Particularize Books As The Red Chamber
| Original Title: | The Red Chamber |
| ISBN: | 0307701573 (ISBN13: 9780307701572) |
| Edition Language: | English |
Pauline A. Chen
Hardcover | Pages: 386 pages Rating: 3.91 | 1674 Users | 239 Reviews
Commentary In Favor Of Books The Red Chamber
In this lyrical reimagining of the Chinese classic Dream of the Red Chamber, set against the breathtaking backdrop of eighteenth-century Beijing, the lives of three unforgettable women collide in the inner chambers of the Jia mansion. When orphaned Daiyu leaves her home in the provinces to take shelter with her cousins in the Capital, she is drawn into a world of opulent splendor, presided over by the ruthless, scheming Xifeng and the prim, repressed Baochai. As she learns the secrets behind their glittering façades, she finds herself entangled in a web of intrigue and hidden passions, reaching from the petty gossip of the servants’ quarters all the way to the Imperial Palace. When a political coup overthrows the emperor and plunges the once-mighty family into grinding poverty, each woman must choose between love and duty, friendship and survival. In this dazzling debut, Pauline A. Chen draws the reader deep into the secret, exquisite world of the women’s quarters of an aristocratic household, where the burnish of wealth and refinement mask a harsher truth: marriageable girls are traded like chattel for the family’s advancement, and to choose to love is to risk everything.
Specify Containing Books The Red Chamber
| Title | : | The Red Chamber |
| Author | : | Pauline A. Chen |
| Book Format | : | Hardcover |
| Book Edition | : | First Edition |
| Pages | : | Pages: 386 pages |
| Published | : | July 10th 2012 by Knopf (first published 2012) |
| Categories | : | Historical. Historical Fiction. Cultural. China. Fiction. Asia. Literature. 18th Century |
Rating Containing Books The Red Chamber
Ratings: 3.91 From 1674 Users | 239 ReviewsWeigh Up Containing Books The Red Chamber
Downton Abbey set in Beijing in the early 1700s. Our perspective on the privileged Jia family comes mostly through three women: --Daiyu is the cousin who comes up from beautiful Suzhou after her mother dies; --Baochai is insecure about her looks and her position, especially because her brother causes trouble; and --Xifeng is the oldest daughter-in-law, working non-stop to keep the family going. When the Jia family ends up on the wrong side of political change, the women's fortunes changeI was stuck in the beginning for such a long time, I thought that I was going to end up giving up on this book. Next thing I know, I'm halfway through and it's time for me to go to bed. Do I actually sleep? Not a chance. I found that I couldn't stop reading because I really wanted to know what was going to happen next (though I didn't particularly love any of the characters; I was rather fond of Snowgoose though). It takes a while to get to that point though.Definitely good for entertainment if
The Bold and the beautiful of 18th century Beijing.
Holy anachronisms, Batman. This hugely entertaining, if not particularly well-written reimagining of Cao Xueqin's 18th century classic, is full of clunky phrases like "Pan had killed someone. Could he actually escape scot-free?" (it must be noted that "scot-free" shows up not once but TWICE. Does Knopf not hire editors or what?) and hilariously unsubtle observations like "She feels oppressed by the weight of being the perfect daughter". At one point, the phrase "adieu" is used in a riddle, and
I wish there were more books like this because I would read them all day long. I absolutely loved this book. You really got to know the characters inside and out. I always look forward to reading about the ancient Chinese. Such a fascinating culture. The theme of course centered around what choices a woman in China in the 1700s had. Very heart wrenching and enlightening.
Reading THE RED CHAMBER reminded me of visiting my paternal grandmother, who was forever watching Chinese soap operas with elaborately-costumed and highly made-up players who cried and fought and made pronouncements to dramatic camera angles and music. Whenever we asked what was happening, it was always something over the top. An affair. A secret disclosed. Unknown relations revealed. She was hooked. And though we couldn't follow a word, my sister and I would end up staring at the TV right along
The Red Chamber is a grandiose piece of literature. A famous Chinese story, Dream of the Red Chamber, retold, Pauline Chen takes the reader into a world unlike any other. The novel is slow going, as the reader is introduced to the many characters and at times, it's hard to keep everyone straight. I had to write names down on an index card so that I could easily move it nearby as I read, but there is a family tree at the beginning of the book. The Red Chamber follows three women in a world whose
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