The Sanguo Yanyi – Chapter 45 – At The Three Gorges, Cao Cao Loses Soldiers; In The Gathering Of Heroes, Jiang Gan Is Trapped.

WARNING: IT’S BEEN A WHILE SINCE I WROTE ONE OF THESE COMMENTARIES, SO I MIGHT BE A BIT RUSTY.

Annnnnd I’m back. Miss me? Probably not, but you might have missed some of my content, such as the Sanguo Yanyi audiobook. So I guess I’ll just dive right in here.

Chapter 45 is an amusing chapter to me. It introduces Jiang Gan, a man unfortunate to be intelligent enough and have enough of a reputation as a persuader for Cao Cao to consider sending him to attempt to sway Zhou Yu over to his side. He’s also unfortunate enough to have suggested the whole notion himself, guessing incorrectly that their association as former students under the same master would cause Zhou Yu to betray the Sun Family. This bad judgment would cost Cao Cao the battle (and it does a great job of illustrating how the Mandate of Heaven turns against those who act against Heaven’s Will. This is why Yuan Shao, so capable an officer early in the novel, fell when he attacked Cao Cao, and it is why Cao Cao’s own southern expedition into Wu is also doomed to fail. (more…)

The Sanguo Yanyi – Chapter 44 – Zhuge Liang Stirs Zhou Yu To Actions; Sun Quan Decides To Attack Cao Cao.

WARNING: IF JESUS WERE HERE, HE’D CUT YOU.

Last chapter saw a whole lot of debate about whether or not the Southland should go to war against Cao Cao, and now, in Chapter 44, that war draws ever nearer. For Sun Quan has decided to leave the decision in the hands of his Foreign Policy advisor, (and Commander-in-Chief of his armies), Zhou Yu, and now all the officers, civil and military, in Wu know that it is Zhou Yu, rather than Sun Quan, that they must sway to their various conclusions. (more…)

The Sanguo Yanyi – Chapter 43 – Zhuge Liang Disputes With The Southern Scholars; Lu Su Denounces The Majority Opinion.

WARNING: THE TIMES, THEY ARE A-CHANGIN’. (WELL, NOT REALLY…THEY NEVER REALLY DO. EVER. BUT SOMETIMES I GUESS IT’S NICE TO BE AN OPTIMIST LIKE BOB DYLAN…)

The true significance of Chapter 43 may be lost on some, I suppose. That is to say that in a novel where the martial valor of many of its heroes overshadows just about everything else, it might be a bit easier to overlook the importance of the parts where there’s not really any fighting going on. This, of course, would provide a one-sided experience to the story, unfortunately. What would the obstinacy of Achilles have meant if the reader had not previously read that he and Agamemnon had previously had a quarrel in the command tent about the captured Trojan maiden Briseis? Sometimes, it’s the battles fought behind the scenes, with words rather than swords, that take on true significance. This chapter’s commentary is about the art of the debate in Ancient China, its applications, and how the situation put forth in this chapter compares with the events of our own day. (more…)

The Sanguo Yanyi – Chapter 42 – Screaming Zhang Fei Triumphs At Long Slope Bridge; Defeated Liu Bei Marches To Hanjin.

WARNING, I PUT A LOT OF SOUND EFFECTS IN THIS ONE…

That’s right, I did. Chang Ban is, in my humble opinion, one of the most entertaining chapters in the entire novel, as it showcases the talents of not only Zhao Yun (Zilong) but Zhang Fei in their fullest glory. I have tried to use sound effects very sparingly in this audiobook, because I didn’t really want sensationalism to take away from the actual words. The words in which this story, any story is told are what are really important. However, I feel that in this case, sound effects help to add an epic quality to the great deeds being performed in Chapter 42. The result, as you will hear, is truly an audible treat. An audiobook chapter that listens like a radioplay. :p (more…)