Literary Talent and Style: Cao Xueqin

Author: None
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-03-01
Features:
Literary Elegance – The literary language created by Du Shaojing, the Poet Sage.
Literary Elegance – A characteristic of Chinese culture.
Literary Elegance – The brilliance of literary and artistic style.
Literary Elegance – The dignified and spirited demeanor of cultural figures.
Literary Elegance – The expression and embodiment of Chinese culture.
Literary Elegance – "The land is like a painting, and the people are even more elegant," representing a realm of unity between heaven and man.
Literary Elegance – The cultivation and attainment of Chinese cultural figures.
Literary Elegance – The original meaning of Chinese characters, where five colors form patterns and five tones create verses. The flow of vital energy, the radiance of spirit, the ease of conversation, the open-mindedness of character – it is like drinking fine wine, effortlessly yet profoundly moved. This is what is called elegance.
"Literary Elegance and Cao Xueqin" consists of twelve main chapters, plus "Ode to Cao Xueqin," "Preface," "Prologue," and "Appendix at the End of the Volume." It outlines and portrays a clear and vivid profile of Cao Xueqin's family background and life from faint clues, but more importantly, it weaves through these "tales" a soul that is both Cao Xueqin's soul and the soul of "Dream of the Red Chamber," as well as the soul of the "Garden of Splendor" in Chinese culture. This is particularly significant and fascinating: in Cao Xueqin, the complexities of Chinese culture are condensed, not only including Han cultural elements but also those of ethnic minorities.