Hung Lou Meng, or, the Dream of the Red Chamber, a Chinese Novel, Book I

Metadata

Gutenberg ID

9603

Title

Hung Lou Meng, or, the Dream of the Red Chamber, a Chinese Novel, Book I

Language

en

Book source

Project Gutenberg

Description max 80 words

A classic Chinese novel recounting the tragic romance of Jia Baoyu and Daiyu within a wealthy family's decline. Blending fantasy with social realism, this translation offers a poignant exploration of love, fate, and the impermanence of worldly glory.

Summary up to 500 words

Cao Xueqin's *The Dream of the Red Chamber* opens with a mythological prologue involving a discarded stone destined to record the lives of beautiful maidens. The narrative then shifts to the opulent Jia household, centering on Jia Baoyu, a sensitive young man who rejects traditional career paths for deep emotional connections, particularly with Daiyu. Through a series of interconnected chapters, the text chronicles the family's rise and eventual fall, marked by internal strife, political intrigue, and personal tragedies. The author, speaking through the stone, defends the work as a truthful record of human nature and the virtues of women, contrasting it with the licentiousness of contemporary literature. The plot weaves together the fates of numerous characters, including the devoted Xiren and the ambitious Xifeng, illustrating how individual destinies are inextricably linked to the crumbling fortunes of their clan. The novel serves as both a romantic tragedy and a moral critique of the rigid social structures of its time. The story begins with the Empress Nue Wo fashioning 36,501 blocks of stone to repair the heavens, leaving one block unused. This rejected stone, feeling shame for its lack of utility, is discovered by a Buddhist priest and a Taoist priest. The priest inscribes the stone with the records of the stone's future experiences before taking it to the mortal world. A Taoist named K'ung K'ung later finds the stone, which bears the inscribed history of its fate. Although K'ung K'ung initially criticizes the stone's focus on the love affairs and talents of maidens rather than statecraft, he is convinced by the stone's argument that existing histories are filled with falsehoods, licentiousness, and repetitive themes. The stone argues that its work offers a unique, truthful account of human nature, devoid of the moral corruption found in other literature. K'ung K'ung copies the record, renaming himself Ch'ing Tseng (the Voluptuous Bonze) and the work *The Record of the Voluptuous Bonze*. In the mortal realm, the narrative introduces Jia Baoyu, who despises the pursuit of officialdom and mocks scholars as "salaried worms." He finds solace and love in the company of women, particularly Daiyu. The story explores the dynamics within the Jia household, where servants like Hsi Jen and Pao-yue navigate complex relationships. Hsi Jen, a servant sold into the household, expresses her determination to remain until death rather than be redeemed by her family, highlighting the deep bonds formed within the mansion. The text details the daily life of the household, including the arrival of new servants like Hsiao Hung, who seeks to impress Baoyu but faces rivalry from other maids. The novel meticulously documents the decline of the once-prosperous family, weaving together personal tragedies with the broader collapse of the clan, serving as a poignant commentary on the impermanence of wealth and the enduring nature of human emotion.

LLM editorial rating

4.2/5

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Categories

• Classics
• Fiction