num_pages: 542
description: "The Story of the Stone" (c. 1760) is one of the greatest novels of Chinese literature. The first part of the story, The Golden Days, begins the tale of Bao-yu, a gentle young boy who prefers girls to Confucian studies, and his two cousins: Bao-chai, his parents' choice of a wife for him, and the ethereal beauty Dai-yu. Through the changing fortunes of the Jia family, this rich, magical work sets worldly events - love affairs, sibling rivalries, political intrigues, even murder - within the context of the Buddhist understanding that earthly existence is an illusion and karma determines the shape of our lives.
language: English
title: The Story of the Stone, or The Dream of the Red Chamber, Vol. 1: The Golden Days
titlecomplete: The Story of the Stone, or The Dream of the Red Chamber, Vol. 1: The Golden Days
genres: Classics, China, Asian Literature, 18th Century, Asia, Novels, Historical Fiction, Literature, Chinese Literature, Fiction
ratings_count: 2050
series: The Story of the Stone
publisher: Penguin Classics