Dream of Red Mansions

A DREAM OF RED MANSIONS is generally considered to be the greatest Chinese novel ever written. It was written by Tsao Hsueh-chin during the reign of Emperor Chien-lung of the Chin Dynasty. The author started his masterwork in desperately poverty stricken circumstances and, unable to afford proper medical treatment, fell ill and died at the age of 28, leaving his work unfinished. It was taken up by Kao Ngo, who dedicated himself to completing the love story between Pao-yu and Tai-yu. The tragic ending is considered to be a piece of great artistry. This edition is abridged from the vastly populated and detailed original (which contained 975 characters!) but it remains faithful to the spirit and style of the complete version.