Lord Guan
Guan Yu is a 2nd-century Chinese historical figure and folk hero who is still worshipped in his own country. A gifted fighter born into a poor rural family, Guan sets out to make his way in the world in the failing days of the Han Dynasty and falls in with several other men (and women) who are as outstanding in their own fields as he is. Together, they form the Peach Garden Brotherhood, which aims to restore the Han kings to the throne. Gradually, as the corruption of the dynasty becomes apparent, their mission shifts, and in the end, they establish one of the Three Kingdoms that distinguishes most of the third century. A subset of the chapters details the rise of Guan‘s bride, a woman as extraordinary as himself. This book chronicles Guan’s life without much commentary or insertion of a plot. I noticed it was categorized on Amazon as folklore or fairy tale, and that seems appropriate.
Written in a dry tell-don’t-show style between that of a history text and a fairy tale, the book pits geniuses/saints/supermen against irredeemable villains. Aficionados of Chinese history will undoubtedly read this book with interest, thanks to the dense detail, obviously well researched. But those looking for any psychological insights or humanizing intimacy with people of the past won’t find it here.
