The Dream of the Red Chamber

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Cao Xueqin

Tuttle, North Clarendon, VT and Tokyo, 2010; originally published mid-18th century in Chinese

Fiction

ISBN: 9780804840965

From the Publisher. The Dream of the Red Chamber is one of the “Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese Literature.” It is renowned for its huge scope, large cast of characters, and telling observations on the life and social structures of 18th-century China and is considered by many to be the pinnacle of the classical Chinese novel.

The “Red Chamber” is an expression used for the sheltered area where the daughters of wealthy Chinese families lived. Believed to be based on the author's own life and intended as a memorial to the women that he knew in his youth, The Dream of the Red Chamber is a multilayered story that offers up key insights into Chinese culture.

Cao Xueqin was born into a wealthy family whose status and fortune diminished when he was a child. He spent the remainder of his life in poverty. The Dream of the Red Chamber, which he devoted ten years of his life to writing, was not published until 30 years after his death. Translated by H. Bencraft Joly; with a new foreword by John Minford and a new introduction by Edwin Lowe.

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Aric Chen

On Aric Chen’s Book List

An 18th-century Chinese literature classic. So narratively complex, it’s like excavating an entirely different worldview.

红楼梦

曹雪芹

18世纪中国文学名著之一。叙事精妙复杂，仿佛在挖掘一个全新的世界。

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