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Dream of the Red Chamber
Dream of the Red Chamber, composed by Cao Xueqin, is one of China's Four Great Classical Novels. It was composed sometime in the middle of the 18th century during the Qing Dynasty.
December 13, 1901
Red Chamber is believed to be semi-autobiographical, mirroring the fortunes of author Cao Xueqin's own family. As the author details in the first chapter, it is intended to be a memorial to the women he knew in his youth: friends, relatives and servants. The novel is remarkable not only for its huge cast of characters and psychological scope, but also for its precise and detailed observation of the life and social structures typical of 18th-century Chinese aristocracy
English translation: http://lib.hku.hk/bonsall/hongloumeng/index1.html
Annotated version from pop-up Chinese (for Chinese learners): http://popupchinese.com/lessons/short-stories/dream-of-the-red-chamber
Wikipedia page: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dream_of_the_Red_Chamber
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