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The story of the stone. Volume 4, The debt of tears : a Chinese novel by Cao Xuequin, Gao E is a work of fiction available to read on EtoBox.

What is The story of the stone. Volume 4, The debt of tears : a Chinese novel about?

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 Debt of Tears is the fourth, 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. ** About the Author Cao Xueqin (1715-63) was born into a family which for three generations held the office of Commissioner of Imperial Textiles in Nanking, a family so wealthy they were able to entertain the Emperor four times. However, calamity overtook them and their property was consfiscated. Cao Xueqin was living in poverty when he wrote his famous novel The Story of the Stone .

Who reads The story of the stone. Volume 4, The debt of tears : a Chinese novel?

Author

Cao Xuequin, Gao E

Publisher

Penguin Books, Limited

Published

1981

Language

EN

ISBN

9780140443721

Category

work of fiction

Subjects

Literary Fiction, History, Fiction

Rating

4.43 / 5 (436 ratings)

Updated

2026-03-14