by Cao Xueqin
Part of The Story of the Stone, book 1
First published 1791
Bao-yu grows up in the sprawling Jia family compound, a gentle boy who finds more joy in the company of girls than in his Confucian textbooks. Two cousins shape his world: Bao-chai, whom his parents have chosen as his future bride, and Dai-yu, whose ethereal beauty captivates him. As the wealthy Jia clan faces changing times, Bao-yu witnesses love affairs unfold in hidden corners, siblings clash over inheritance and favor, and political schemes threaten the family's standing. Murder disrupts the household's careful order. The family's golden days slip away as fortunes shift and power fades. Buddhist teachings weave through these earthly dramas, suggesting that all worldly attachments are illusions and that karma shapes each person's destiny. Bao-yu must choose between duty to his family and the pull of his heart, learning that even in a world of privilege and beauty, nothing remains permanent.
Genres: literary-fiction, historical-fiction, 20th-century, 19th-century, asian-american, family-drama
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, found-family
Setting: China
Period: 19th Century, 20th Century
542 pages · Paperback · Penguin Classics