Book description
"The Story of the Stone" (c. 1760), also known as "The
Dream of the Red Chamber", is one of the greatest novels of Chinese
literature. The fifth part of Cao Xueqin's magnificent saga, "The
Dreamer Awakes", was carefully edited and completed by Gao E some
decades later. It continues the story of the changing fortunes of the
Jia dynasty, focussing on Bao-yu, now married to Bao-chai, after the
tragic death of his beloved Dai-yu. Against such worldly elements as
death, financial ruin, marriage, decadence and corruption, his karmic
journey unfolds. Like a sleepwalker through life, Bao-yu is finally
awakened by a vision, which reveals to him that life itself is merely a
dream, 'as moonlight mirrored in the water'. Cao Xueqin (?1715-63) was
born into a family which for three generations held the office of
Commissioner of Imperial Textiles in Nanking, a family so wealthy they
were able to entertain the Emperor four times. However, calamity
overtook them and their property was consfiscated. Cao Xueqin was living
in poverty when he wrote his famous novel The Story of the Stone.
