Dream of the Red Chamber (in 3 parts)
66 hrs. 26 min.
Description
“A Dream in the Red Chamber” is a true classic of world literature and the most famous of the classic Chinese novels. It has been repeatedly banned in China for indecency, and in our day the study of “The Dream” in China is considered a separate science—“redology.”
The length of this epic family saga is one million and one hundred thousand Chinese characters. … “A Dream in the Red Chamber” is both a dramatic story of a love triangle involving the rebellious Jia Baoyu, the proud Lin Daiyu, and the meek Xue Baochai—and an endless encyclopedia of Chinese life, a source of unique information about traditional poetry, architecture, clothing, and more. In a slow family saga, step by step and in minute detail, the story of the gradual decline of the aristocratic Jia clan, their numerous relatives and acquaintances is laid out. In Ivan Litvinov’s performance, this mesmerizing, richly varied, dense text sounds completely different. We invite you to dive into the world of 18th-century China with us!…
Age rating: 16+.
“A Dream in the Red Chamber” is the most popular of four classical novels in Chinese. The first 80 chapters were written by Cao Xueqin and published under the title “Notes on the Stone” shortly before his death in 1763. Almost thirty years later, in 1791, the publisher Gao E together with his assistant published another forty chapters, completing the novel’s plot line. Researchers debate how much this final part reflects Cao’s original intent.
“A Dream in the Red Chamber” is a multi-layered narrative about the decline of two branches of the Jia family, against which—besides three generations of the family—an countless number of their relatives and household members move through the story. Unlike earlier Chinese novels, in “The Dream” there is a clear plot line and a well-structured composition; it is the first novel where the writer details the characters’ experiences and the changes in their moods. The novel freely intermixes elements of autobiographical everyday life-writing (the rise and fall of Cao Xueqin’s family) and invention: everyday events alternate with supernatural incidents. The novel was repeatedly banned in China for indecency.
The length of this epic family saga is one million and one hundred thousand Chinese characters. … “A Dream in the Red Chamber” is both a dramatic story of a love triangle involving the rebellious Jia Baoyu, the proud Lin Daiyu, and the meek Xue Baochai—and an endless encyclopedia of Chinese life, a source of unique information about traditional poetry, architecture, clothing, and more. In a slow family saga, step by step and in minute detail, the story of the gradual decline of the aristocratic Jia clan, their numerous relatives and acquaintances is laid out. In Ivan Litvinov’s performance, this mesmerizing, richly varied, dense text sounds completely different. We invite you to dive into the world of 18th-century China with us!…
Age rating: 16+.
“A Dream in the Red Chamber” is the most popular of four classical novels in Chinese. The first 80 chapters were written by Cao Xueqin and published under the title “Notes on the Stone” shortly before his death in 1763. Almost thirty years later, in 1791, the publisher Gao E together with his assistant published another forty chapters, completing the novel’s plot line. Researchers debate how much this final part reflects Cao’s original intent.
“A Dream in the Red Chamber” is a multi-layered narrative about the decline of two branches of the Jia family, against which—besides three generations of the family—an countless number of their relatives and household members move through the story. Unlike earlier Chinese novels, in “The Dream” there is a clear plot line and a well-structured composition; it is the first novel where the writer details the characters’ experiences and the changes in their moods. The novel freely intermixes elements of autobiographical everyday life-writing (the rise and fall of Cao Xueqin’s family) and invention: everyday events alternate with supernatural incidents. The novel was repeatedly banned in China for indecency.
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