A Companion to The Story of the Stone: A Chapter-by-Chapter Guide

by Susan Chan Egan, Pai Hsien-yung

The Story of the Stone (also known as Dream of the Red Chamber ) is widely held to be the greatest work of Chinese literature, beloved by readers ever since it was first published in 1791. The story revolves around the young scion of a mighty clan who, instead of studying for the civil service examinations, frolics with his maidservants and girl cousins. The narrative is cast within a mythic framework in which the protagonist’s rebellion against Confucian strictures is guided by a Buddhist monk and a Taoist priest. Embedded in the novel is a biting critique of imperial China’s political and social system.

This book is a straightforward guide to a complex classic that was written at a time when readers had plenty of leisure to sort through the hundreds of characters and half a dozen subplots that weave in and out of the book’s 120 chapters. Each chapter of the companion summarizes and comments on each chapter of the novel. The companion provides English-speaking readers―whether they are simply dipping into this novel or intent on a deep analysis of this masterpiece―with the cultural context to enjoy the story and understand its world.

The book is keyed to David Hawkes and John Minford’s English translation of The Story of the Stone and includes an index that gives the original Chinese names and terms.

312 pages, Hardcover

Published April 6, 2021

About the author

Susan Chan Egan is an independent scholar living in Santa Barbra, California. She is the author of A Latterday Confucian (Harvard University Press, 1987) and co-translator of The Song of Everlasting Sorrow (Columbia University Press 2008).

(from http://www.readinggroupguides.com/aut...)

Reviews

[Owen Hatherley · Rating 4 out of 5]

A useful thing to have when reading the Qing Proust but I did often feel there was more that could have been done, especially on the index of the characters and the Buddhist overtones. But glad I had it, especially in the latter two volumes.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

"The Story of the Stone" aka "Dream of the Red Chamber" was a major read/listen/watch for me in 2025. This "Companion" was a very helpful guide as we watched though the fifty episodes of the 2010 Chinese TV drama "Dream of the Red Chamber" 紅樓夢. It is ideal for anyone using the Hawkes/Minford translation. I read some those six Penguin volumes in paperback years ago but did not remember in much detail. This year (2025), I also reread most of the chapters in the first and last (sixth) volumes in the same translation, this time in the Kindle version--something that made it easier to check other references to the members of Jia family, their household, and other characters. I also listened an audiobook of a few dozen chapters in the older translation by Henry Bencraft Joly. For readers of Japanese looking for an annotated guide with excerpts in translation, I also recommend 『紅楼夢　ビギナーズクラシック』 in the Chinese classics series of 角川ソフィア文庫. This was particularly useful for the to understand the relation between the first eighty chapters written by Cao Xueqin and the last forty chapters by the (presumed) two writers who continued the story. I also recommend the YouTube videos by Daniel Eversen. I have subscribed to his Substack (www.redchamber.blog).

[AP · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am reading this reference text along with the original Chinese novel, in order to understand the novel and its many subtle points. This is an abridged English version of Professor Pai's, popular Chinese book on close reading of the greatest novel of all time written in the Chinese language, Dream of the Red Chamber, AKA the Story of the Stone. I really like how this English abridged version gets straight to the point, the heart of this novel. Each chapter of the reference book is matched to the novel's English translation by Hawkes & Minford , so that readers can easily follow along.

In my intensive effort to read Red, I have been reading Professor Pai's book in both English and Chinese, along with other reference books in English, while reading the novel in the original Chinese, and the Hawkes & Minford English translation. This book is really helpful and is highly recommended for anyone truly interested in an in-depth reading of the novel.

This reference book is truly immersive, and I cannot help but finish reading this book, before finishing the novel.

[Jasmine · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this in parallel with The Story of the Stone, reading a few chapters in a row of the Hawkes translation and then catching up with the summaries/commentary here. The summaries are quite detailed, and I usually ended up just skimming them. The commentaries I thought were mixed; half the time I didn't feel like they had that much extra insight, other times they pointed out motifs or nuances I hadn't quite picked up on, or discussed translation issues, or linked events with ones that happened in earlier chapters (helpful for recaapping things that happened 80 chapters earlier).

I don't think it is essential to read other sources along with the Story of the Stone; Hawkes' forwards and appendices provide enough context, and the story is approachable and enjoyable.

[Evan · Rating 5 out of 5]

a great companion to the book.