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The Red Chamber

by Pauline A. Chen (Goodreads Author)

3.83 of 5 stars 3.83 · rating details · 459 ratings · 109 reviews

In this lyrical reimagining of the Chinese classic Dream of the Red Chamber, set against the breathtaking backdrop of eighteenth-century Beijing, the lives of three unforgettable women collide in the inner chambers of the Jia mansion. When orphaned Daiyu leaves her home in the provinces to take shelter with her cousins in the Capital, she is drawn into a world of opulent s...more

Hardcover, 386 pages

Published July 10th 2012 by Knopf

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Aug 14, 2012 Christina Dudley rated it 4 of 5 stars

Reading THE RED CHAMBER reminded me of visiting my paternal grandmother, who was forever watching Chinese soap operas with elaborately-costumed and highly made-up players who cried and fought and made pronouncements to dramatic camera angles and music. Whenever we asked what was happening, it was always something over the top. An affair. A secret disclosed. Unknown relations revealed. She was hooked. And though we couldn't follow a word, my sister and I would end up staring at the TV right along...more Reading THE RED CHAMBER reminded me of visiting my paternal grandmother, who was forever watching Chinese soap operas with elaborately-costumed and highly made-up players who cried and fought and made pronouncements to dramatic camera angles and music. Whenever we asked what was happening, it was always something over the top. An affair. A secret disclosed. Unknown relations revealed. She was hooked. And though we couldn't follow a word, my sister and I would end up staring at the TV right along with her.

I've never read the Chinese classic DREAM OF THE RED CHAMBER, upon which Chen bases her retelling, and--given the original's length and my decreasing attention span--I may never do so, but this book was enthralling enough to make me consider tackling it.

THE RED CHAMBER follows the (mis)fortunes of the Duke of Rongguo's family in the 18th century, with particular emphasis on the lives of the women. If you liked RAISE THE RED LANTERN or Anita Diamant's THE RED TENT (lots of "red" in these titles), you would probably find this book un-put-downable. Characters include the frightening matriarch, the poor relation, the first wife threatened by the upstart servant, the son upon whom much depends, the dutiful daughter, and so on. Secrets abound and intertwined lives lead to unforeseen consequences when the Emperor dies and all is up for grabs.

A couple notes on things which distracted me:
1) The book is told in the present tense. Not my favorite, but I got over it.
2) The sex scenes aren't overwhelmingly numerous, but they are startlingly graphic. Guess that's just the age we live in. I just thought subtlety would have suited the general style of the book more.
3) When it comes to a couple of the characters, there's a lot of telling: "Baochai was reserved and hardly ever spoke about her feelings," etc. Since I thought Chen did a great job of revealing character through dialogue and action, these were at best unnecessary and at worst distracting.
4) I would recommend you pick up a paper copy of this book, rather than an ebook. Flipping back and forth to the list of characters and the family tree can be helpful, and doing it on the Kindle was a nuisance.

If you're looking for a sweeping, absorbing read, I highly recommend this one!(less)

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May 18, 2013 Lark rated it 2 of 5 stars

When Daiyu is orphaned and brought to the Jia's house in the Capital, it was beyond her imagination that she would soon be involved in the dangerous intrigue that happens behind beautiful smiles and welcoming facades. The reader follows the stories of three girls in this time period that leaves women with no choices of their own.

This story is a tragedy, for the most part. And I loved that about this book, that the ending was tragic instead of something happily ever after. It made the sorrows and...more

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Jan 27, 2013 Megan rated it 3 of 5 stars

Holy anachronisms, Batman. This hugely entertaining, if not particularly well-written reimagining of Cao Xueqin's 18th century classic, is full of clunky phrases like "Pan had killed someone. Could he actually escape scot-free?" (it must be noted that scot-free shows up not once but TWICE. Does Knopf not hire editors or what?) and hilariously unsubtle observations like "She feels oppressed by the weight of being the perfect daughter". At one point, the phrase "adieu" is used in a riddle, and whi...more Holy anachronisms, Batman. This hugely entertaining, if not particularly well-written reimagining of Cao Xueqin's 18th century classic, is full of clunky phrases like "Pan had killed someone. Could he actually escape scot-free?" (it must be noted that scot-free shows up not once but TWICE. Does Knopf not hire editors or what?) and hilariously unsubtle observations like "She feels oppressed by the weight of being the perfect daughter". At one point, the phrase "adieu" is used in a riddle, and while I don't know anything about Chinese-French relations during the Qing Dynasty (school is wasted on the young) I'm pretty sure that "adieu" was probably not in the lexicon of young aristocratic women of the time. To be fair, this phrase was taken from David Hawkes' translation and it is needed for a rhyme, but you think SOMEONE would have noticed.

That being said, I'm a sucker for all that exotic Oriental shit (crushed jasmines, mother-of-pearl screens, vests embroidered with gold flowers, etc) which I'm not sure is okay to say because while I'm Chinese, I'm so divorced from that culture that it sounds fetishistic but let's leave it at that. I also love palace intrigue, downstairs/upstairs stories (we get a few subplots involving the servants and maids), and abrupt changes in fortune, all of which this book is happy to supply me with. While the Red Chamber is nominally centered around a love triangle, the real focus is on the complicated friendships and relationships between the women at the Rongguo Mansion. My favorite character was Wang Xifeng, who I imagine as the Cersei Lannister of Beijing, slinging back wine and having steamy affairs (not with her brother though) and generally ruining the illusions of more naive girls. Her sisterwife-like relationship with her body servant, Ping'er, is one of the more interesting aspects of the novel.

Red Chamber reminds me a lot of that other recent reworking of an epic, which was also written by an Ivy League classics student-turned-classics-professor. While Red Chamber's sex scenes are way less sappy than the ones in "Song of Achilles", the novels share that same modern desire of examining the psychology of characters who are touchstones in their respective cultures. They also both suffer from a fairly shallow reading of the original text and a lack of a subtle hand (maybe Chen and Miller could have benefited from studying English lit as well just to see how the competent English-language writers do it. JUST SAYIN.)

Final verdict: I'd definitely recommend this book as pure entertainment. It's so easy to read and just as soapy as anything you'd watch on a Shonda Rimes TV show. I couldn't put it down (which I can't say for any book I've read since middle school). Plus, it might pique your interest in the real thing. I've always wanted to read Hawkes' translation but I was always intimidated by the length and the amount of characters. Maybe this introduction will make it a little easier. (less)

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Sep 15, 2012 Amy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: east-asia_southeast-asia

Downton Abbey set in Beijing in the early 1700s. Our perspective on the privileged Jia family comes mostly through three women:

--Daiyu is the cousin who comes up from beautiful Suzhou after her mother dies;
--Baochai is insecure about her looks and her position, especially because her brother causes trouble; and
--Xifeng is the oldest daughter-in-law, working non-stop to keep the family going.

When the Jia family ends up on the wrong side of political change, the women's fortunes change dramati...more

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Sep 13, 2012 Snort rated it 2 of 5 stars

I had a few youthful fantasies, of which being an inscrutable Oriental (achieved with jasmine scented face powder and almond oil, as we learn) and a romantic death from consumption featured quite heavily. This was due to extravagant imaginings of the frail, waif-like Lin Daiyu, not so much fair as she is pale, like a bruised gardenia laid to rest. Truth be said, I have always been drawn to "The Dream of the Red Chamber" (or better known in Mandarin as "Hong Lou Meng"), for our willowy high schoo...more

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Sep 10, 2012 Steve rated it 4 of 5 stars

I once tried reading an English translation of the Chinese classic, Dream of the Red Chamber.
Even though I had studied the Chinese language quite a bit, it was too much for me. With more than 2500 pages, over 400 characters, intricate plots within plots, and a plethora of unfamiliar Chinese place names; it was just too confusing.

This "reimagining "of the story in English is accessible. Although the author is obviously an incredible scholar, it's also her first novel. As such, I don't think it's...more I once tried reading an English translation of the Chinese classic, Dream of the Red Chamber.
Even though I had studied the Chinese language quite a bit, it was too much for me. With more than 2500 pages, over 400 characters, intricate plots within plots, and a plethora of unfamiliar Chinese place names; it was just too confusing.

This "reimagining "of the story in English is accessible. Although the author is obviously an incredible scholar, it's also her first novel. As such, I don't think it's fair to expect a great writing style. But in this case, the story is so intriguing, the depth of characters so intimate, the situations and plots so compelling; the writing style takes a backseat and doesn't seem that important.

In America, people often lament the loss of close family life in our culture and may romanticize the closeness and loyalty of traditional Chinese family life. This story gives a sense of that and also the dark shadow of close family interconnectedness. As one of the main characters realizes, "For the first time he understands the chains that bind him to his family, each link forged from obligation and sacrifice, from which he can never escape."

There is an interesting parallel between the author of Dream of the Red Chamber, Cao Xueqin and Henry David Thoreau. Both wrote one of their country's most famous books and neither made any money from it. Cao didn't sell any and remained in abject poverty. Thoreau sold some but not even enough to pay his costs for just the paper. Whenever I notice something like this that's the same in extremely different cultures, it makes me think there must be some kind of universal truth buried somewhere, something deeper than cultural differences.

In this case, it may be related to one of my favorite lines in the Tao De Ching: "The good that the truly good do, has no end in view." These books weren't written to make money, to impress people, or to become powerful and famous. I think they were written because the authors had deep feelings and thoughts that had to be expressed, that they cared about more than almost anything else.

Of course, this "re-imagined" version doesn't at all fit in the same category. It is a fascinating story though and completely worth reading. It's even inspired me to give Dream of the Red Chamber another chance!(less)

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Jul 10, 2012 Betty rated it 4 of 5 stars

The Red Chamber is based on the 18th century China's classic novel, "Dreams of the Red Chamber." Author, Pauline Chen has taken some of the original characters from the book to weave an intriguing tale of life in the opulent women's quarters of a privileged Beijing family of that era. The story follows the lives of three strong women who forge a friendship in a world where they are at the mercy, not only of their husbands, but their older female relatives as well.

For anyone wishing to understand...more

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Oct 01, 2012 Lauren Murphy rated it 5 of 5 stars

The Red Chamber is an exceptionally written family drama that spans from 1721- 1736 in Beijing that explores the undercurrents of love, loss, self-gratification, betrayal and hope of those who reside in the Jia estate. Inspired by the original Chinese classic Dream of the Red Chamber, Chen brings to life the strong women in the household during a time where women were severely oppressed. Marriages were arranged by the parents; women were not encouraged to have an education and must never lose fa...more The Red Chamber is an exceptionally written family drama that spans from 1721- 1736 in Beijing that explores the undercurrents of love, loss, self-gratification, betrayal and hope of those who reside in the Jia estate. Inspired by the original Chinese classic Dream of the Red Chamber, Chen brings to life the strong women in the household during a time where women were severely oppressed. Marriages were arranged by the parents; women were not encouraged to have an education and must never lose face in a household where everyone has secrets and everyone knows everyone’s business.

Lady Jia is the matriarch of the family; she is relentless at progressing the family forward in society and doesn’t allow sentimentality to impede any decision. Despite the control she expels over the family, it is the men in the family who have access to education, work and concubines. The Red Chamber explores life from the viewpoints of three remarkably different women: Xifeng, Baochi and Daiyu.

Xifeng is a very difficult character to like; she’s selfish, punitive towards the servants and fanatical about money. I did really sympathise with her though, she’s married to Lian who treats her horribly and after three years of marriage without an heir he takes her lifelong maid and best friend Ping’er as his concubine (second wife). She quickly falls pregnant and Xifeng’s status in the family is shaky, leaving her humiliated and bitter.

Another difficult to like character, Baochi is the prototype daughter of Mrs Xue who Lady Jia wishes to wed to her romantic grandson Baoyu. Baochi really doesn’t have any true emotional ties within the Jia family, she does have an attraction to Baoyu, but beyond this her feelings are quietly hidden away.

It was Daiyu who was the heart of the story and whom I most connected with. At seventeen she arrives at the Jia mansion as a last request to her late mother and enters a family and lifestyle to which she is unfamiliar with. Her conduct and opinions give away her southern roots and she is quickly outcasted by Lady Jia who senses the instant spark between Daiyu and her cousin Baoyu. Daiyu brings life to the family; she is young and fanciful and dares to hope that she can marry for love not duty.

I don’t want to give too much of the plot away, but I was completely absorbed in this novel and whenever I put the book down I was thinking about the characters and what their fate would be. It’s by no means an uplifting story but it did evoke emotion in me and I became completely invested in the future of the characters.

The Red Chamber is a complex historical family drama with fascinating characters that I both loved and despised and regardless of my sentiments I was completely drawn into their world. It was not the happily ever after I’d hoped and after a momentary disappointment I was resigned to accept that the ending was befitting to the overall mood of the story and the era and place in which it was set. I highly recommend The Red Chamber to those who appreciate historical, culturally-rich settings with characters who will remain in your thoughts for long after you’ve put down the book.(less)

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Jan 17, 2013 Gianna rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: asian

I feel like a student who’s read the CliffsNotes version. In a way, this is what happened because The Red Chamber is an abridged re-writing of four classical, 18th-century novels. I cannot comment on how well Chen has captured the essence of the series, or how true she has stayed to the original characters and ideas. At its heart, the book is a family saga with all the spicy ingredients for a dramatic story. There are tension and jealousy among family members, an affair, and abandonment. There i...more I feel like a student who’s read the CliffsNotes version. In a way, this is what happened because The Red Chamber is an abridged re-writing of four classical, 18th-century novels. I cannot comment on how well Chen has captured the essence of the series, or how true she has stayed to the original characters and ideas. At its heart, the book is a family saga with all the spicy ingredients for a dramatic story. There are tension and jealousy among family members, an affair, and abandonment. There is fated love between an affluent “Prince” and a Chinese “Cinderella.” (I admit that I got a bit impatient with this particular storyline.)

The female characters are strong, much stronger than the male ones. The book has a slight feminist slant, which is expressed through the musings of Xifang, Daiyu, and Baochai about the lack of choices for women. I don’t know if this feminist perspective exists in the original, but I doubt it. Xifang was my favorite character, and she was the most complex as well.

Pauline Chen paints vivid, emotional, and memorable images. The kites, for example, that the girls fly in one of the chapters, become a symbol of their desire for independence and happiness, and as Daiyu’s fails to take off, the reader already knows that she may not get her wish granted. The novel is epic in its ambitios undertaking to portray the Jia family at its zenith, its fall, and the precarious attempt to rise again. Yet, it is poetic in its tone. The novel does not provide a strong background of the socio-political forces in China at the time, but its strength is exactly in the female characters and the complex relationships they create.

It is difficult to rate this book without having read the original, but Chen should definitely get points for the audacity to re-write a classic series and her ability to develop a page-turner.

Here is one of my favorite quotes from the book:

“She [Baochai] feels that she is caught in an elaborate web. She is trapped between her mother and Pan, who is caught between them and Jingui, who is perhaps in turn caught between the rest of the Xias and the Xues. So many people, many of whom have never seen one another, bound together by the invisible, sticky filaments that form the social fabric of the Empire’s elite. She cannot move a muscle without feeling the pull of the tiny clinging threats” (p. 163).
(less)

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Aug 04, 2012 Veronica rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: library, historical

Pauline Chen’s new novel, The Red Chamber, is actually a retelling of a classic Chinese novel, The Dream of the Red Chamber. Chen’s version is severely truncated; the original novel is currently sold by Penguin in three volumes and was never finished. Chen freely admits she has taken many liberties with the story in order to better introduce it to Western audiences, she claims. I can in no way compare the two, since I had not even heard of the original before reading Chen’s book, so I will take...more Pauline Chen’s new novel, The Red Chamber, is actually a retelling of a classic Chinese novel, The Dream of the Red Chamber. Chen’s version is severely truncated; the original novel is currently sold by Penguin in three volumes and was never finished. Chen freely admits she has taken many liberties with the story in order to better introduce it to Western audiences, she claims. I can in no way compare the two, since I had not even heard of the original before reading Chen’s book, so I will take The Red Chamber as a unique work of fiction.

The Red Chamber is set in 18th c. China and details the lives of the Jia family. The Jias are wealthy and have long and good connections to the imperial palace through the family patriarch, Jia Zheng; however, it is Lady Jia who truly rules the household. When Daiyu’s mother dies, her father sends her to stay with her maternal grandmother at the Jia family palace. There Daiyu meets three individuals who will leave indelible marks on her life: Xue Baochi, daughter of the widowed sister-in-law of Jia Zheng, Wang Xifeng, wife of Jia Lian, and Jia Baoyu, Zheng’s son and Lady Jia’s favorite (there is a helpful family tree at the beginning of the novel). The novel details the intimate family bonds and sometimes chains that bind each character, except for Daiyu, perhaps. It is grand and intimate at the same time; family drama set against the back drop of imperial strife.

Chen’s narrative is told through mainly the three females of the novel, with occasional forays into Zheng’s or Baoyu’s perspective. Each of the women is unique as are their voices. Xifeng is the under-appreciated house-hold manager, Baochi is the seemingly cold but dutiful daughter, and Daiyu is the “gauche” newcomer, daughter of a mother who threw away everything and defied Lady Jia to marry for love. Lady Jia never forgave her, even in death and her wrath has carried over to Daiyu. Three events set the course for the fate of the Jia family: the cover up of a murder, illicit love (on multiple fronts), and the fall of an Emperor. How will Daiyu survive in the grand city of Bejing amid all of the family politics and sweeping change?

Many have compared this to Artur Goldstein’s Memoirs of a Geisha, but I was constantly reminded of Raise the Red Lantern, the film by Zhang Yimou. I really, really enjoyed this novel. It immediately draws the reader in and through Chen’s gift for narrative, we begin to understand what drives each of the three women and who they must be in a tight-knit family irrevocably bound together. I wanted more after finishing this, and perhaps that was Chen’s intent: give Western readers a taste of a massive and loved Chinese classic so they’ll go in search of the original. While I’m not rushing out to the bookstore to find it, I did add it to my never-ending wishlist. Final verdict: highly recommended for those who love to be swept away by historical and intimate family portraits.(less)

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Mar 16, 2013 Sandra rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-read-2013, kindle, library-books

I enjoyed reading this book and learned alot about the eighteenth century China. Its a long book, but not as long as the original story it was based on. Ms.Chen's writing is beautifully detailed and makes you feel that you are there. A beautifully written story!

From Amazon:
In this lyrical reimagining of the Chinese classic Dream of the Red Chamber, set against the breathtaking backdrop of eighteenth-century Beijing, the lives of three unforgettable women collide in the inner chambers of the Jia...more

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Dec 26, 2012 Judi/Judith rated it 4 of 5 stars

I was totally enthralled with this epic story of an affluent family and their servants in eighteenth century Bejing, China. In fact it was the book that broke a serious book slump that I was in and I was thankful for that.

While everyone in the household of Rongguo appears to be a calm and loving family, scandalous secrets abound and the jealousy is rampant among the relatives. The story of the Jia family centers around three of the women in the household and their stories along with their lover...more

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Dec 02, 2012 Dana Schroeder rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Fans of the Red Tent and the Handmaid's Tale

Shelves: fiction

The Red Chamber is a novel based on the longer Chinese work, Dream of the Red Chamber. Set in 18th century China, this novel is the story of the women in a wealthy aristocratic household. While the men work to raise their social status by studying and passing the civil service exam, the women work to marry well and run an efficient household. Like many women around the world, the principal characters are often imprisoned by their lack of opportunities and choice.

When the current emperor is the...more

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Nov 05, 2012 Gina rated it 2 of 5 stars

I would be really interested in understanding more about what it was like to be a woman in one of the wealthy Chinese families one hundred years ago. This book gives you a peek, I suppose, but it mostly felt like what it would be like to be an educated, western, modern woman living in such a family. I was really unconvinced by and unattached to all the characters involved in this "family saga", and a saga with no depth doesn't work. The peek that is does give into that life, however, isn't very...more

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Feb 20, 2013 Forgotten Realms Queen rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, historical-fiction, chinese

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. The Red Chamber is an adaptation of the classical Chinese story Dreams of the Red Chamber, originally written in the middle of the 18th century by Cao Xueqin. The basic plot remains the same, the story follows members of the Jia clan, mostly the women, as they go about their daily lives in 18th century China and the rise of the Qing dynasty.

Now the original text has 120 chapters and a host of characters. It supposedly mirrors the life of the original author, and is supposed to pay homage to the...more The Red Chamber is an adaptation of the classical Chinese story Dreams of the Red Chamber, originally written in the middle of the 18th century by Cao Xueqin. The basic plot remains the same, the story follows members of the Jia clan, mostly the women, as they go about their daily lives in 18th century China and the rise of the Qing dynasty.

Now the original text has 120 chapters and a host of characters. It supposedly mirrors the life of the original author, and is supposed to pay homage to the women he knew in his life: family, friends and servants. The novel is “remarkable not only for its huge cast of characters and psychological scope, but also for its precise and detailed observation of the life and social structures typical of 18th-century Chinese aristocracy.” At least according to Wikipedia. Dreams of the Red Chamber is considered one of the four great classics in China, and founded Redology, which is the academic study of the book itself.

That’s saying something when an entire field of research is dedicated to your book…

Now the author of The Red Chamber is the first to admit that they took some liberties with the story, mostly with paring down the cast of characters to a more manageable level, as well as some academic license to make the narration flow more smoothly. But it in no way leaves the book feeling like it lacked something or was slapped together.

The Red Chamber is not a feel-good kind of book. The characters, despite most of them being wealthy, face some rather difficult choices and decisions both inside and outside the home. A young woman named Daiyu is orphaned and sent to live with her mother’s relatives, and falls in love with one of her male cousins who is betrothed to someone else. Few people make her feel welcome in her new home, and when the family is left destitute by a petty, grasping emperor, Daiyu falls dangerously ill with consumption and comes a hair’s breathe from death.

The three main character are all cousins to one another: Baoyu, Baochai, and Daiyu. They are the only young people in the story and they live out their life within the pages surrounded by friends and family that love, hate, scorn, and despise them, depending on the member and their particular mood at the time.

You have Lady Jia, the matron of the family who is hard and cold hearted. Lian, her son and paterfamilias, a weak and unambitious man married to Xifeng. Xifeng runs the household and after a year of being childless must vie for the attentions of her husband with her own childhood maid Ping’er. Ping’er is wedded pretty much against her will to Lian after Xifeng fails to produce an heir, and not only must produce an heir but also finds herself drawn into the petty squabbling and political maneuvering of the main family. Baoyu is the eldest surviving son of Lian’s older brother (I forget is name but he’s a good man) and is a disappointment to his family, seen alternately as the best thing that has ever happened to them, as well as the most lazy and useless one of them all. Baochai is shy, repressed, and eager to please young woman in love with Baoyu.

And Daiyu, Daiyu is a simple country girl dropped smack dab in the middle of all this family drama. She draws the affection of Baoyu and must learn the ins and out of aristocratic lifestyle quickly, else see herself drown under the weight of all the secrets and lies.

The Red Chamber is a fascinating, wonderful book. And the funny thing is, the three main characters you become attached to have all these dreams that they want to accomplish in their lifetimes, most of them involve wedding one or the other, but none of them truly come true. But in the end, despite their dreams becoming ashes in their mouths, the three young people of the story wind up getting what they truly need from life, and for the most part living happily ever after.

A bitter sweet ending without a doubt, but one that nonetheless leaves you satisfied and almost happy for them.(less)

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Aug 31, 2012 Esther Bradley-detally rated it 5 of 5 stars

The inside flap says, "this lyrical reimagining of the Chinese classic Dream of the Red Chamber, set against the breathtaking backdrop of eighteenth-century Beijing, the lives of three unforgettable women collide in the inner chambers of ..." stay tuned

The Red Chamber is epic, sweeping, includes aristocracy, a political coup, and the changes in fortune of a very prominent family dealing with poverty,horrors,and chaos,and each of these woomen choose between love and duty and friendhsip and surviv...more

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Oct 08, 2012 Ainaten rated it 5 of 5 stars

I had no idea that there was a gaping hole in my life that could only be filled with some really gorgeously done Story of the Stone fanfic, but apparently there was! Cao Xueqin always seems to me to sympathize with his female characters, but this novel gives that extra look into their lives that I always wanted, while being consistent with the tone of the original works. I've been strictly Team Daiyu for many years since high school when I first read the book, but this retelling has compelled me...more

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Jan 29, 2013 Cheryl rated it 3 of 5 stars

I really enjoy books about chinese tradition and what life was like in historical China. The Red Chamber was great to read in terms of it's descriptions of life for the upper class in the 1750's. The characters were not entirely likeable, and I didn't make emotional connections with them, in spite of the hardships they faced. I enjoyed the book from the perspective of a reader who enjoys this genre. When I read a book, I enjoy "rooting" for the characters, watching them evolve. Aside from Dayiu,...more

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Mar 21, 2013 Coleen Dailey rated it 5 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed listening to this book. It is an adaptation of the Chinese classic Dream of the Red Chamber set in eighteenth century Beijing. The women are secluded but each must make decisions on how to survive both as wealthy mothers, wives or daughters or orphans and servants. The men work and have a social life but it seems that the women have the real power and authority. I would compare this to Pearl Buck's The Pavilion of Women and highly recommend both to any reader who is interested i...more

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Feb 03, 2013 Mike rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book, based on an old and very long Chinese classic Dream of the Red Chamber is an outstanding portrayal of eighteenth century Beijing and a wealthy family's intrigues, tragedies, power struggles and relationships.

I was taken in by the exoticism but even more by the powerful characterizations and life struggles set in both haunting and edge-of-your-seat situations and twists.

If you like historical fiction with deep characterization this book is a must read for you. Personally, I loved it. B...more

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Dec 13, 2012 Eri-chan rated it 4 of 5 stars

being entirely unfamiliar with the original, legendary work of Chinese literature upon which this novel is based, I can't speak to the accuracy or authenticity of the story or characters. what I.can say is that The Red Chamber is a perfectly entertaining work of historical fiction. it presents no real challenges and functions on the level of a relatively mature soap opera, but for light escapism it certainly does the job. a good mix of social and political intrigue, passion and unrequited love,...more

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Aug 05, 2012 Terri Tinkel rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: children, family, history, marriage, female-friends

I especially enjoyed this story. A young woman who has been living in near poverty is sent to stay with relatives of her mother. She soon learns that life is difficult no matter where you live. This story takes place in the 18th century in China. Your family name is everything and you must honor your ancestors both living and dead. As time goes by, bad luck comes to the Jia family and changes occur. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoyed history, the Chinese culture and learning about...more

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Jul 24, 2012 Rebecca Huston rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 18th-century, 2012-around-the-world-in-52-books, china, historical-fiction, nook

This condensation and adaption of Cao Xuequin's The Story of the Stone or the Dream of the Red Chamber is actually much better than I thought it would be. Set in eighteenth century China, poor cousin Daiyu arrives at the Jia family home in Beijing and a series of events are set up, chronicling the apogee and downfall of the Jias. What I liked the best is that the author was able to make these people from another time and place very accessable. Recommended for those who like exotic settings, or s...more

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Oct 29, 2012 Kelly rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, friendship, historical-fiction, multicultural, love-story

I knew nothing about the 2,500 page classic Chinese book Dream of the Red Chamber upon which this book is based. Sad and tragic, I found this debut novel enthralling with its portrayal of life for women in the early 1700s in China. Yes, there are men in the story (and they certainly cause some problems), but the story is really about sisterhood and the bonds and rivalries women experience when they are powerless and powerful. Fans of the book The Red Tent should like this as it evokes similar si...more

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Dec 06, 2012 Jeanette rated it 4 of 5 stars

After reading the Intro I put off reading this book, as I thought it was going to be a difficult read- rather like the Russians since it is based on the 18th Century Chinese Classic and also within structures and sensibilities/mores very different than the West.

But it was a quick, clean and easy read. This had DRAMA. Short, direct words convey precise nuance. It takes place primarily within a closed environment of a wealthy home of one of the Emperor's ministers. 150-200 people live in this hou...more

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Oct 06, 2012 Cayleigh rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-2012

I very much enjoyed The Red Chamber, I have read many many historical fiction books set in England and it was very refreshing to read The Red Chamber set in 18th century China in the women's quarters of a very infulential family. (Even though I haven't read many books of this era, I have seen quite a few movies Raise the Red Lantern and Flowers of Shanghai for a few so knew what type of opulence/surroundings to imagine with the descriptions).
The chapters rotate between several of the main chara...more

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Jun 09, 2012 ☆Jessie☆ (Ageless Pages Reviews) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, edelweiss-arc, hf-china, historical-fiction, reviewed, 2012-reviews, 2012-reads, ssh-ssh-family-secrets

Read This Review & More Like It On My Blog!

4.5 out of 5

After a bit of a slow start that was almost soap operatic in nature due to the sheer amount of secrets, lies, betrayals and affairs abounding, The Red Chamber impressed me with its scope and tragedy. Though I had anticipated an impending Tragedy with overtones of Old Timey Romantical Problems, this novel is far more than just love-triangles in powerful family. Based on one of China's Four Great Classical Novels, the 18th-century The Drea ...more

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Aug 25, 2012 Alison rated it 5 of 5 stars

I loved this book! The best book I've read in the last couple of years. I've tried unsuccessfully to read Dream of the Read Chamber, on which this is based, but now I want to go back and try again. The Red Chamber is a 're-imagining' of the Chinese classic, and it is accessible, gripping, complex, has great character development, and from what I can tell is also a scholarly work. Hard to believe that can all be wrapped up in one package, but it definitely is.

I highly recommend this book!

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Feb 02, 2013 Angelle rated it 4 of 5 stars

I really do appreciate most retellings of classic Chinese literature. Although I cannot compare this to the behemoth of a novel the original translation was, I thoroughly enjoyed this version as it is very well written, easy to follow, and the characters are interesting.

Now that I have a very simplified idea of what the original classic entails, I am more curious to look into it and perhaps one day tackle the 2500 page original!

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Aug 27, 2012 Vicky rated it 3 of 5 stars

It was a solid historical novel, but nothing exceptional. The story read more as a modern family saga, even if the writer tried to create an authentic atmosphere of the 18th century China. The story line, taken from the famous Chinese classic was interesting but somehow stereotypical. You expect there to be a horrible matriarch, the bitterness between the concubines and the wives and the sudden change of fortune. As I liked historical novels I enjoyed it to some extent.

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About Pauline A. Chen

Pauline A. Chen earned her B.A. in classics from Harvard, her J.D. from Yale Law School, and her Ph.D. in East Asian studies from Princeton. She has taught Chinese language, literature, and film at the University of Minnesota and Oberlin College. She is also the author of a novel for young readers, Peiling and the Chicken-Fried Christmas, and lives in Ohio with her two children.

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