Dream of the Red Chamber (Color Illustration Edition)

Author: Cao Xueqin
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-01-01
Features: Dream of the Red Chamber is a renowned classic Chinese novel. It is structured around the four great families—Jia, Shi, Wang, and Xue—with the rise and fall of the Jia family as its main thread. The love and marriage tragedy of Jia Baoyu and Lin Daiyu form the central plot, presenting a broad picture of life in the late feudal society of China. The entire story is vividly told, with characters portrayed in exquisite detail, holding a supreme position in the history of Chinese literature. It is also a treasure in world literature, translated and published in many countries. Now, we have condensed the nearly one million words of Dream of the Red Chamber into tens of thousands, primarily considering our target readers—middle school students. Today's 16- or 17-year-olds often lack the time to meticulously read such monumental works. Meanwhile, the cultivation of modern individuals requires them to be well-read and to absorb the essence of literature. Thus, the abridged Dream of the Red Chamber was born. Here, Baoyu's sincere rebellion, Daiyu's devoted attachment, Baochai's tactful cleverness, Fengjie's cunning mind, and many other characters are vividly brought to life. As for the opulence of the Jia family and the conflicts between masters and maids, they are also described in rich detail. In short, middle school students can, in a short time, gain a glimpse of a pinnacle in the history of Chinese literature and savor the most magnificent feast in the hall of literature.