Particularize Books Conducive To Dream of the Red Chamber (The Story of the Stone #1-5)
| Original Title: | 紅樓夢 [Hónglóu Mèng] |
| ISBN: | 0385093799 (ISBN13: 9780385093798) |
| Edition Language: | English |
| Series: | The Story of the Stone #1-5, Four Great Classic Novels of China |
| Characters: | Baoyu, Daiyu, Baochai, Pao Yu |
| Literary Awards: | Национална награда „Христо Г. Данов“ for Преводна художествена литература (2015) |
Xueqin Cao
Paperback | Pages: 352 pages Rating: 4.14 | 3699 Users | 318 Reviews
Describe Epithetical Books Dream of the Red Chamber (The Story of the Stone #1-5)
| Title | : | Dream of the Red Chamber (The Story of the Stone #1-5) |
| Author | : | Xueqin Cao |
| Book Format | : | Paperback |
| Book Edition | : | Anniversary Edition |
| Pages | : | Pages: 352 pages |
| Published | : | October 20th 1958 by Anchor (first published 1791) |
| Categories | : | Classics. Fiction. Cultural. China. Literature. Historical. Historical Fiction. Asia |
Commentary Toward Books Dream of the Red Chamber (The Story of the Stone #1-5)
Zhuangzi said that the desire for money is difficult to overcome, but the desire for fame is more difficult. Well, how about love? Many believe that The Dream of the Red Chamber is emblematic of the climax of Chinese literature. I do think it is the best Chinese novel, but I wouldn't say it is the emblem because it departs greatly from the convention of Chinese literature and aims to reveal the hypocrisy of this convention which is its feigned integrity and disregard for love. It is through the lens of love that Cao Xueqin reveals to the readers the dilemma, tragedy, and general condition of human life. It is hard to describe how much this book means to me. It not only defines how I understand my national identity, but also serves as a foundation for my cognition and interpretation of almost everything. Many times when life tosses me a certain peculiarity or uneasiness, I would remember and contemplate on a scene, a prose, a quotation, or a general idea about the fate of one of the character in this book, and suddenly I would feel easier and say to myself: this is life. The Dream of the Red Chamber isn't very popular among Western readers, and most well-read people on GR have never heard of this book, and even those who appreciate Chinese literature ignore it, probably finding it too long, too difficult, too boring (someone even said it's unaesthetic). I've heard people comparing it to The Plum in the Golden Vase, or categorizing it as a book about teenage relationships. So, I find it necessary to clarify that The Dream of the Red Chamber is objectively the single most important literary work in the history of Chinese literature, or even one can say East Asian literature. It is more important to Chinese literature than Shakespeare is to English literature. It is ridiculous to think that you know Chinese literature/culture/philosophy without having read this book (even though I know that most people in China no longer read this). Hundreds and thousands of scholars have devoted their lives to the study of every single word of this work. For many admirers for Cao Xueqin, myself included, we would be willing to sacrifice many years of our lives if we could read the original ending of this work which has been unfortunately lost. I consider it beyond my ability to review this book, especially in the language of English, so all I can do is an advertisement. This is the book to read if you want to encounter Chinese mentality at its most powerful, intricate, insightful, and sincere form.Rating Epithetical Books Dream of the Red Chamber (The Story of the Stone #1-5)
Ratings: 4.14 From 3699 Users | 318 ReviewsAppraise Epithetical Books Dream of the Red Chamber (The Story of the Stone #1-5)
Actually, I should not say that I have read this book, while I have not really read the English version of this work. Nevertheless, I think that among the translated versions of this work, the page number of this version looks at least convincing enough.About this work, there are enough positive reviews given from various perspectives already. One thing that I would like to note here is that it is not simply a love story like Romeo and Juliet. When paying attention to all details that the writerI can only just begin to grasp the importance, the amazing contribution to Chinese (and world!) literature that this story brought about. Quite a challenging read--even with some schooling in Chinese culture, I found myself stumbling, reviewing and contacting my professor to make sure I caught all the nuances, that I understood all the honorific titles (the family tree chart in the intro is most helpful!) However, it was absolutely worth it as this is a stirring and gorgeous tour-de-force! Even
I loved this book, so much like a daytime soap. The translation was great, it read easily. I felt it a bit rushed towards the end when everyone seemed to die in quick succession - the portion that wasn't written by Cao Xueqin. While every single person was realistically portrayed, Precious Virtue alone seemed to be more the personification of her name than a character. Because of this, I preferred Black Jade to her (anyone to her, actually).
I own this book, which is part of my obsession with the 18th-century Chinese novel of manners Dream of the Red Chamber - in its original, surely one of the world's greatest novels? This abridged translation was by Chi-Chen Wang, a former professor of Columbia University. His translation is skilful and readable, although highly abridged - at 60 chapters, about one-quarter to one-fifth the length of the original. The Hawkes translation still remains my primary recommendation for anyone wishing to
I have spent 9 years trying to remember what "that Chinese book" was which I read within my first year of college. I cannot remember if I read it for extra credit in my Chinese class, or if one of my professors recommended it as a Chinese classic that I should consider reading. Part of me thinks I began it during the school year, and then part of it the following summer (when I was reading so much I can't remember all that I read). Either way, I finally did some research and this is definitely
Arguably THE most important work in traditional Chinese literature. Written in the 1780s and then compiled and edited about 100 years later, this is not a seamless novel, but more like a soap opera of a courtly family's life in decline. This edition is obviously not the entire work, but a good representation of the most famous scenes. A lot of times you'll see scrolls or paintings with scenes from Dream of the Read Chamber (also known as Story of the Stone) that have 4 or 5 of the most famous
Like a historical record, the novel vividly portraits forgotten customs as well as enduring intrigues of a wealthy but declining aristocratic family in the Qing dynasty, detailing sumptuous delicacies, colorful cotton-padded jackets, and the luxurious chambers wooden stools, chamber pots, woven screens and bedside heaters. To turn the pages of Dream of the Red Chamber is to relive the decaying luxury of a lost time. A Chinese Brush Painting of an Aristocratic Mansion
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