The Golden Days

, #1

by

542 pages

English language

Published Nov. 13, 1973 by Penguin.

ISBN:
978-0-14-044293-9
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5 stars (1 review)

Divided into five volumes, The Story of the Stone charts the glory and decline of the illustrious Jia family. This novel re-creates the ritualized hurly-burly of Chinese family life that would otherwise be lost and infuses it with affirming Buddhist belief.

50 editions

reviewed The Golden Days by Cao Xueqin (The Story of the Stone, #1)

Part 1 of 5 -- still a classic

5 stars

I read this when I started my Chinese Studies degree many years ago, used a few chapters in teaching, re-read the whole first volume (this one) a few years back and just keep being floored by the quality of the writing and translation. Best novel ever? Happy to give it this accolade if it gets you reading the thing. Four more volumes of thickening plot after this one!

Subjects

  • China -- Fiction