Dream of the Red Chamber, Vol. II

Dream of the Red Chamber (Honglou Meng) or The Story of the Stone (Shitou Ji) is a classic Chinese novel composed by Cao Xueqin, published in 1791. It is a masterpiece of Chinese literature, known for its psychological scope, and its observation of the world view, aesthetics, life-styles, and social relations of 18th-century China.

The plot depict the rise and decline of a family much like Cao’s own and, by extension, of the dynasty itself. Although Cao writes about the power of the father over the family, the novel is meant to be a memorial to the women he knew in his youth: friends, relatives and servants.

This is the second volume of the entire comprehensive saga by Cao. The first part was also published by the Bialik Institute.