Summary of The Dream of the Red Chamber by Cao Xueqin

The sinologist John Minford, who was involved in the complete translation of The Dream of the Red Chamber in the 1980s, can testify to the novel's enduring popularity and quality as a magic window into the Chinese mind: "Mention of it triggers an instant gleam of recognition, and opens up new possibilities of communication." At the same time, it is also a tremendous challenge. Depending on the edition and translation, the reader has to process well over 300 characters with names that all sound similar to the Western ear. It features an eclectic mix of elusive, expressionistic prose and poetry on the one hand, and realistic, scathing social criticism on the other. The sexual act is circumscribed as a "Sport of Cloud and Rain," mortal illnesses are cured with yummy swallows' nests (or not) and tea is made from the previous year's melted snow. Sometimes the novel's main characters seem surprisingly familiar, and at other times they appear strangely alien to the Western reader. Reading the book is a bit like looking at an intricate Chinese artwork from that era: precise lines, perfect composition, opulent coloration yet also a window into an entirely different world.

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