In the Beginning: The Chronicle

“For years, I’ve been looking forward to the day I finally write this novel. Then I’ll be able to rest easy.”, Wang Shuo

The Chronicle of the Beginning is one volume in the four-volume novel series The Beginning. This volume draws on stories from the reign of Emperor Wu of Han. Starting with the history we know, Wang Shuo weaves in his own feelings and ideas, using his rich imagination to tell the story of nearly fifty years in the emperor’s life, from the day he took the reins of power until his death, as well as the lives of the many vivid, fully realized characters who lived in his era. The turbulent yet intertwined lives of Li Guang, Li Ling, Sima Qian, Zhang Qian, Sima Xiangru, Chen A'jiao, Wei Zifu, Huo Qubing, and others form a dazzling web of stories. It is a dreamlike tale filled with laughter and scorn, as well as stirring grandeur. Feeling matters more than fame. This is the story of an emperor, but, at its heart, it is the story of people.