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Author: Ji Zhiyue
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-10-01
Features: One of the major characteristics of Comrade Ji Zhiyue's research on the manuscript studies of Dream of the Red Chamber is the emphasis on comparative analysis of the texts. Many insights are derived from such comparisons, and indeed, many conclusions are drawn after conducting them. This is originally a necessary method for studying ancient manuscripts, and it might not seem necessary to highlight it—this point is also valid. However, it must now be emphasized because some people researching printed or handwritten copies can reach astonishing conclusions without even examining the original versions. For example, some claim that the Jia Xu copy is a forgery by Liu Quanfu. The main part of this book is an innovative study of the versions of Dream of the Red Chamber. In the study of versions, the author introduces the method of handwriting identification and primarily employs comparative analysis, arriving at some relatively accurate conclusions, such as the main text of the Jia Xu copy's base manuscript being earlier than that of the Geng Chen copy, the Lietang copy not being an early manuscript, and the two chapters of the Zhengtang manuscript not being another draft by Cao Xueqin. The author also analyzes the ideology of Dream of the Red Chamber and the birth and death years of Cao Xueqin, which holds certain academic value.