The Red Chamber - Softcover

Chen, Pauline

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1844088766 ISBN 13: 9781844088768

Publisher: Virago, 2012

Synopsis

In this lyrical reimagining of a Chinese classic and 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 splendor, presided over by the ruthless, scheming Xifeng and the prim, repressed Baochai. As she learns the secrets behind their glittering facades, she finds herself entangled in a web of intrigue and hidden passions, reaching from the petty gossip of the servants' quarters all the way to the Imperial Palace. When a political coup overthrows the Emperor and plunges the once-mighty family into grinding poverty, each woman must choose between love and duty, friendship and survival.

In this dazzling debut, Pauline Chen draws the reader deep into the secret, exquisite world of the women's quarters of an aristocratic household, where the burnish of wealth and refinement mask a harsher truth: marriageable girls are traded like chattel for the family's advancement, and to choose to love is to risk everything.

About this title

Review

"Pauline Chen's boldly imagined retelling of "The""Dream of the Red Chamber" is a literary wonder. An epic yet intimate account of palace intrigue and political tumult that dazzles on every page. Heartbreaking, exhilarating, and impossible to put down."
--Julie Otsuka, author of "The Buddha in the Attic"
"Rarely does a cast of beloved literary figures from another culture and time come alive on the pages of a modern writer's work. Pauline Chen has reimagined the characters from my very favorite novel to make a compelling new version of China's great literary masterpiece. I highly recommend "The Red Chamber." It will transport you into an altogether new world."
--Arthur Golden, author of "Memoirs of a Geisha "
"In Pauline Chen's transporting interpretation of the Chinese classic "The Dream of the Red Chamber," the byzantine machinations and behind-the-screen politics of the Jia family are so skillfully rendered as to bring to mind a delicate ink painting suddenly and vividly brought to life. A remarkable achievement."
--Janice Lee, author of "The Piano Teacher"
""The Red Chamber" draws a memorable portrait of the Qing dynasty era, revealing a dangerous world of intrigue and secrets within the entrapping web of societal mores and manners. Written in a precise, cinematic style, Chen's novel brings this fascinating historical period to vivid life."
--Dan Chaon, author of "Stay Awake "
"Fans of historical fiction who appreciate resonant details, unexpected intrigue, and multigenerational plotting will find this work irresistible. With just the right blend of the highbrow literary and guilty summer pulp, Chen just might put this 18th-century classic on 21st-century bestseller lists."
--"Library Journal "
" "
"A vivid portrait...From the mighty heights to the depths of poverty and despair, the significance of female relationships, friendships, and rivalries are at the forefront of this compelling glimpse into an exotic

"Dazzles on every page. Heartbreaking, exhilarating, and impossible to put down." --Julie Otsuka, author of "The Buddha in the Attic
"
"Bold and memorable. . . . Chen retells and recreates in lush detail the daily life inside the Rongguo Mansion, where scandalous secrets and lies are hidden behind a grand faCade." --"Chicago Tribune
"
"Elegant. . . . takes a long hard look at the complex interconnected desires, ambitions, and conventions that can bind a family together--or tear it apart." --"The Daily Beast
"
"Rarely does a cast of beloved literary figures from another culture and time come alive on the pages of a modern writer's work. Pauline Chen has reimagined the characters from my very favorite novel to make a compelling new version of China's great literary masterpiece." --Arthur Golden, author of "Memoirs of a Geisha"
"Draws a memorable portrait of the Qing dynasty era, revealing a dangerous world of intrigue and secrets within the entrapping web of societal mores and manners. Written in a precise, cinematic style, Chen's novel brings this fascinating historical period to vivid life." --Dan Chaon, author of "Stay Awake"
"Chen's adaptation boils down the original story to focus, in part, on that famous [love] triangle that just about everyone in China knows." --NPR
"All the reversals and treachery of a "telenovela." . . . moving, startling, and quite beautiful." --"The Plain Dealer
"
"Offers a window into a foreign world. . . . Chen's framework provides a context for her characters' actions, as often flawed as they are heroic, that makes things not just knowable but comprehensible."""--"The Denver Post
"
"A tangled past shapes a present rich with sex, violence, intrigue, guilt and jealousy. . . . Here is clearly a work of love and a pleasing introduction to a novel--and a world--that Americans deserve to get to know." --"The Columbus Dispatch"
"Chen raises the bar extraordinarily high in this reimagining of one of the most famous Chinese books ever written. . . . reads like a cross between "Upstairs Downstairs" and "War and Peace." This is a well-crafted novel full of skill and grace from an author to watch out for." --"Sunday Business Post "(Ireland)
"Gripping. . . . These are complex storylines and well-loved literary characters, but Chen handles their emotions artfully and with compassion. . . . Chen has successfully unravelled and rethreaded Cao's masterpiece for a new audience." --"Sunday Morning Post "(Hong Kong)
"Guaranteed to appeal to fans of Lisa See. . . . From the mighty heights to the depths of poverty and despair, the significance of female relationships, friendships, and rivalries are at the forefront of this compelling glimpse into an exotic time and place." --"Booklist
"
"The writing is supple and Chen often touches notes of emotional depth." --"Kirkus Reviews
"
"Full of lavish details of the palace, sumptuous feasts, and day-to-day minutiae, levitating whispered conversations overheard by the wrong parties, capricious scheming between family members, and gossip hidden beneath every elegant tapestry and beaded pillow to lofted heights." --"Publishers Weekly
"
"Fans of historical fiction who appreciate resonant details, unexpected intrigue, and multigenerational plotting will find this work irresistible. . . . just the right blend of the highbrow literary and guilty summer pulp" --"Library Journal"

Dazzles on every page. Heartbreaking, exhilarating, and impossible to put down. Julie Otsuka, author of "The Buddha in the Attic
"
Bold and memorable. . . . Chen retells and recreates in lush detail the daily life inside the Rongguo Mansion, where scandalous secrets and lies are hidden behind a grand facade. "Chicago Tribune
"
Elegant. . . . takes a long hard look at the complex interconnected desires, ambitions, and conventions that can bind a family together or tear it apart. "The Daily Beast
"
Rarely does a cast of beloved literary figures from another culture and time come alive on the pages of a modern writer s work. Pauline Chen has reimagined the characters from my very favorite novel to make a compelling new version of China s great literary masterpiece. Arthur Golden, author of "Memoirs of a Geisha"
Draws a memorable portrait of the Qing dynasty era, revealing a dangerous world of intrigue and secrets within the entrapping web of societal mores and manners. Written in a precise, cinematic style, Chen s novel brings this fascinating historical period to vivid life. Dan Chaon, author of "Stay Awake"
Chen s adaptation boils down the original story to focus, in part, on that famous [love] triangle that just about everyone in China knows. NPR
All the reversals and treachery of a "telenovela." . . . moving, startling, and quite beautiful. "The Plain Dealer
"
Offers a window into a foreign world. . . . Chen s framework provides a context for her characters actions, as often flawed as they are heroic, that makes things not just knowable but comprehensible. " " "The Denver Post
"
A tangled past shapes a present rich with sex, violence, intrigue, guilt and jealousy. . . . Here is clearly a work of love and a pleasing introduction to a novel and a world that Americans deserve to get to know. "The Columbus Dispatch"
Chen raises the bar extraordinarily high in this reimagining of one of the most famous Chinese books ever written. . . . reads like a cross between "Upstairs Downstairs" and "War and Peace." This is a well-crafted novel full of skill and grace from an author to watch out for. "Sunday Business Post "(Ireland)
Gripping. . . . These are complex storylines and well-loved literary characters, but Chen handles their emotions artfully and with compassion. . . . Chen has successfully unravelled and rethreaded Cao s masterpiece for a new audience. "Sunday Morning Post "(Hong Kong)
Guaranteed to appeal to fans of Lisa See. . . . From the mighty heights to the depths of poverty and despair, the significance of female relationships, friendships, and rivalries are at the forefront of this compelling glimpse into an exotic time and place. "Booklist
"
The writing is supple and Chen often touches notes of emotional depth. "Kirkus Reviews
"
Full of lavish details of the palace, sumptuous feasts, and day-to-day minutiae, levitating whispered conversations overheard by the wrong parties, capricious scheming between family members, and gossip hidden beneath every elegant tapestry and beaded pillow to lofted heights. "Publishers Weekly
"
Fans of historical fiction who appreciate resonant details, unexpected intrigue, and multigenerational plotting will find this work irresistible. . . . just the right blend of the highbrow literary and guilty summer pulp "Library Journal""

Book Description

A compelling family saga inspired by the celebrated Chinese classical epic The Dream of the Red Chamber in the tradition of Snow Flower and the Secret Fan

About this edition

• Publisher: Virago
• Publication date: 2012
• ISBN 10: 1844088766
• ISBN 13: 9781844088768
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 496