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The Classics Club
2016-2020

The Classics Spin #20

Twitter hashtag: #ccspin

For Classics Spin #14, I got #1: A Wizard of Earthsea, by Ursula K. Le Guin
For Classics Spin, #15, I got #12: Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?by Philip K. Dick
For Classics Spin, #16, I got #4: Arsène Lupin, by Maurice Leblanc

For Classics Spin, #17, I got #3: The Face of Another, by Kobo Abe (not yet reviewed!!)

For Classics Spin, #19, I got #1: A Moveable Feast

Today, for Classics Spin, #20, I got # 19:

The Dream of the Red Chamber
by
Cao Xueqin

I have until end of May to read and review it. No big deal in itself, but I have lots of oher books to read for review at the same time.
I’m really curious, this is new territory for me.

According to Goodreads:
“It is one of China’s Four Great Classical Novels. It was composed in the middle of the 18th century during the Qing Dynasty. It is considered to be a masterpiece of Chinese vernacular literature and is generally acknowledged to be a pinnacle of Chinese fiction. “Redology” is the field of study devoted exclusively to this work.
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.”

It’s never too late to challenge yourself to (re)discover the classics and connect and have fun with other Classics lovers. See what this is all about.

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HAVE YOU READ THIS BOOK?
WHAT DID YOU THINK?
IF YOU ARE MEMBER OF THE CLASSICS CLUB,
WHAT IS YOUR #?

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10 thoughts on “The Classics Club: what I got for The Classics Spin #20”

Yours is the third post today that I am checking for your Spin result. I am just arm-chairing this challenge, trolling for something I might like. So off to China you go!

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WordsAndPeace on April 22, 2019 at 9:08 pm said:

thanks for the support! It’s always fun to go and see what others got. Unfortunately, I haven’t had much time for that so far

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I haven’t read it, but I’ve heard of it. Like you, I’m curious what it will be like. I can’t wait to see your thoughts.

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WordsAndPeace on April 22, 2019 at 9:06 pm said:

thanks, this is going to be hard to be done by end of May

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I loved this novel–long and involving, emotionally rich with many layers of symbols and spiritual meanings which have been plumbed over its history. It is relatively recent compared to Chinese classics such as the Three Kingdoms. It is a family saga with a love triangle at its center, one that reminds me of the story of Jacob, Rachel, and Leah in Genesis. Powerful stuff.
Since the full novel runs to four or five volumes (depending on the translation), I’m guessing you have an abridgment. If you like it, I can still recommend the Penguin edition (called The Story of the Stone) and translated by David Hawkes and John Minford. As you know, what any abridgment usually must leave out is what gives a classic its distinctive flavor, texture, and pacing.

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