A Dream of Red Mansions

A Dream of Red Mansions is recognized as one of the Four Great Classical Novels and the apogee of the chapter-novel form. Unlike the other three works in the Four Great Classical Novels, it is not based on historical events. The novel was likely written in the early 18th century, and consists of 120 chapters. Cao Xueqin (1715-1763) is generally credited as the author of the first 80 chapters, with the remaining 40 chapters completed by an anonymous writer. The story centers around the tragic love triangle between Jia Baoyu, Lin Daiyu, and Xue Baochai, and the rise and fall of four great families: Jia, Wang, Shi, and Xue. The novel begins with a stone left over when the goddess Nvwa repaired the heavens. Therefore, it is also known as the Story of the Stone.

A Dream of Red Mansions presents more than 700 characters, with a central focus on Jia Baoyu and the dozens of women surrounding him. The novel creates two vividly contrasting worlds. One is the Grand View Garden, an ideal world that serves as a clean paradise for Jia Baoyu and his sisters. This is a place where women lead carefree lives, maintaining their youth and purity forever. In contrast, the outside world is portrayed as a corrupt and depraved place, continuously threatening the ideal world until it is ultimately destroyed.

A Dream of Red Mansions is renowned for its intricate plot and meticulous structure, as well as its profound philosophical themes and impressive artistic achievement. This has led to the establishment of a specialized field of study known as "Hongxue," or "Redology" in academic circles.

《紅樓夢》

《紅樓夢》是中國古典小說四大名著之一、中國古典章回體小說的巔峰之作，也是四大名著中唯一不取材自歷史事件的古典小說。《紅樓夢》大約成書于18世紀前期，全書共120回，一般認為前80回作者是曹雪芹（1715—1763）， 后40回為無名氏補寫。故事主線為賈寶玉、林黛玉、薛寶釵三人的愛情悲劇，以及賈、王、史、薛四大家族的興衰。故事從女媧補天時剩下的一塊石頭講起，因此又名《石頭記》。

《紅樓夢》全書塑造了700多個人物形象，主要以賈寶玉及其周圍的幾十名女性為中心，創造了兩個對比鮮明的世界：大觀園的理想世界，是賈寶玉和諸姊妹的干凈樂土，女子們在里面無憂無慮，永遠保持青春和純潔；大觀園外的世界是骯臟墮落的，它不斷摧殘理想世界，直至它完全毀滅。

《紅樓夢》情節豐富，布局嚴密，以深刻的思想底蘊和出色的藝術成就著稱于世，使學術界產生了一門專門研究它的學問，即“紅學”。