Project Gutenberg 2006-01-01 Public domain in the USA. 1527 Cao, Xueqin 1715 1763 曹雪芹 Joly, H. Bencraft 1857 1898 Joly, Henry Bencraft Hong lou meng. English Hung Lou Meng, or, the Dream of the Red Chamber, a Chinese Novel, Book I Reading ease score: 69.2 (8th & 9th grade). Neither easy nor difficult to read. Produced by Juliet Sutherland and Project Gutenberg Distributed Proofreaders "Hung Lou Meng, or, the Dream of the Red Chamber, A Chinese Novel, Book I" by Cao Xueqin is a classic Chinese novel likely written during the mid-18th century. The narrative delves into the lives and relationships of the prominent Jia family, intertwining themes of love, social status, and the complexities of human emotions. The protagonist, Jia Yü-ts'un, is introduced in the opening chapters amidst visions and reflections that hint at the deeper, philosophical undertones woven throughout the tale. The opening portion of the novel sets the stage by introducing its primary characters and their world. It begins with the protagonist, Chen Shih-yin, experiencing a vivid dream that initiates a journey of self-exploration and realization. This dream becomes a significant symbol in the narrative, implying connections between spirituality and earthly existence. As Shih-yin contemplates the lives of virtuous women throughout history, he recognizes the errors of his past, reflecting on themes of familial duty and personal regret. Meanwhile, the character Yü-ts'un is introduced as he navigates his humble circumstances while harboring affections for a beautiful maiden, establishing the novel's focus on love and human relationships within the context of societal expectations and familial ties. Overall, the beginning reveals a richly layered narrative that promises both introspective depth and a compelling exploration of character dynamics. (This is an automatically generated summary.) en Autobiographical fiction Domestic fiction China -- History -- Qing dynasty, 1644-1912 -- Fiction Cao, Xueqin, approximately 1717-1763 -- Fiction Jia, Baoyu (Fictitious character) -- Fiction PL Text Browsing: Culture/Civilization/Society Browsing: History - General Browsing: Literature Browsing: Fiction 1137153 1137043 2024-10-04T11:20:06.447038 2023-10-05T03:31:00.579850 text/html text/html 1137146 1137036 2024-10-04T11:20:07.037035 2023-10-05T03:31:00.866855 text/html text/html 512880 2024-10-04T11:20:22.019000 application/epub+zip 532175 2024-10-04T11:20:11.722005 application/epub+zip 501058 2024-10-04T11:20:10.014019 application/epub+zip 966352 2024-10-04T11:20:30.318937 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 911329 2024-10-04T11:20:20.904964 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 869225 2022-09-05T04:45:04.236999 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 1066289 1066230 2024-10-04T11:20:05.727035 2023-10-05T03:31:00.044844 text/plain; charset=us-ascii text/plain 1064359 2021-01-02T06:42:33 text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 396603 2021-01-02T06:42:34 text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 application/zip 1065939 2021-01-02T06:42:33 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 396551 2021-01-02T06:42:34 text/plain; charset=us-ascii application/zip 23067 2024-10-04T11:20:30.467903 application/rdf+xml 23621 2024-10-04T11:20:10.624017 image/jpeg 4443 2024-10-04T11:20:10.339058 image/jpeg 506231 2024-10-04T11:20:07.238059 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