Red Chamber Dream. Young Version

Author: Cao Xueqin
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2000-09-01
Features: Dream of the Red Chamber is one of the greatest classical novels in the history of Chinese literature and a rare masterpiece in the treasure trove of world literature. The author of this great novel, Cao Xueqin, is also known as Zhan, with the courtesy name Mengruan and the sobriquets Xueqin, Qingqu, and Qingxi Jushi. There have been several different accounts of his birth and death years. The most credible ones suggest he was born in the 54th year of the Kangxi reign and died in the 27th, 28th, or late spring of the 29th year of the Qianlong reign. His ancestral home was Liaoyang, and he was born in Nanjing. Cao Xueqin's grandfather, Cao Yin, was a renowned poet of his time, author of The Collected Poems of Linting, and also supervised the publication and printing of works such as The Complete Collection of Tang Poems and The Elegant Rhyme Dictionary. He was a figure of significant contribution to the history of Chinese culture.
The reason Dream of the Red Chamber has earned such high acclaim lies first in its ideological power. The young men and women depicted in the book, though differing in life circumstances and aspirations, naturally have varied loves and hates, sorrows and joys. It not only moves readers to deep sorrow but also guides them to think and explore with the author, exploring the value of humanity and the meaning of life. This was something that had never been done or done sufficiently in novels before. Second, the artistic expression of Dream of the Red Chamber also marks the pinnacle of the development of Chinese fiction. Cao Xueqin had a profound understanding and insight into real life and the diverse people around him. He conveyed this understanding and insight to readers through artistic images, moving them deeply. Such a great novel should be introduced to young readers at an early age. While some parts of the book may be initially difficult for young readers to grasp, precisely for this reason, we have published this youth edition of Dream of the Red Chamber. This is a book that is enjoyable to read again and again, with new insights gained each time. Therefore, it is meaningful for young readers to start with this youth edition.