Book

Dream of the Red Chamber

by Cao Xueqin · first published 1792

Dream of the Red Chamber (simplified Chinese: 红楼梦; traditional Chinese: 紅樓夢; pinyin: hónɡ lóu mènɡ, also translated as Red Chamber Dream, A Dream of Red Mansions) or The Story of the Stone (simplified Chinese: 石头记; traditional Chinese: 石頭記; pinyin: shí tóu jì) is an 18th-century Chinese novel authored by Cao Xueqin, considered to be one of the Four Great Classic Novels of Chinese literature. It is known for its psychological scope and its observation of the worldview, aesthetics, lifestyles, and social relations of High Qing China. The intricate strands of its plot depict the rise and decline of a family much like Cao's own and, by extension, of the dynasty itself. Cao depicts the power of the father over the family, but the novel is intended to be a memorial to the women he knew in his youth: friends, relatives and servants.

Summary: Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0