Abstract
Cao Xueqin was the author of The Story of the Stone, also known as A Dream of Red Mansions, one of China’s greatest and best-known novels. Cao lived most of his life in poverty, and the work was left unfinished (in an 80-chapter version) upon his death. It was later edited into a 120-chapter version and published in printed form; several specialist journals and a series of conferences are currently dedicated to the unraveling of the novel’s mysteries. Cao used his memories of growing up in one of China’s notable families to create a masterpiece of fiction, in which realism and lyricism are uniquely combined. The novel is seen in some sense as a key to the entirety of Chinese culture.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | Berkshire Dictionary of Chinese Biography |
| Editors | Kerry Brown |
| Place of Publication | Great Barrington, MA, USA |
| Publisher | Berkshire Publishing Group |
| Pages | 1098-1112 |
| Volume | 3 |
| Edition | 1st |
| ISBN (Print) | 9781933782669 |
| Publication status | Published - 2014 |