"Dream of the Red Chamber revolutionized the novel in China, turning it away from a previous reliance on well-known myths and legends and stereotypical, idealized characters... No other Chinese novel...approaches it in depth and scope. Simultaneously a deeply personal exploration of love and passion, a family saga, and a philosophical, moral, and spiritual critique of an entire culture's values, Dream of the Red Chamber in its range, seriousness of purpose, and comprehensive vision is one of the touchstones of literary history, one of a handful of novels that radically redefined the resources and capabilities of the form."
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Original Language: English
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Daniel S. Burt, The Novel 100: A Ranking of the Greatest Novels of All Time (revised edition, 2010), pp. 223–224
https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Dream_of_the_Red_Chamber
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Dream of the Red Chamber
Dream of the Red Chamber (红楼梦 Honglou Meng), also called The Story of the Stone (石头记 Shitou Ji), composed by Cao Xueqin, is one of China's Four Great Classical Novels. It was written sometime in the middle of the 18th century during the Qing Dynasty. Long considered a masterpiece of Chinese literature, the novel is generally acknowledged to be the pinnacle of Chinese fiction.
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