The Story of the Stone: The Golden Days (Volume I)
Author | : Cao Xueqin |
Publisher | : Penguin UK |
Total Pages | : 623 |
Release | : 2012-08-30 |
ISBN-10 | : 9780141935164 |
ISBN-13 | : 0141935162 |
Rating | : 4/5 (64 Downloads) |
Book excerpt: The Story of the Stone (c.1760) is one of the greatest novels of Chinese literature. The first part of the story, The Golden Days, begins the tale of Bao-yu, a gentle young boy who prefers girls to Confucian studies, and his two cousins: Bao-chai, his parents' choice of a wife for him, and the ethereal beauty Dai-yu. Through the changing fortunes of the Jia family, this rich, magical work sets worldly events - love affairs, sibling rivalries, political intrigues, even murder - within the context of the Buddhist understanding that earthly existence is an illusion and karma determines the shape of our lives.