The Mystery of the Dream of the Red Chamber (Illustrated Collector's Edition)

Author: Li Junhui
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-04-01
Features: According to scholars' research, the name "Dream of the Red Chamber" appears for the first time in the "Preface" of the Jia Xu copy, while other names reflect different stages and intentions during the writing process. The author Cao Xueqin himself mentioned five titles in the book, primarily "Dream of the Red Chamber" and "Dream of the Stone." In the first chapter, there are phrases like "writing this book 'Dream of the Stone'" and "reviewing 'Dream of the Stone' again." In the fifth chapter, there is an aria set to music that summarizes the entire plot of "Dream of the Red Chamber." It is clear that the author had been using these two names from the beginning. Below is a brief introduction to the known titles of "Dream of the Red Chamber":
The first is "Dream of the Stone." It is said to be the book's "original title" or "proper name," but there are differing opinions. For example, Yu Pingbo, in his essay "On the Red Chamber Dream Studies: The Original Name of the Red Chamber Dream," argues that the book was originally called "Dream of the Red Chamber." Regarding the origin of the title "Dream of the Stone," the "Preface" of the Jia Xu copy states: "This is the story recorded by the stone."