Description
Book SynopsisThe eighteenth-century "Hongloumeng", known in English as "Dream of the Red Chamber" or "The Story of the Stone", is generally considered to be the greatest of Chinese novels. This title goes beyond the customary view of "Hongloumeng" as a reflection of late imperial Chinese culture by examining the novel as a story about fictive representation.
Trade Review"Yu's book is one of the most important studies on Hongloumeng to appear in recent decades. It is full of insights and refreshing readings. It is a work of erudition and intellectual discernment, and it will undoubtedly become a classic in Honglou meng study. One of its many important contributions is its success in drawing our attention to the centrality of desire in premodern Chinese culture and its intimate relationship with Chinese literature."--Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies
Table of ContentsAbbreviationsPrefaceCh. IReading3Ch. IIDesire53Ch. IIIStone110Ch. IVLiterature172Ch. VTragedy219Conclusion256Glossary269Bibliography277Index313
