Dream of the Red Chamber

Description

Dream of the Red Chamber, or Cao Xueqin, is a Chinese classical novel from the 18th century. It is one of the Four Great Classical Novels of China and belongs to the genres of romantic, tragic, and social realism. It is, after all, a love story of an aristocratic clan, the rise and fall of the Jia family, where the obsession between Jia Baoyu, protagonist in the novel, and two cousins-whose contrasting characters differ: Lin Daiyu, fragile and sensitive, and Xue Baochai, practical and beautiful-are noted.

The novel is a most detailed exposition of life within a rich family, probing matters ranging from love and fate to aristocracy meltdown and the transience of wealth and power. With over 400 characters, it depicts a vast and sumptuous social panorama, steeped in Buddhist and Taoist philosophies.