Dream of Red Mansions, written in the 18th century, is arguably China's most famous novel, and has been madesintosnumerous mini-series and operas. Almost every person in China, young and old, has read, or at least knows of the story. The novel explores every aspect of Chinese culture and society, including marriage, religion, education, politics, law, food, entertainment, poetry, holidays, funerals, the role of women, etiquette, social hierarchy, relationships, and even the taboo subject of homosexuality.

　　Literature Achievements

　　The title Dream of Red Mansions (also translated as Dream of the Red Chamber or Story of the Stones) is a very literal in the Chinese name Hong Lou Meng. In China, red mansions (hong lou) represent a prosperous family, so the title really reflects the central theme of the story, the illusions of wealth and grandeur which quickly vanish, leaving behind memories which seem more like a dream (meng) rather than reality.

　　It begins as the story of the Stone, a supernatural entity endowed with consciousness that winds up in the mortal world and must find the path to enlightenment. His fate is inextricably bound with another creature from the Land of Illusion, the Crimson Pearl Flower. The Stone is responsible for its transformationsintosa fairy girl -- and she vows to repay him with "a debt of tears", willing to suffer for a lifetime in the world of mere mortals. The Stone describes how his story -- The Story of the Stone -- is the record of his journey to enlightenment, and offers the tale as a tool for others to follow his path, as, for example Vanitas does in the first chapter.

　　Too spiritual ? Too bizarre ? Patience -- it is only the framing device for the tale, and the more mundane world is soon entered. It is, however, a significant beginning, holding many clues to the rest of the text.

　　Passing through the gateway between the Land of Illusion and reality one can read the guiding principle behind the book:

　　Truth becomes fiction when the fiction's true;

　　Real becomes not-realswheresthe unreal's real.

　　Confusing ? Perhaps initially, but in Cao Xueqin's masterful presentation the interplay of reality and fiction are made abundantly clear.

　　Once the Land of Illusion has been left most of the book does take place in the human world -- the contemporary China of Cao Xueqin's times. The story centers around the extended Jia family, made up of two clans (the Ning-guo and Rong-guo houses) that live side by side on huge estates. Their ancestors had won the favour of the Emperor and risen in rank and stature because of this. The current generations have, however, not lived up to these high standards, and there is an air of decay about the family.

　　Into this family Jia Bao-yu is born -- the incarnation of the Stone. He is recognized as special from the beginning, born with a piece of jade in his mouth. An unusual child, precocious, coddled (especially by his grandmother and his maids), and not with the sort of ambition that the expectations of the family demand, he is the great hope of the family. When he is still a boy a relative comes to live with his family -- the beautiful Lin Dai-yu, the incarnation of the Crimson Pearl Flower. In the other world the two were meant for each other, and their relationship in the real world drives much of the dramatic, romantic, and tragic tension of the book.

　　Another figure enters, Dai-yu's rival Xue Bao-chai, nearly as appealing as Dai-yu, but with other qualities. The rivalry and friendship among the three -- and the many other characters living in these huge compounds -- shifts throughout the book.

　　Bao-yu lives a carefree youth, though there are a number of significant occurrences from early on, including Bao-yu's famous "dream of the red chamber" in which the future is also revealed (or rather foreshadowed). Preferring the company of girls and women, Bao-yu seeks out the company of Dai-yu, Bao-chai, or others when possible. He is not an eager student, preferring to join in with girls at their games.

　　Cao Xueqin provides a great deal of insightsintosthe Chinese culture of the time in his descriptions of protocol, manners, expectations, and consequences. Meticulously described, with great psychological insight, Cao Xueqin conveys the slow decline of the Jia's very convincingly.

　　Poetry plays a large role in the novel, always aware of its literary status. The girls form a Crab-Flower Clubswheresthey write poems according to set rules. The poems (convincingly rendered in translation) offer yet another perspective on the larger situation being described.

　　The setbacks in the family continue, and there are a number of dramatic scenes. Cao Xueqin weaves a marvelous tapestry of many intertwined lives, a true family saga.

　　Bao-yu must fulfill his obligations in the mortal world to attain enlightenment, and the novel runs its inevitable course. He does sit for the national examinations, he does marry the one he is ordained to marry (with predictable results), and he does find enlightenment, becoming the Stone again.

　　The huge book is so rich and varied that it is difficult to convey how much there isto it. Cleverly constructed, there are hints and cross-references to hidden (and obvious) meanings throughout. Truth and falsity, reality and illusion are constant throughout, side by side, often difficult to differentiate. There are mirrors and twins -- there is even a "real" Bao-yu, a twin of the "false" one around whom the story centers (false since he is actually the Stone). There are romantic tragedies and slapstick scenes, criminality and spirituality, recognition and deception.

　　Most remarkable is that for all it artful construction The Story of the Stone is also a great, straightforward read. The many smaller stories in it -- and the tragic love story of Dai-yu and Bao-yu -- alone are more gripping and entertaining than almost any other book one might pick up.

　　The Story

　　The novel focuses mainly on the Jia family, which consists of two branches, the Rong-guo mansion and the Ning-guo mansion. The Rong-guo branch is headed by lady Jia, her two sons, Jia She and Jia Zheng, and their wives, Lady Xing and Lady Wang. The Ning-guo branch is headed by Rong-guo's cousins, Jia Zhen and his wife You Shi. Jia Zhen is actually two generations below Lady Jia, putting him in the same generation as Bao-yu and Xi-feng. Three other families are also mentioned, and the four families are related to each other through marriages. The Shi family is Lady Jia's family before her marriage, the Wang family consists of Lady Wang, her sister Aunt Xue, and their niece Wang Xi-feng, and Bao-chai belongs to the Xue family. The four families had once been very wealthy and powerful, but have declined through the years, because each successive generation has not lived up to the accomplishments of the previous generations. The Wang family has some power but no money, the Xue family has money but no power, and the Shi family has neither money nor power. Only the Jia family still has some money and power, but in the recent years, the family's expenditure has far exceeded its income. Because the family members are used to luxury, they could not bring themselves to economize, and are headed toward bankruptcy. Their extravagance can be seen by the numerous servants they have (Bao-yu alone has a dozen or two servants and nannies), and the construction of a huge garden for the Imperial concubine's visit. Most of the men in the Jia family, such as Jia She, Jia Lian, Jia Zhen, and Jia Rong lead immoral and depraved lives, engaging in gambling and womanizing, and neglecting any duties they have.

　　The central plot revolves around the two main characters, Jia Bao-yu and Lin Dai-yu, reincarnations of the stone and flower, respectively. They are both non-traditional, unusual, and rebellious. Bao-yu hates to study but loves to play with his girl cousins and servants. He is very effeminate in some ways. Sensitive and caring, he enjoys more the company of girls than that of boys. He does not distinguish between the social classes, treating masters and servants alike. He is doted on and spoiled by his grandmother and mother. His father, Jia Zheng, recognizes Bao-yu's intellectual potential and is harsh and strict with him, because Bao-yu does not live up to that potential, nor does he desire to. Bao-yu gets along well with all the girls, but is especially close to his cousin Dai-yu, and the two care deeply for each other. Dai-yu, orphaned at an early age, is very intelligent but delicate with a sickly constitution,shavingswhat is now known as tuberculosis. She is overly sentimental, sharp-tongued, and quick tempered. Throughout the novel, she often cries and feels sorry for herself. Dai-yu feels like an outsider in the Jia family, dependent on others, and she laments the loss of her parents and old home. She loves Bao-yu but worries they won't have a future together. The third main character is Xue Bao-chai, Lady Wang's niece and Bao-yu's cousin. She is the antithesis of Dai-yu. Dutiful, obedient, sensible, thoughtful, considerate, and respectful of her elders, she is well liked by everyone. Dai-yu is at first jealous of Bao-chai, but is eventually won over by her kindness and the two become close friends. The differences between the two girls are illustrated through their activities. One of Dai-yu's pastimes is gathering fallen flower petals in the garden and burying them in a sack, so that the petals won't get blownsintosthe river and become dirty. She likens her own fate to that of a flower, in bloom for only a short time before withering. Bao-chai, on the other hand, likes to chase butterflies, reflective of her carefree nature.

　　Everyone in the family seems to lead a happy, hedonistic lifestyle. The girls and Bao-yu play together, write poetry, and even have a poetry club. The adults give parties and enjoy one celebration after another. Life seems very perfect on the outside. When the time comes for Bao-yu to marry, the family immediately chooses Bao-chai, not considering Dai-yu because of her illness and temperament. Knowing how Bao-yu feels about Dai-yu, the family tells him he will marry Dai-yu, which overjoys Bao-yu. When Dai-yu accidentally learns of Bao-yu's betrothal to Bao-chai, she coughs up blood and becomes seriously ill. She dies tragically on the night of Bao-yu's wedding. Because almost everyone is at the wedding, the only people with Dai-yu at her deathbed are her servants and her cousins Li Wan and Tan-chun. Before she dies, Dai-yu burns all her poetry and the things Bao-yu has given her, believing him to have betrayed her. Bao-yu, when he finally finds out the truth, goessintosshock and behaves irrationally for the rest of the novel.

　　In the meantime, a series of misfortunes has fallen upon the family. Bao-yu's sister, the Imperial concubine, dies, and so her influence at court is lost. The family is accused of corruption and abuse of power, and its noble titles are stripped away, its official ranks demoted, and all its properties confiscated. Lady Jia and Xi-feng die of illnesses. In its vulnerable state, the family home is raided by bandits and most of its valuable possessions are stolen. The once illustrious Jia family is now reduced to nothing. Bao-yu and his nephew Jia Lan go to take their examinations, but Bao-yu disappears right after the exam. Later on, Jia Zheng sees a monk resembling Bao-yu, but the monk soon vanishes without a trace. Both Bao-yu and Jia Lan pass the exams, and their compositions are presented to the emperor, who is pleased with the compositions. Remembering his late concubine, and in consideration of the Jia family's long record of service, the emperor grants a full amnesty to the family. All accused crimes are pardoned, the titles are restored, and the confiscated properties are returned. With Jia Lan an official scholar and Bao-chai pregnant, the novel ends with the implication that the family will ascend once more to regain all its former glory and wealth.

　　Historical Background

　　Qing Dynasty (AD 1644-1911) - The Manchus conquered Ming Dynasty (AD 1368-1644) and established the Qing Dynasty. It was the longest non-Han ruled dynasty in Chinese History and became the last imperial dynasty when Republic of China was established in AD1911. The Manchus had adopted many Han Chinese cultures and had retained temple rituals traditionally presided by the emperor. They continued the Confucian court practices and civil service system with the Han Chinese barred from the highest offices. Confucian philosophy, emphasizing the loyalty of subject to ruler was enforced. Although the Manchus also supported Chinese literary and historical projects but Chinese scholars were greatly persecuted. Literature became a sensitive matter. A scholar and his whole clan could be wiped out if any remark about history was interpreted as a slur to the sovereign.

　　About the Author

　　The author, Cao Xueqin, was born and raised in an aristocratic family, but died in poverty and misery. Based on his own experiences, he created this tragic story about the fall of a powerful family.Cao is considered to be China's greatest novelist, but little is known of his life. An unconventional, versatile man, he came from an eminent and wealthy family which suffered a reversal of fortune in 1728 after the death of the Kangxi Emperor and a power struggle between his sons. Cao seems to have spent about ten years writing and revising his novel, from roughly 1740 to 1750, but the last 40 of the 120 chapters were completed by a different author, probably after his death. He also worked for a period of time in the Imperial Clan's school for the children of the nobility and bannermen, but eventually settled in the countryside west of Peking. He earned some money by selling his own paintings, but his family seems to have been perpetually in poverty. The novel, now generally recognised as a masterpiece, was not published until 1791, nearly 30 years after Cao's death.

　　It has long been believed that there are two authors of the book, Cao Xueqin and Gao E. It is thought that Cao died after completing only 80 chapters of the story. The rest 40 chapters were written by his neighbor, Gao, based on Cao's manuscript of his intended ending.