Lo Kuan-chung
Luo Guanzhong,
Wade-Giles romanization Lo Kuan-chung, original name
Luo Ben, also called Luo Guan and Luo Daobun,
courtesy name (zi) Guanzhong (b. c. 1330, Taiyuan?,
Shanxi province, China—d. c. 1400, Hangzhou?,
Zhejiang province), Chinese writer who traditionally
has been credited as the author of the classic
Chinese novels Sanguozhi yanyi (Three Kingdoms) and
Shuihuzhuan (Water Margin, or All Men Are Brothers).
Almost nothing is
known about the life of Luo. His authorship of
Sanguozhi yanyi and Shuihuzhuan (the latter possibly
written jointly with Shi Naian), however, is now
largely disputed. The first work is a historical
narrative, while the second is a semi-historical
picaresque novel about a band of outlaws, written in
the colloquial style. Both works enjoy continued
popularity among Chinese readers.