Dream of the Red Chamber is considered the greatest novel in Chinese literature and one of the four classics of the Chinese literary tradition. Dream of the Red Chamber, written by Cao Xueqin during the middle 1700’s, traces the decline of the aristocratic Jia family. The author wrote the novel as a series of episodes rather than as a narrative with a unified plot. The work includes 30 main characters and more than 400 minor characters. It blends romance and the supernatural with realistic details about everyday Chinese life, language, and customs.
The novel’s central character is Baoyu (Precious Jade), the gifted but spoiled heir of the Jia family. Baoyu was born with a magical piece of jade in his mouth. He leads a free and self-indulgent life, which brings him into conflict with his strict father. His father especially objects to Baoyu’s intimacy with the many female cousins and maidservants in the household.
Baoyu has a personal bond with two female first cousins, the sickly Lin Daiyu (Black Jade), who shares his love of music and poetry, and the graceful and intelligent Xue Baochai (Precious Clasp), whom he eventually marries. The interaction among the three characters is a central theme of the novel. Many scholars consider the character of Baoyu to be partly autobiographical.
The novel’s portrayal of the extended Jia family reflects an accurate image of upper-class life during the early Qing dynasty (1644-1912). The variety of individual character portrayals displays a psychological depth not previously seen in Chinese literature.
Dream of the Red Chamber has a complex history. It appeared in manuscript form during the author’s lifetime. However, it was not published until 1791, almost 30 years after the author’s death, in an edition edited and revised by editor-publishers Gao E and Cheng Weiyuan. They published the novel in a complete version of 120 chapters, but there is uncertainty about the authenticity of the final 40 chapters. Scholars variously suggest these chapters may have been forged, written by an unknown author, or written by Cao Xueqin and edited by Gao E and Cheng Weiyuan.
The first English translation was a portion of the novel published in 1812. A complete five-volume English translation was published from 1973 to 1986 as The Story of the Stone. The stone is the piece of jade Baoyu carries in his mouth. The translation runs about 2,500 pages. The novel has inspired many sequels, imitations, and adaptations for stage, television, and motion picture versions.
