Zhishanyazi Criticism of the Dream of the Red Chamber (Volumes 1 and 2)

Author: Cao Xueqin, Shiyanzhai
Publisher:
Publication Date: 2006-06-01
Features: "A wild tale of absurdity, a handful of bitter tears! Though all say the author is mad, who can fathom the depth of it?" The well-known Dream of the Red Chamber is a work that embodies Cao Xueqin's life's dedication. The novel, centered on the tragic love story between Jia Baoyu and Lin Daiyu, weaves together the rise and fall of the four great families—Jia, Wang, Shi, and Xue. With its vivid characters and poignant love, it is an eternal masterpiece that is never-ending to read and discuss. The edition of this book is based on one of the eleven extant ancient manuscripts of Dream of the Red Chamber, which is the most complete and authentically preserved version of the original draft determined by Cao Xueqin during his lifetime. It allows readers to appreciate the true style of the author's original manuscript and directly enjoy over 2,100 precious annotations left by Cao Xueqin's "red and white confidante," Shiyanzhai, on the Gengchen manuscript, possessing unique artistic appreciation value, academic research value, and edition preservation value.
The establishment of the status of classical masterpieces in the history of Chinese literature is, of course, primarily due to the unique charm of these works themselves. However, it is also greatly related to the efforts of a large number of insightful literary critics who rigorously analyzed and commented on these novels after their publication. Names like Li Zhuowu, Jin Shengtan, Mao Zonggang, and Shiyanzhai are closely associated with Journey to the West, Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Water Margin, and Dream of the Red Chamber in people's minds. They not only pioneered a new era in the history of Chinese classical fiction criticism but also enabled more readers to delve deeper into the essence and charm of these classical masterpieces through their critiques.
The name Shiyanzhai is even more inseparable from Dream of the Red Chamber. From his annotations, it can be seen that Shiyanzhai had a close relationship with Cao Xueqin, but what their relationship was remains a subject of debate, with no definitive conclusion. Some believe they were the same person, while others think Shiyanzhai was the prototype for Shi Xiangyun in the book, and still others suggest they were merely close friends or relatives. Regardless of who Shiyanzhai was, his critiques of Dream of the Red Chamber indeed added brilliance to the already splendid Grand View Garden, making readers even more captivated by the novel. They also allowed later generations to have more speculations and imaginations about the fates of the characters after the first eighty chapters.