Dream of the Red Chamber

Author: Cao Xueqin (Qing Dynasty), Gao E (Qing Dynasty)
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2001-09-01
Features:
All say it is a golden and jade match,
But I only cherish the bond between wood and stone;
Alone facing each other,
The crystal snow of the high-minded scholar in the mountains,
Yet never forget,
The lonely immortal in the world of the forest;
Sighing at the human world,
The imperfection in beauty is now believed,
Even if they hold hands in harmony,
The hearts remain unsettled.
The Dream of the Red Chamber is the most literary-accomplished classical literary masterpiece in China, representing the pinnacle of classical Chinese literary creation and serving as a cultural treasure of humanity. Through the depiction of the rise and fall of the four great families—Jia, Shi, Wang, and Xue—it presents a broad social life perspective, encompassing a myriad of phenomena and diverse secular human emotions. It is often called the encyclopedia of the late feudal era, containing the historical essence of an entire period.
The structure of the entire book is novel and ingenious. It begins with five chapter titles, using "mythological tales" and "deceptive words" to conceal the essence of the content, placing the work in a mysterious fog. Instead, it employs the concept of "true and false," claiming a world of dreams and illusions, allowing the entire novel to unfold according to this structure of using false to imply true, ultimately creating a living world.
In The Dream of the Red Chamber, in addition to the famous (Jinling Twelve Beauties), there are more than 400 named characters, each vivid and distinct like a "river of people," displaying diverse personalities and vitality without repetition. They encompass all kinds of human figures in the world. Even in the portrayal of a single character, there are multiple facets, truly remarkable.