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Dream of the Red Chamber
Cao Xueqin; Translated by H. Bencraft Joly; Foreword by John Minford; Introduction by Edwin Lowe
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R601
Discovery Miles 6 010
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Ships in 12 - 17 working days
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"One of the great novels of world literature…to the Chinese as
Proust is to the French or Karamazov to the Russians." --Anthony
West, literary critic Dream of the Red Chamber (also known as The
Story of the Stone) is renowned for its epic scope, rich
psychological characterizations and telling observations on family
life and the role of women in Chinese society. One of the Four
Great Classical Novels in Chinese literature, along with Journey to
the West, The Water Margin, and Romance of the Three Kingdoms;
Dream of the Red Chamber is widely regarded as the greatest Chinese
classical novel, and one of the greatest works of world literature
ever written. The "red chamber" refers to a sheltered area in
wealthy households where daughters were confined until married--a
veritable prison where dreams of true love wither. This sweeping
tale tells of the rise and fall of rival branches of the wealthy
Jia family, who live in lavish adjacent compounds surrounded by a
lush, private garden. The story opens with the birth of Jia Baoyu,
heir apparent and darling of the women in the Jia household. A
free-thinker and idealist, Baoyu soon rebels against his stern
father, who refuses to allow his son to pursue a romantic affair
with Lin Daiyu--a headstrong and intelligent woman who shares his
love of music and poetry. Baoyu is forced instead to marry Xue
Baochai, an equally talented and beautiful woman but someone with
whom he has no emotional connection. The fates of the star-crossed
lovers and their families slowly unravel as this tragic story
unfolds. Dream of the Red Chamber, although written by a man, is
said to be one of the first great works of women's literature. The
author, Cao Xueqin, is thought to have written the novel as a
memorial to the inspiring women he knew in his youth.
Dream of the Red Chamber is a masterpiece of Chinese literature and
one of China's Four Great Classical Novels. It was composed in the
mid-18th century during the Qing Dynasty and is generally
acknowledged to be a pinnacle of Chinese fiction. The novel is
believed to be semi-autobiographical, mirroring the rise and decay
of author's own family and, by extension, of the Qing Dynasty. As
the author states in the first chapter, it is intended to be a
memorial to the women he knew in his youth - friends, relatives and
servants. At the center of the story is Bao-yu, a precocious,
spoiled, and undisciplined boy and his romantic affinity to his
poetry-loving, orphaned cousin, Dai-yu. The novel is remarkable not
only for its huge cast of characters and psychological scope, but
also for its precise and detailed observation of the life and
social structures typical of 18th-century Chinese aristocracy.
Dream of the Red Chamber is a masterpiece of Chinese literature and
one of China's Four Great Classical Novels. It was composed in the
mid-18th century during the Qing Dynasty and is generally
acknowledged to be a pinnacle of Chinese fiction. The novel is
believed to be semi-autobiographical, mirroring the rise and decay
of author's own family and, by extension, of the Qing Dynasty. As
the author states in the first chapter, it is intended to be a
memorial to the women he knew in his youth - friends, relatives and
servants. At the center of the story is Bao-yu, a precocious,
spoiled, and undisciplined boy and his romantic affinity to his
poetry-loving, orphaned cousin, Dai-yu. The novel is remarkable not
only for its huge cast of characters and psychological scope, but
also for its precise and detailed observation of the life and
social structures typical of 18th-century Chinese aristocracy.
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