The Red Chamber

by Pauline A. Chen

In eighteenth-century China, the beautiful orphan Daiyu leaves her home in the provinces to seek shelter with her mother's family in Beijing. At Rongguo Mansion, she is drawn into a world of sumptuous feasts, silken robes, and sparkling jewels—as well as a complex web of secret rivalries and intrigues that threatens to trap her at every turn. When she falls in love with Baoyu, the family's brilliant, unpredictable heir, she finds the forces of the family and convention arrayed against her, and must risk everything to follow her heart.

Based on the epic Dream of the Red Chamber— one of the most famous love stories in Chinese literature—this novel recasts a timeless tale for Western audiences to discover.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, China, Historical, Asia, 18th Century, Asian Literature

381 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2012

About the author

Pauline A. Chen earned her B.A. in classics from Harvard, her J.D. from Yale Law School, and her Ph.D. in East Asian studies from Princeton. She has taught Chinese language, literature, and film at the University of Minnesota and Oberlin College. She is also the author of a novel for young readers, Peiling and the Chicken-Fried Christmas, and lives in Ohio with her two children.

Reviews

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. The author says that this novel is inspired by a famous and extremely lengthy 18th C Chinese novel and has "reimagined the inner lives and motivations of the three main female characters." Lin Daiyu, Wang Xifeng and Xue Baochai. Additionally, the inspiration source lacks an ending, and she has made a satisfying ending that " pays homage to the original masterpiece."

Set in 18th C China, the story delves into the lives of two intertwined families, the Jias & Wangs, who live together in the Capital at the Rongguo Mansion. The novel provides insight into the culture and familial hierarchy of the times as the reader navigates through the family dynamics. It read somewhat like a soap opera to me with all the intrigue that occurs within large families and/or the community at large.

When Lin Daiyu is sent from the south to the Capital by her widowed father to live with her extended Jia family. She upsets a tenuous balance at the mansion as she tries to find her place in the family.

There is a political subplot hovering in the background that comes to the fore in a devastating way about 2/3 of the way into the novel which changes the fortunes of the families.

I did like the epilogue that came strictly from this author. Surprises, but satisfying.

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

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 while I don't know anything about Chinese-French relations during the Qing Dynasty (school is wasted on the young) I'm pretty sure that "adieu" was probably not in the lexicon of young Chinese aristocratic women of the time. To be fair, this phrase was taken from David Hawkes' translation and it is needed for a rhyme, but you think SOMEONE would have noticed.

That being said, I'm a sucker for all that exotic Oriental shit (crushed jasmines, mother-of-pearl screens, vests embroidered with gold flowers, etc) which I'm not sure is okay to say because while I'm Chinese, I'm so divorced from that culture that it sounds fetishistic but let's leave it at that. I also love palace intrigue, downstairs/upstairs stories (we get a few subplots involving the servants and maids), and abrupt changes in fortune, all of which this book is happy to supply me with. While the Red Chamber is nominally centered around a love triangle, the real focus is on the complicated friendships and relationships between the women at the Rongguo Mansion. My favorite character was Wang Xifeng, who I imagine as the Cersei Lannister of Beijing, slinging back wine and having steamy affairs (not with her brother though) and generally ruining the illusions of more naive girls. Her sisterwife-like relationship with her body servant, Ping'er, is one of the more interesting aspects of the novel.

Red Chamber reminds me a lot of that other recent reworking of an epic, which was also written by an Ivy League classics student-turned-classics-professor. While Red Chamber's sex scenes are way less sappy than the ones in "Song of Achilles", the novels share that same modern desire of examining the psychology of characters who are touchstones in their respective cultures. They also both suffer from a fairly shallow reading of the original text and a lack of a subtle hand (maybe Chen and Miller could have benefited from studying English lit as well just to see how the competent English-language writers do it. JUST SAYIN.)

Final verdict: I'd definitely recommend this book as pure entertainment. It's so easy to read and just as soapy as anything you'd watch on a Shonda Rimes TV show. I couldn't put it down (which I can't say for any book I've read since middle school). Plus, it might pique your interest in the real thing. I've always wanted to read Hawkes' translation but I was always intimidated by the length and the amount of characters. Maybe this introduction will make it a little easier.

[Jessie Leigh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read This Review & More Like It On My Blog!

4.5 out of 5

After a bit of a slow start that was almost soap operatic in nature due to the sheer amount of secrets, lies, betrayals and affairs abounding, The Red Chamber impressed me with its scope and tragedy. Though I had anticipated an impending Tragedy with overtones of Old Timey Romantical Problems, this novel is far more than just love-triangles in powerful family. Based on one of China's Four Great Classical Novels, the 18th-century The Dream of the Red Chamber (also called The Story of the Stone) Chen's condensed version of the classic presents a more streamlined cast (down from 40 principle and 400 supporting to a much more manageable dozen or so main and limited background characters) and allows for more immediate impact from their respective edited storylines. I have not yet read the original version of The Dream of the Red Chamber, though I fully plan to now that I have devoured this in under a day, so I cannot honestly attest to the quality and breadth of this author's personal adaptation, but I can vouch for this novel's own uniquely compelling merits, of which there are many to enjoy. Historical fiction readers who enjoy convoluted family politics, strong and realistically flawed female protagonists set amid a backdrop of Imperial intrigue and maneuvering have found their next read right here.

If the author hadn't pared down the cast of characters invented by original author Cao Xueqin, each of the 40 main and 400 supporting wouldn't even get a page to themselves in this still-lengthy 400-page version. Clearly both the original author and Pauline Chen have a large scope and vision for their narrative and largely, it works. My few problems with The Red Chamber happened early and dissipated long before the end; the narrative jumps from character to character along a (seemingly) connected plotline, but there isn't much plot to be seen for the first 150 or so pages, and the characters themselves can come across as largely formulaic up to that point. Once the massive groundwork has been laid and personalities established, Chen really jumps into her novel. This seven-part novel is alive with a tangible, real feel for both its characters and its Qing setting and both benefit under the steady hand of this debut author. Condensing over 2000 pages into a compact 400 page version cannot be an easy task, but outside from the sluggish introduction, I have to think that Chen did a remarkable job making the story, especially one so intricate and convoluted, definitely hers while still managing to pay homage to the ideas, themes and plotlines that made the first, original edition so well-loved and widely-read across China.

I haven't read a ton of Chinese historical fiction, and the only one I've truly loved before this was Snow Flower and the Secret Fan. Happily the Manchu women shown in The Red Chamber don't undergo the tortuous footbinding I had to read about in Lisa See's novel, but their lives are just as constricted, regulated and predetermined as Lily and Snow Flower's golden toes ever were. This novel has a lot of main characters, but it is largely the women who take the cake; it is the women who save the Jia family over and over, usually with little to no thanks. Pauline Chen's cast of smart but very different women has several interesting parallels: Xifeng and Ping'ers friendship lost over love is mirrored in the storyline (and love-triangle) of Baochai, Daiyu and Baoyu. Each girl from either pair makes their decisions for love, for money, for security and Chen illustrates each at their best and their worst. It's easy to root for little Daiyu, to root for Xifeng in her canny awareness or to commiserate with Ping'er: though it takes a while to get there, this novel makes you care at least a little bit about its core group of flawed characters. As I said, there are several love-triangles present, and one of them is among three cousins, but keep in mind that this was written during the 1700s, when different social mores and ideas weren't thought of in the same way as in the modern age.

The third person omniscient POV used does -- thankfully -- keep The Red Chamber from the problem of too many individual, first-person POVs that so many other novels seem suffer from, but it also creates a bit of distance between the reader and some of the characters. I never connected or invested in Baochai, nor Lian, but perhaps that was point because both could be seen as obstacles in the way of happiness for other characters in the novel. Either way, this author takes time and care to present her characters as individual people, pulled by different wants and needs all tied neatly and permanently together due to family. Unifying themes of nostalgia, destiny help to pull all the overall plotlines of The Red Chamber back together for a solidly entertaining debut from this new author.

[Kavita · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a retelling of the Chinese classic Dream of the Red Chamber, but I don't know whether Chen does a good job with it or not because I have not yet read the original. But it's certainly something to which I look forward. So, this book follows the ups and downs in the lives of a rich, aristocratic family in China. A Chinese Downton Abbey, so to speak. There is Baoyu, who is the heir to the family, the love of his live, Daiyu, and the girl he would marry, Baochai. The novel works its way through their lives, loves, jealousies, anger, fights, betrayals and misunderstandings to a bittersweet ending.

The story starts off very slowly and it takes ages to really get interested, and the entire cast of characters don't seem to have any distinguishing characteristics. But gradually, they bloom into full fledged people of flesh and blood and you begin to experience their feelings. I really liked the way Chen brought out the intricacies of the relationships and how each person gets a full character arc of their own. It is very satisfying, especially in historical fiction.

Although it's slightly soap-opera-ish, The Red Chamber is interesting in the way it develops the plots most of the time. Each character is complex with their own ambitions, feelings and trials that they face to survive in the family. But even thought the plot line held up well for the most part, the end of the book had something very strange happening - Daiyu was suffering from consumption and she just automatically gets cured just by a change of air!. It was rather disappointing to get such a lame plot at a late stage.

The book is written in the present tense and it took some time to get used to it. But really, the main problem with the book is the usual one I face with historical fiction - anachronism. Women are given choices, children are speaking up against their elders, aristocratic people are doing their own work, etc. I think all this might have been easier for the author to get across instead of devising ways to get messages across between the characters living in a culture where direct speech was frowned upon. I have come to the conclusion that it is impossible for a person from one culture to understand the historical intricacies of another culture. Chen is an American, and her modern Americanism constantly peeks through the pages at every point. At no point did she try and get into the skins of her character, which would really be the only way to understand that it was a very different way of life in Qing China. I am especially enraged at the way the history of women's oppression is erased by almost all HF authors in order to make their romances work. Women. Did. Not. Have. Choices. Period.

That said, this book is worth a read if you don't expect much of cultural and historical realism. The complexity of characters alone make it a worthwhile read.

[Christina Dudley · Rating 4 out of 5]

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 with her.

I've never read the Chinese classic DREAM OF THE RED CHAMBER, upon which Chen bases her retelling, and--given the original's length and my decreasing attention span--I may never do so, but this book was enthralling enough to make me consider tackling it.

THE RED CHAMBER follows the (mis)fortunes of the Duke of Rongguo's family in the 18th century, with particular emphasis on the lives of the women. If you liked RAISE THE RED LANTERN or Anita Diamant's THE RED TENT (lots of "red" in these titles), you would probably find this book un-put-downable. Characters include the frightening matriarch, the poor relation, the first wife threatened by the upstart servant, the son upon whom much depends, the dutiful daughter, and so on. Secrets abound and intertwined lives lead to unforeseen consequences when the Emperor dies and all is up for grabs.

A couple notes on things which distracted me:
1) The book is told in the present tense. Not my favorite, but I got over it.
2) The sex scenes aren't overwhelmingly numerous, but they are startlingly graphic. Guess that's just the age we live in. I just thought subtlety would have suited the general style of the book more.
3) When it comes to a couple of the characters, there's a lot of telling: "Baochai was reserved and hardly ever spoke about her feelings," etc. Since I thought Chen did a great job of revealing character through dialogue and action, these were at best unnecessary and at worst distracting.
4) I would recommend you pick up a paper copy of this book, rather than an ebook. Flipping back and forth to the list of characters and the family tree can be helpful, and doing it on the Kindle was a nuisance.

If you're looking for a sweeping, absorbing read, I highly recommend this one!

[Snort · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had a few youthful fantasies, of which being an inscrutable Oriental (achieved with jasmine scented face powder and almond oil, as we learn) and a romantic death from consumption featured quite heavily. This was due to extravagant imaginings of the frail, waif-like Lin Daiyu, not so much fair as she is pale, like a bruised gardenia laid to rest. Truth be said, I have always been drawn to "The Dream of the Red Chamber" (or better known in Mandarin as "Hong Lou Meng"), for our willowy high school dance troupe once performed the classic scene of Lin Daiyu burying flowers. Many of us wept in the wings – some deeply moved by the sublime sentiment of returning petals to earth; others like myself were mostly wallowing with the realisation we could never achieve such grace and glory.

Anyway, I digress – never able to persevere through Cao Queqin’s original masterpiece, and never brave enough to tackle Hawke's 2400 page translation, I pounced on this contemporary reinterpretation. There is a whole cast of unforgettable characters. Who wants to be born with a silver spoon in the mouth when you can have a piece of flawless jade, like Jia Baoyu? Who is less like a precious hair jewel than Xue Baochai, who is more like a bamboo stick - hollow, dry but undeniably resilient? Then the fiesty Xifeng, punished for adultery with ovarian cancer – I don’t know why I’m surprised at how accurate the signs are – the swollen belly with ascites, the jaundiced skin from liver metastases. This is ancient China afterall, where physicians can diagnose everything from just taking your pulse. There is even the use of apricot kernals to treat cancer in the first chapter, you sceptics out there!

2 stars - my honest appraisal if I ruthlessly cast aside rabid enthusiasm!

[Jo Anne B · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Betty · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Red Chamber is based on the 18th century China's classic novel, "Dreams of the Red Chamber." Author, Pauline Chen has taken some of the original characters from the book to weave an intriguing tale of life in the opulent women's quarters of a privileged Beijing family of that era. The story follows the lives of three strong women who forge a friendship in a world where they are at the mercy, not only of their husbands, but their older female relatives as well.

For anyone wishing to understand Chinese culture and history of that period, this is a fascinating story. However, it is not an easy read. To begin with, there are so many characters in the family compound that it was necessary to have a glossary to keep them all straight. Also a help was the family tree that gives the main members of the Jia family, and how they are related.

The novel is not a page-turner and with the culture being so unique, it takes time to absorb this book fully. However, it is well written and I enjoyed savoring it over a period of time. If Chinese culture and history is of interest to you, it's a captivating read.

My only complaint is that the story is told in present tense, which is something I personally don't like. But that's just me.

[Lauren Keegan · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Red Chamber is an exceptionally written family drama that spans from 1721- 1736 in Beijing that explores the undercurrents of love, loss, self-gratification, betrayal and hope of those who reside in the Jia estate. Inspired by the original Chinese classic Dream of the Red Chamber, Chen brings to life the strong women in the household during a time where women were severely oppressed. Marriages were arranged by the parents; women were not encouraged to have an education and must never lose face in a household where everyone has secrets and everyone knows everyone’s business.

Lady Jia is the matriarch of the family; she is relentless at progressing the family forward in society and doesn’t allow sentimentality to impede any decision. Despite the control she expels over the family, it is the men in the family who have access to education, work and concubines. The Red Chamber explores life from the viewpoints of three remarkably different women: Xifeng, Baochi and Daiyu.

Xifeng is a very difficult character to like; she’s selfish, punitive towards the servants and fanatical about money. I did really sympathise with her though, she’s married to Lian who treats her horribly and after three years of marriage without an heir he takes her lifelong maid and best friend Ping’er as his concubine (second wife). She quickly falls pregnant and Xifeng’s status in the family is shaky, leaving her humiliated and bitter.

Another difficult to like character, Baochi is the prototype daughter of Mrs Xue who Lady Jia wishes to wed to her romantic grandson Baoyu. Baochi really doesn’t have any true emotional ties within the Jia family, she does have an attraction to Baoyu, but beyond this her feelings are quietly hidden away.

It was Daiyu who was the heart of the story and whom I most connected with. At seventeen she arrives at the Jia mansion as a last request to her late mother and enters a family and lifestyle to which she is unfamiliar with. Her conduct and opinions give away her southern roots and she is quickly outcasted by Lady Jia who senses the instant spark between Daiyu and her cousin Baoyu. Daiyu brings life to the family; she is young and fanciful and dares to hope that she can marry for love not duty.

I don’t want to give too much of the plot away, but I was completely absorbed in this novel and whenever I put the book down I was thinking about the characters and what their fate would be. It’s by no means an uplifting story but it did evoke emotion in me and I became completely invested in the future of the characters.

The Red Chamber is a complex historical family drama with fascinating characters that I both loved and despised and regardless of my sentiments I was completely drawn into their world. It was not the happily ever after I’d hoped and after a momentary disappointment I was resigned to accept that the ending was befitting to the overall mood of the story and the era and place in which it was set. I highly recommend The Red Chamber to those who appreciate historical, culturally-rich settings with characters who will remain in your thoughts for long after you’ve put down the book.

[Nathalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A novel I picked up in the library shortly before Valentine's day.
They had decorated a small section in which they had stalled books with red covers.

I thought that was adorable and ended up choosing two random books to try.
This was the first that I read, and I was pleasantly surprised.

The Red Chamber is a novel about a wealthy Chinese family living in Bejing during the 18th century. It centers specifically around the women of that family, and their fate.
Women in that day and age didn't have many choices in life, which was to be expected. But as I read in that novel is that many women are crafty enough to find ways to enrich their lives with what life has to offer.
The three women centered in this story are Xifeng, Daiyu and Baochai.
I listed them in order of my personal preference.

Xifeng is the oldest of them, the one with the most experience, who tries to warn the younger women to not needlessly do what they are told but to seek some personal gain or pleasure. She doesn't do this openly, as that is not the present decorum for a Chinese woman. Her intentions are even misunderstood, until it's too late.

Daiyu, a recent guest of this family, is a dreamer. She grew up in a household where women weren't told to behave a certain way, which causes her to feel suffocated with her estranged family. She's torn between the contempt of her grandmother and the love and desire she shares with Baoyu, her nephew. Their paths have been decided on but in their stubborn way, they try to find a way out of their shackles, never minding the consequences.

Baochai, the white canvas of the three girls. I, as reader, had more insight in her feelings than any of the other women as she keeps her feelings to herself. She is seen as remote, unfeeling and reserved. Her fear of showing emotion, turns her away from Daiyu or Xifeng when both women need her the most, which ultimately led her to a lonely path.

The novel is well constructed, with chapters that vary between these three characters, plus a few insights in the male household, as we see a few pages through Baoyu and his father, Jia Zheng's eyes. It adds a bit of depth that makes this novel even more profound.

I found this to be a very well written piece of prose, and am intrigued by the famous Chinese Novel this book is founded upon - A dream of the red chamber.

It's probably a bit too daunting for me to read this one, but I found The Red Chamber a perfect appetizer. It definitely gave me a taste for more, so who knows.. I might be tempted.

[Steve · Rating 4 out of 5]

I once tried reading an English translation of the Chinese classic, Dream of the Red Chamber.
Even though I had studied the Chinese language quite a bit, it was too much for me. With more than 2500 pages, over 400 characters, intricate plots within plots, and a plethora of unfamiliar Chinese place names; it was just too confusing.

This "reimagining "of the story in English is accessible. Although the author is obviously an incredible scholar, it's also her first novel. As such, I don't think it's fair to expect a great writing style. But in this case, the story is so intriguing, the depth of characters so intimate, the situations and plots so compelling; the writing style takes a backseat and doesn't seem that important.

In America, people often lament the loss of close family life in our culture and may romanticize the closeness and loyalty of traditional Chinese family life. This story gives a sense of that and also the dark shadow of close family interconnectedness. As one of the main characters realizes, "For the first time he understands the chains that bind him to his family, each link forged from obligation and sacrifice, from which he can never escape."

There is an interesting parallel between the author of Dream of the Red Chamber, Cao Xueqin and Henry David Thoreau. Both wrote one of their country's most famous books and neither made any money from it. Cao didn't sell any and remained in abject poverty. Thoreau sold some but not even enough to pay his costs for just the paper. Whenever I notice something like this that's the same in extremely different cultures, it makes me think there must be some kind of universal truth buried somewhere, something deeper than cultural differences.

In this case, it may be related to one of my favorite lines in the Tao De Ching: "The good that the truly good do, has no end in view." These books weren't written to make money, to impress people, or to become powerful and famous. I think they were written because the authors had deep feelings and thoughts that had to be expressed, that they cared about more than almost anything else.

Of course, this "re-imagined" version doesn't at all fit in the same category. It is a fascinating story though and completely worth reading. It's even inspired me to give Dream of the Red Chamber another chance!

[Suzanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

From the moment I picked up The Red Chamber, I couldn't put it down. Poor little country girl Daiyu is sent to her well-off relatives in the Capital after the death of the her mother. It is set in early 18th century China. What Daiyu finds in the women's quarters of noble Jia family, is a soap opera of political intrigue, romance and unlikely alliances.

Author Pauline Chen based this novel on a famous work of Chinese literature - The Dream of the Red Chamber by Cao Xuequin. She condensed it down, and focused on three main characters to tell the story of downfall of the Jia family.

I absolutely loved it and am eager to watch one of the film adaptations of the original work. With the exception of a few anachronisms, I couldn't find much to fault in this enjoyable and touching novel. 4 1/2 stars.

[Rebecca Huston · Rating 4 out of 5]

This condensation and adaption of Cao Xuequin's The Story of the Stone or the Dream of the Red Chamber is actually much better than I thought it would be. Set in eighteenth century China, poor cousin Daiyu arrives at the Jia family home in Beijing and a series of events are set up, chronicling the apogee and downfall of the Jias. What I liked the best is that the author was able to make these people from another time and place very accessable. Recommended for those who like exotic settings, or something unusual. Four stars overall.

For the longer review, please go here:
http://www.epinions.com/review/The_Re...

[Melissa Taylor · Rating 3 out of 5]

It wasn't bad, but could have been better. It was slow, and it being a bridged novel based on another novel, it could have had more history. I also noticed right away, that the author, (which, she admits to), gave too much inaccuracy. "I depart from historical accuracy in the interest of narrative fluency." I disliked that. It makes for a good kid's book. Nice twist at the end though. ;)

[The Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I listened to the audio version of this book. I was glad to have someone read the names as I surely would have pronounced them differently in my head had I been reading it with my on eyes. I was a little confused the narrator choose to give some of the characters, an accent like a Chinese person speaking English with a slight accent. I am not sure if this was a culturally appropriate choice.

As for the story, it was slow to start. Really slow. I would say I didn't really get drawn in until 1/3 through. And for a lengthy book... that is an investment. I wasn't really sure who I was supposed to be rooting for in this book.

I would say there is a twist at the end? I wasn't expecting, and seemed a bit of afterthought... Like if you blinked you'd miss it. I mean Daiyu is alive? And Baoyu suffers his whole life in pain over his choices? hmm.. big bombs to drop at the end. I would have thought Baoyu would have gone south to pay respects at Daiyu's grave.

[Stacy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely beautiful. Right now I am currently reading a different version of the Story Of the Stone, which is a bit closer to the original manuscript so many years ago. Read this with an open mind if you know of Cao Xueqin's work and if not, this is a wonderful ice breaker to the story. I have read other comments about the chosen English wordss chosen for translation and how they arent useful and many other derogatory remarks however, I found this novel to be beautiful, heartbreaking and just a wonderful take on a classic. However if you'd like a complete and closely best take on Xueqin's work then pick of Story of the Stone : penguin classics. It is 5 books. ♡♡♡ you won't regret it. Nor will you regret this book!

[Nia · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm sorry to say that despite really wanting to like this book I really did not like it. I think there's just too much Harem Intrigue, too many concubines worrying about sex, too much jealousy, and I guess it's just too much of a romantic romance for my taste .

[Sabrina]

Muy entretenido e interesante acercamiento a la clásica novela chiná del pabellón rojo. Se lee muy rápido, se disfruta de mirar de cerca la cultura de esa época china.

[Matty-Swytla · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you don't have time for the classic this novel is based on (it has over 1000 pages and 400 characters!), then this may be a good alternative in the mean time. The story is condensed and an experienced reader with soon notice where the cuts begin, but it does offer a good and engrosing story to enjoy. Despite my gripes, it is a good novel and I can easily give it 3.5 stars.

This novels offers us a glimpse into this rich world of Qing China. The author gives us just the right amount of description to have our imagination in an overdrive. Throughout my reading, I could imagine things so vividly. Having watched a few dramas set in this time period (Bu Bu Jing Qin or Scarlet Heart), the most insignificant detail could construct a rich background for the drama of our characters. I'm just sorry that the author cut out a character I was fascinated with in the second part - the sudden focus on Baoyu (whom I didn't particularly care for) didn't make me happy. Xinfeng grew on me and I was fascinated with her struggles to keep the ungrateful family afloat.

And yet I want to read the original and explore the lives of a noble family with all that their status entails in this time period. I can't imagine living with several hundred servants. Even noble families are extended, with numerous cousins, in-laws, and other branches always in contact or living together. I get a headache just imagining it since I come from a very nuclear family with few extended relations in my generation. It is fascinating to see how people relate to one another in such a setting. You get the feeling their traits, both negative and positive, continuously clash in their fight for power. Each palace and noble family is like a mini nation and you always have pretenders for the throne. So you enjoy reading how they get through fortune and misfortune, how escaping the strict rules and obligations of the social system is a dream that might never come true, and how women fight for a little bit of power in a man-governed world. Since women are mostly locked up in the inner part of the palace, their stories might ellicit more sympathy form the reader. Make no mistake though - the men are just as trapped in the social hierarchy.

So while there are some clear signs the author cut out a lot of material, the novel functions quite well and reads really fast once you get the hang of the names. The index at the beginning is very helpful and I would have given up otherwise. Half-brothers and sisters, cousins, in-laws... it gets messy juggling so many similarly sounding names. but you get the hang of it once characters are familiar to you.

[Nannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow. This is ... one heck of a story filled in 381 pages. It's the kind of drama and twist-filled story I could maybe compare to a long Netflix or AMC series, only with less violence and misogyny on behalf of the writers.

Book content warnings:
- incest (cousins ~ time period-specific)

In the author's note, Pauline Chen says The Red Chamber is inspired by an 18th Century book that's widely thought to be the most important book in Chinese literature: Dream of the Red Chamber by Cao Xuequin.

In Pauline Chen's version, she focuses on the three main female characters and their lives in 18th Century Beijing, where "women lacked power and were pitted against one another by the system of concubinage".

1. Lin Daiyu lives in the South after her mother "left the family" to marry for love. After her mother dies, Daiyu is sent to live with her cousins in Rongguo. There, she becomes involved with the large Jia family (and let's be honest, all its drama).

2. Wang Xifeng (wife of the cousin of the heir of the Jia family, whew) basically runs the Jia household. She makes sure everyone has their tea, runs the finances, is in charge of all the servants, etc. A strong and complicated woman, educated and intelligent, but unfortunately, can't give her husband an heir. And in that time period ... that doesn't bode well for her as a wife and first daughter-in-law.

3. Lastly, Xue Baochai, another cousin of the Jia heir, who lives with the Jias. She often hides her emotions behind what Xhifeng calls a "porcelain mask".

I'm not even sure what to say about this book. It's written in such a beautiful, wonderfully-crafted style, and Pauline Chen's storytelling kept me up till 3:00am. Character development was so masterfully done, too. It's just such a huge piece of work, I still can't believe it was all done within such a small amount of pages.

Anyway, this story is so full of betrayals, love stories, twists, and surprises. If you want something thick you can really sink your teeth into, this would be a good thing to read. It probably won't be something I'll really remember 10 years from now, but It's still really, really good.

[Jeanette · Rating 4 out of 5]

After reading the Intro I put off reading this book, as I thought it was going to be a difficult read- rather like the Russians since it is based on the 18th Century Chinese Classic and also within structures and sensibilities/mores very different than the West.

But it was a quick, clean and easy read. This had DRAMA. Short, direct words convey precise nuance. It takes place primarily within a closed environment of a wealthy home of one of the Emperor's ministers. 150-200 people live in this house in rooms spanning the surround of a man-made lake and beautiful natural surrounding. It is like a Dallas, Breaking Bad, you name it soap opera TO THE MAX. An Upstairs/Downstairs crossed with Sister Wives. Only there is much more at stake than anything in NV or Utah!

Entertaining read and much easier than the Genji tales of Japan that I had just read in the last months. The three main characters in this book are woman that are described as some of the prime categories/personalities in the 400 plus characters of the original Dreams of the Red Chamber.

This is a sleeper for entertainment value- and it is historical fiction supreme, circa 1711 Chinese capital. Would make a dynamic film/tv series (like The Tudors)if someone had a Billion $ budget.

Unlike "Snowflower and the Secret Fan"- these are of Northern Chinese heritage and do not break/bind the feet of the highest class women. But poetry and the ability to recall and to originate poetry is only one small factor of interest within these very personal stories of changing prestige, economics, power, love.

[Edzy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read this novel as it was billed as a great reimagining of the classic Chinese novel Dream of the Red Chamber; I came away thinking it was more The Plum of the Golden Vase than Dream.

Gone are the many multifaceted characters who made up the novel: there is no Grannie Liu, no Lady Wang, no Qin Ke-qing, no Shi Xiang-yun, no Aroma, no Skybright. Their personalities are changed too: Daiyu is no longer the melancholic spitfire she is in the original; Baoyu becomes a dashing Romeo; Grandmother Jia (here Lady Jia) is much more ambivalent, a dark manipulator behind the scenes. The subtlety of sexual congress becomes a cross between Mills and Boons and Ken Follett. The sexual rivalry between Xifeng and Ping'er comes to the fore.

Chen is imaginative indeed, but I can't say that her changes are for the better. She gets some cultural references wrong, like Prince Yongzheng (it ought to be Prince Yinzhen - Yongzheng is his era name after his ascendancy as Emperor.) The characters in the original book are far warmer and more likeable. If you like The Red Chamber, I 'd recommend you The Plum of the Golden Vase instead, that Chinese classic so often banned for its sexual candor. Read the Roy translation.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

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 change dramatically. The storyline reminded me a little of Dickens, Zola, even Tolstoy. The writing is straightforward--enough detail to bring the city and the "Inner Quarters" to life, but not too scholarly/dry, and no silly dialogue either. Short chapters move things along quickly.

This is a fantastic way to make the classics of Asian literature more accessible. For example, I wish someone would do this for "The Tale of Genji," the unabridged version of which I've been lugging from house to house since college.

[Wendy Hines · Rating 4 out of 5]

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 lives depend not only on the menfolk, but also the older women. Unmarried women are usually kept separate, and these three women learn that although they may find some companionship with one another, it is only truly themselves that they must look out for.

With politics, family intrigue, drama and Chen's generous and vibrant writing, The Red Chamber is profound, compelling and savory. If you enjoy reading historical fiction or just excellent fiction, don't miss this intriguing and masterful novel!

[Christine · Rating 3 out of 5]

I 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 premise matches your interest.

[Aura · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love historical fiction and Chinese stories. This book is beautiful, interesting and heart wrenching. Within the Jen mansion in Beijing, a multigenerational family lives in wealth and priviledge. The tensions, loves and conflicts within the house drive this story. In the first few chapters I thought the book was hard to read because of the Chinese names but I am so glad that I stuck with it because this book is a gem.

[Meghan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this novel. I love the Chinese culture, and have read several books on many different time periods of her history. This one is 18th century if I remember correctly. It follows the lives of three women whose destinies seem to collide. I personally found the book quite sad and tragic, but still rich and beautiful. I highly recommend The Red Chamber, which is based on an ancient Chinese text.

[Sakura Lina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I always love to read Chinese historical fiction.. So, i'm really enjoyed to read this book. The story about one big family and their life which is full of lies,lust and betrayal... Not everyone got the happy ending.

[Piritta · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Bold and the beautiful of 18th century Beijing.

[Patty · Rating 3 out of 5]

A retelling of the Chinese classic 'Dream of the Red Chamber' with more focus on the female characters and with a style more in line with modern tastes (that is, not being 2,500 pages long and with an actual ending). The story in set in mid-1700s Beijing, in the women's quarters of a rich and influential household, and focuses on four of the younger members of the Jia family:
– Daiyu, an orphaned teenager who was raised in the south in a poorer branch of the family; she's sent to join the main household in Beijing where she's not always prepared for the level of opulence and politicking expected of her. She's naive, idealistic, and earnest, which quickly leads to her falling in love with main character #2, Baoyu.
– The heir of the Jia family, Baoyu is hugely spoiled: a handsome, charming, intelligent young man who's never been forced to actually work at anything. He refuses to study for the Imperial Exams and get a job, despite the family's need for both his future income and influence. For most of his life, it's been expected that he would marry main character #3, Baocai.
– Baocai is not as beautiful as Daiyu, and she has a reputation for being cold and stiff, but underneath her outer poise she's insecure, worried about her good-for-nothing brother, and uncertain of how to deal with Daiyu stealing Baoyu's affection, despite her early friendship with Daiyu.
– Finally there's Xifeng, who married into the family. She's smart, organized, good with money, and keeps the entire household running, but she can't get pregnant, leading her husband to desert her and turn her best friend into his new concubine.

I haven't read the original 'Dream of the Red Chamber', so I can't comment on how true this version is to the original. The writing here is nothing special – if anything, frequently too blunt and plain – but the story is engaging, with frequent twists and turns, and nice shift from individual personalities to larger cultural trends. I also quite liked Chen's new take on the ending; I can't imagine it's how the original planned to wrap up, but it worked for me.

Overall, I can't say that The Red Chamber does anything to stand out from the rest of the extremely large genre of historical fiction/women's lit, but hey, at least now I'm somewhat closer to having read one of global classics of literature that I've always meant to get around to.