num_pages: 640
description: "The Story of the Stone (c. 1760)", also known by the title of "The Dream of the Red Chamber", is the great novel of manners in Chinese literature. Divided into five volumes, of which "The Warning Voice" is the third, it charts the glory and decline of the illustrious Jia family (a story which closely accords with the fortunes of the author's own family). The two main characters, Bao-yu and Dai-yu, are set against a rich tapestry of humour, realistic detail and delicate poetry, which accurately reflects the ritualized hurly-burly of Chinese family life. But over and above the novel hangs the constant reminder that there is another plane of existence - a theme which affirms the Buddhist belief in a supernatural scheme of things.
language: English
title: The Story of the Stone, or The Dream of the Red Chamber, Vol. 3: The Warning Voice
titlecomplete: The Story of the Stone, or The Dream of the Red Chamber, Vol. 3: The Warning Voice
genres: Literature, Chinese Literature, Asia, Novels, China, Fiction, Classics, Asian Literature, Historical Fiction, 18th Century
ratings_count: 733
series: The Story of the Stone
publisher: Penguin Group