A History of Pain (Middle)

吴研人Jun 2024

Rating 3.5
Word count
50K words
Chapters
9

Tags

Otherworld Continent Historical ReappraisalPortrait GalleryPower GamesPatriotismMoral DilemmaTurbulent Era

Summary

This book recounts the fall of the Southern Song, when Yuan forces overran the Central Plains, the treacherous minister Jia Sidao betrayed his country for personal gain, and loyal officials such as Wen Tianxiang fought bravely against the Yuan. It re-creates the profound national catastrophe of a court sunk in corruption and a land ravaged by war, and depicts the cruelty of the Yuan conquerors' slaughter, making it a work of grief and indignation. The book focuses on the traitor Sidao: relying on his status as a royal relative, he monopolized state affairs, abused power, led a debauched and shameless life, and secretly colluded with the Yuan, finally meeting a thoroughly deserved end. Faithful to historical fact and drawing on the strengths of both historical narrative and chivalric fiction, the novel is full of emotion, written with unrestrained vigor, and vibrant with life. The book has [number] chapters in all, yet the story is unfinished and appears not to be a complete manuscript.

Editor's review

Set against the fall of the Southern Song, "Painful History (Middle)" interweaves court intrigue with the chaos of war, and reads with both poignancy and sinew. Wu Yanren's portrait of Jia Sidao is not content with labels: he peels the traitorous minister open layer by layer—his monopoly of power as an imperial relative by marriage, his debauchery and misrule, his secret collusion with the Mongols—making him detestable yet legible; his loyal ministers such as Wen Tianxiang are written with respect and a stern vitality. The novel is faithful to historical fact while drawing on the strengths of both historical narrative and chivalric fiction; its pacing shifts between the unfolding of events and the portrayal of character, with abundant feeling and unrestrained brushwork. It will appeal to readers interested in the history of the Song–Yuan transition, the mentality of remnant subjects, and the methods of modern historical fiction. A caveat: the story is unfinished, and this is the middle volume; it is best read alongside the preceding and following volumes to see its threads and its allegory.

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Reading tips

  1. Before reading this volume, first grasp the basic outline of the late Southern Song and the Mongol conquest, then enter the characters' entanglements.
  2. As you read, note the contrast between the Jia Sidao and Wen Tianxiang storylines to sense the author's emotional stance.
  3. Because the story is unfinished, read it continuously with the preceding and following volumes rather than judging the plot in isolation.
  4. Keep a simple chronology at hand to check where the historical events in the book meet the edge of fictional technique.

Contents

  1. 版权信息
  2. 第十回 下江西文丞相建殊勋 度仙霞宗伯成得奇遇
  3. 第十一回 君直初上仙霞山 岳忠夜闹河北路
  4. 第十二回 盗袖镖狄琪试本领 验死尸县令暗惊心
  5. 第十三回 胡子忠再闹安抚衙 山神庙结义狄定伯
  6. 第十四回 仙霞岭五杰喜相逢 燕京城三宫受奇辱
  7. 第十五回 待使臣胡人无礼 讲实学护卫长谈
  8. 第十六回 胡子忠盗案卷尽悉军情 郑虎臣别仙霞另行运动
  9. 第十七回 越国公奉驾幸崖山 张弘范率师寇祖国

FAQ

Is the story in "Painful History (Middle)" complete? No. According to the source material, the story is unfinished and appears not to be a complete manuscript; this is the middle volume. Readers will feel that the plot has not been resolved, so it is best read continuously with the preceding and following volumes and understood within the overall arc, rather than judged as a standalone complete novel that must supply an ending.
How is Jia Sidao portrayed in the book? The book concentrates on portraying Jia Sidao as a traitor: as an imperial relative by marriage he monopolizes court power, wields authority, lives in shameless debauchery, secretly colludes with the Mongols, and finally comes to a thoroughly deserved end. The author does not simply vilify him but unfolds his ruinous conduct layer by layer within a framework of historical fact, making the figure detestable yet legible.
What are the features of the novel's technique? The novel is faithful to historical fact and draws on the strengths of both historical narrative and chivalric fiction, combining the unfolding of events with character portrayal and emotional expression. The brushwork is unrestrained and full of stern vitality; overall it is a work of sorrow and indignation. Readers encounter both the national calamity of the Song–Yuan transition and the author's contemporary concerns voiced through history.

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About the author

吴研人 Author

Wu Yanren was an author active in the late Qing and early Republican periods, known for his fiction and popular historical writing. Reliable information about his life is currently limited: his birth and death years, native place, and education are not documented in available sources. The library holds four of his works: the three volumes of Painful History (Shang, Zhong, and Xia) and Long Live the Constitution. Judging from these titles, Painful History is a lengthy historical novel that draws on events from the late Song dynasty to express grief over the fate of the nation, with a somber tone and dense narrative. Long Live the Constitution, as its title suggests, reflects concern with the constitutionalist currents of the late Qing and carries a strong tone of contemporary commentary. These works combine the historical romance tradition of classical literature with a modern sense of social criticism, and are often classified under classical literature and Eastern philosophy; some reading platforms also label them as alternate-world fiction because of their imaginative and argumentative elements. Overall, Wu Yanren's writing uses history as its framework and commentary as its substance, and is representative of the transition from late Qing fiction toward modernity, though the loss and scattering of sources mean that his full profile remains to be further examined.