the Han throne. Readers who love history should not miss it. The book is a monumental work of historical romance with a distinctive format: it takes the official histories as its warp and anecdotes as its weft, and includes the author's own commentary and annotations. The writing throughout is warm, natural, and easy to understand. Both the plot and the prose are excellent, making it highly readable. The work emphasizes factual accuracy, using the techniques of the historical romance novel to give history a strong narrative quality; it faithfully recreates the magnificent history of the Qin and Western Han dynasties and portrays one sweeping epic after another of heroes and their times.
Editor's review
The fifth volume of Romance of the Former Han continues Cai Dongfan's approach of "using popular historical romance to save the nation," taking the official histories as its warp and anecdotes as its weft as it carries the long panorama—from the rival contenders of the late Qin to Wang Mang's usurpation—into its later chapters. Picking up where the previous volume left off, this installment gradually unfolds the political ups and downs, court relationships, and frontier affairs of the middle and later Han, with a large cast and interwoven threads that read with the continuity of a serial drama and convey the author's concern with rise and fall, order and chaos. The self-commentary and self-annotation remain the most noteworthy part of the book: the main text tells the story while the annotations explain choices and judgments, and the two work together so that the historical narrative never descends into mere dramatization. The writing is warm, natural, and easy to understand, balancing plot and technique; it suits readers seeking a popular introduction to history as well as those who have followed the series and want to complete the full arc of the Former Han. Because this is a later volume in the series, it is best not to skip ahead entirely—at least familiarize yourself with the main figures and events of the earlier volumes before starting this one.
Who it's for
A good fit for
- Readers following the Romance of the Former Han series who want to finish the later story
- History enthusiasts interested in middle and late Western Han politics and the fates of its figures
- Readers who enjoy chapter-by-chapter storytelling and want to trace historical threads through narrative
- General readers who need an accessible history book to fill in the background of the era
Not a good fit for
- Readers who want to start from scratch and read independently without catching up on prior events
- Readers who prefer rigorous scholarly histories and are put off by the romance style
- Readers who want only short stories and lack patience for the continuity of a long series
Reading tips
- Before reading, skim the chapter titles or character lists of the earlier volumes to review the main figures and the chain of events, then begin this volume.
- Read in chapter order, and when many characters appear at once, jot down their relationships to avoid confusion later on.
- Treat the author's annotations as a guided tour: notice how he selects historical sources and evaluates figures, rather than reading only for the story.
- After finishing the volume, look back over the table of contents and retell the arc of rise and fall in your own words to check whether you have truly followed the series.
Contents
- 版权信息
- 自序
- 第三十二回 即帝位汉主称尊 就驿舍田横自刭
- 第三十三回 劝移都娄敬献议 伪出游韩信受擒
- 第三十四回 序侯封优待萧丞相 定朝仪功出叔孙通
- 第三十五回 谋弑父射死单于 求脱围赂遗番后
- 第三十六回 宴深宫奉觞祝父寿 系诏狱拚死白王冤
- 第三十七回 议废立周昌争储 讨乱贼陈豨败走
- 第三十八回 悍吕后毒计戮功臣 智陆生善言招蛮酋
- 第三十九回 讨淮南箭伤御驾 过沛中宴会乡亲
FAQ
Is the fifth volume closely connected to the fourth?
The two volumes belong to the same series, with continuing characters and situations; the fifth picks up the thread and carries the later Former Han story forward. It is best to know at least the main events and the fates of the characters in the fourth volume before reading this one, which will make it smoother; skipping entirely can leave you unfamiliar with the relationships.
Is this book suitable for middle school students?
The language is accessible and the storytelling strong, so middle school students can read it as extracurricular history reading; but with so many characters and interspersed annotations, younger students may need guidance. Try reading a section you are familiar with first, then decide whether to read the whole volume.
What role does the author's self-commentary and self-annotation mainly play?
The annotations mainly explain the sources of historical material, the author's judgments on figures and events, and the choices between romance and historical fact, helping readers understand the basis of the narrative. They serve as both a guide and a reflection of Cai Dongfan's approach to writing; paying attention to them while reading helps prevent mistaking romance plot for pure historical fact.
After finishing this volume, do I still need to read the others?
This is a later volume in the series, and the story still connects backward and forward. To grasp the full arc from the late Qin to Wang Mang's usurpation, it is best to read the series in order; if you are interested only in the sections covered here, you can finish this volume and then go back to the relevant chapters of earlier volumes.
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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.
