Project Gutenberg 2008-01-12 Public domain in the USA. 876 Cao, Xueqin 1715 1763 曹雪芹 紅樓夢 A Dream Of Red Mansions Hong lou meng Wei-yi Kao "紅樓夢" by Xueqin Cao is a classic Chinese novel written in the 18th century. The book intricately explores the lives of the wealthy Jia family against the backdrop of the declining imperial society, focusing on themes of love, fate, and the transient nature of life. The narrative introduces various characters, notably the central figure, Jia Baoyu, whose relationships and experiences form the crux of the tale. As the story unfolds, it delves into the complexity of human emotions and social expectations, making it a rich exploration of both personal and societal dilemmas. The opening of "紅樓夢" establishes a mystical premise, where the protagonist, known initially as 甄士隱 (Zhen Shiyin), engages in a dream involving spiritual beings, which leads him to ponder the fate of the world and the characters' existential journeys. In this mystical realm, discussions about a magical stone unveil a deeper narrative about the influence of fate on one's life, casting a reflective atmosphere that transcends time and place. The book introduces important characters like 賈雨村 (Jia Yu Village), who, though struggling, becomes intertwined with the destinies of the Jia family members as the story explores themes of success, loss, and societal prestige through personal anecdotes and encounters that hint at the world of riches and its inevitable decay. As the narrative draws connections between dreams and reality, it sets the tone for the unfolding saga of love and heartbreak amidst rigid societal norms. (This is an automatically generated summary.) zh China -- History -- Qing dynasty, 1644-1912 -- Fiction Upper class -- China -- Fiction PL Text Browsing: Culture/Civilization/Society Browsing: History - General Browsing: Literature Browsing: Fiction 2685849 2685805 2024-10-10T11:51:33.378362 2023-09-11T04:18:32.589697 text/html text/html 2685842 2685798 2024-10-10T11:51:33.848323 2023-09-11T04:18:32.751674 text/html text/html 1219997 2024-10-10T11:51:43.786270 application/epub+zip 1136929 2024-10-10T11:51:36.215298 application/epub+zip 1136928 2024-10-10T11:51:34.886316 application/epub+zip 2363574 2024-10-10T11:51:50.856296 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 2096918 2024-10-10T11:51:42.992273 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 2316369 2022-09-11T09:09:56.158375 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 2663496 2663503 2024-10-10T11:51:32.755315 2023-09-11T04:18:32.138673 text/plain; charset=us-ascii text/plain 2663321 2021-12-22T05:28:08 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 19874 2024-10-10T11:51:50.980230 application/rdf+xml 7016 2024-10-10T11:51:35.427314 image/jpeg 2007 2024-10-10T11:51:35.159320 image/jpeg 1157963 2021-12-22T05:28:31 application/octet-stream application/zip 1207741 2024-10-10T11:51:34.075333 application/octet-stream application/zip Archives containing the RDF files for *all* our books can be downloaded at https://www.gutenberg.org/wiki/Gutenberg:Feeds#The_Complete_Project_Gutenberg_Catalog en.wikipedia