Dream of the Red Chamber (Upper and Lower): Eighty Chapters of the Story of the Stone: A by Zhou Ruchang

Author: Cao Xueqin (Qing Dynasty)
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-09-01
Features: This is an extraordinary Dream of the Red Chamber. To say it is extraordinary is indeed the truth, without any exaggeration. Its extraordinariness lies in the fact that the creation and development of the entire work spanned 56 years until its publication today. The second extraordinary aspect is that the 56 years of experiences, twists, hardships, and trials were far from ordinary situations or trivial matters, and are difficult for today's readers to imagine. This could have been the subject of another book. The third extraordinary aspect is that the proofreading and editing of this Dream of the Red Chamber differ greatly from all existing versions, with many and significant unique features. These features were hard-won. As a result, readers may find it unfamiliar or even initially difficult to accept, questioning, "Could it really be like this?" The fourth extraordinary aspect is that this "plain text" may seem unremarkable, but it is a manifestation of the "essence." For example, some proofreaders might take a single popular and well-regarded edition as the base text, then cross-reference it with other excellent versions. When they find unsatisfactory parts in the base text, they make corrections—altering individual words or phrases—to create a "new revised edition," which is then used as the final draft for printing and publication. This book, however, uses the proofread text of the True Stone Record (a major collated edition) as the draft, adding punctuation and necessary simplifications of Chinese characters, while preserving some of the original handwriting for the convenience of general literary enthusiasts. Thus, it differs greatly from the aforementioned proofreading methods. This is a "crystallization," reflecting a profound understanding of Cao Xueqin's literary heart and style, rather than the result of mere "administrative" work.