Red Chamber, the (Lib)(CD)
Red Chamber, the (Lib)(CD) by Pauline A. Chen, published by Books on Tape in 2012, presents a lyrical reimagining of the Chinese classic Dream of the Red Chamber. Set against the backdrop of eighteenth-century Beijing, the narrative follows the lives of three women within the Jia mansion as they navigate a world filled with opulence and intrigue. Orphaned Daiyu arrives in the capital to stay with her cousins, only to find herself entangled in the complexities of family dynamics and societal expectations.
Readers will discover the intricate relationships among Daiyu, the scheming Xifeng, and the repressed Baochai as they confront the harsh realities of their lives. The story delves into themes of love, duty, and survival, particularly as a political coup disrupts their privileged existence and forces each woman to make difficult choices. This edition invites readers into the secretive world of the women’s quarters, where the allure of wealth conceals deeper truths about the sacrifices made for family advancement and the risks associated with love.
Official synopsis Publisher
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 splendor, presided over by the ruthless, scheming Xifeng and the prim, repressed Baochai. As she learns the secrets behind their glittering façades, 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 A. 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.
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