Actions for A companion to The story of the stone : a chapter-by-chapter guide
A companion to The story of the stone : a chapter-by-chapter guide / Susan Chan Egan and Pai Hsien-Yung
- Author
- Egan, Susan Chan
- Published
- New York : Columbia University Press, [2021]
- Physical Description
- xxx, 277 pages : illustrations (black and white) ; 23 cm
- Additional Creators
- Pai, Hsien-yung, 1937-
- Contents
- Frontmatter -- Contents -- Acknowledgments -- Introduction -- Key to Recurring Characters -- 1 The Origin of the Stone and the Vicissitudes of Life -- 2 The Jia Family's Fortune Coldly Appraised by an Antique Dealer -- 3 Dai-yu's Arrival at the Jia Household -- 4 A Manslaughter Cover-Up and the Xue Family's Arrival -- 5 The Girls' Destinies Revealed to a Bewildered Bao-yu -- 6 Bao-yu's First Sexual Experience; Grannie Liu's First Visit to the Jias -- 7 The Perspectives of Two Old Servants; Bao-yu Is Smitten by a Bashful Boy -- 8 Bao-yu and Bao-chai Locked in Fate -- 9 A Schoolhouse Brawl -- 10 Qin-shi's Illness Heads Off an Accusation Against Her Brother -- 11 Xi-feng Visits Qin-shi; Jia Rui Flirts with Xi-feng -- 12 Xi-feng Sets a Trap for the Amorous Jia Rui; Dai-yu Travels South to See Her Ailing Father -- 13 Qin-shi's Warning and Her Lavish Funeral -- 14 Xi-feng Imposes Order on the Ning Household; the Funeral Procession Is Greeted by a Prince -- 15 Qin Zhong Fools Around with a Nun and with Bao-yu; Xi-feng Takes a Bribe -- 16 Yuan-chun's Promotion at Court; Dai-yu's Return and Qin Zhong's Death -- 17 Bao-yu's Poetic Skills Are Tested by His Father; the Household Prepares for the Visitation -- 18 The Imperial Concubine's Visit to Prospect Garden -- 19 Bao-yu's Grand Bargain with Aroma and His Growing Intimacy with Dai-yu -- 20 Bao-yu Tries Unsuccessfully to Please Everyone; Shi Xiang-yun's Arrival Leads to a Declaration -- 21 Aroma Finds an Ally in Bao-chai; Patience Seizes Evidence of Jia Lian's Misconduct -- 22 An Opera Piques Bao-yu's Interest in Monkhood; Gloomy Riddles Distress His Father -- 23 Bao-yu Moves with the Girls Into Prospect Garden; The Lovers Bury Fallen Flowers -- 24 Two Ambitious Social Climbers: Jia Yun and Crimson -- 25 Jia Huan and Aunt Zhao Exact Their Revenge; the Monk and the Taoist Come to the Rescue -- 26 Crimson Sends Jia Yun a Message; Skybright Carelessly Shuts Out Dai-yu -- 27 Tan-chun Repudiates Her Mother; Dai-yu Ponders Her Fate Seen in Fallen Flowers -- 28 Bao-yu Gives Aroma's Sash to Jiang Yu-han; Yuan-chun, in Her Gifts, Favors Bao-chai Over Dai-yu -- 29 Grandmother Jia Shows Her Compassionate Side; a Matchmaking Abbot Provokes a Lovers' Rift -- 30 Bao-yu Is Chastened by Bao-chai for Being Rude; He Causes Golden to Be Dismissed -- 31 Bao-yu Lets Skybright Rip Up Two Fans for Fun; Shi Xiang-yun Finds the Kylin Meant for Her -- 32 Criticism of Dai-yu Prompts Bao-yu to Avow His Love; Golden Commits Suicide -- 33 Bao-yu Is Savagely Beaten by His Father Due to Jiang Yu-han's Disappearance -- 34 Aroma Confides Her Worries to Lady Wang; Bao-yu Sends Two Used Handkerchiefs to Dai-yu -- 35 Grandmother Jia Indicates Her Preference for Bao-chai; Bao-yu Makes Golden's Sister Laugh -- 36 Aroma Receives an Informal Promotion; Bao-chai Hears Bao-yu Reveal He Prefers Dai-yu -- 37 The Founding of the Crab-flower Club -- 38 A Crab-Eating Feast Is Hosted by Shi Xiang-yun -- 39 Li Wan Laments Her Lack of an Able Assistant; Grannie Liu Is Enlisted for Entertainment -- 40 Grannie Liu Is Given a Tour of Prospect Garden and Made the Butt of Practical Jokes -- 41 The Finicky Adamantina Serves Tea; Grannie Liu Passes Out on Bao-yu's Bed -- 42 Grannie Liu Names Xi-feng's Daughter Before Departing; Bao-chai Befriends Dai-yu -- 43 Xi-feng Squeezes Aunt Zhou and Aunt Zhao for Her Party; Bao-yu Makes an Offering to Golden -- 44 Xi-feng Catches Jia Lian with a Servant's Wife; Patience Is Struck and a Woman Hangs Herself -- 45 The Steward's Son Is Made a Magistrate; Bao-chai Supplies Dai-yu with Edible Bird's Nest -- 46 Jia She Tries to Take Faithful as His Concubine -- 47 Grandmother Jia Gives Lady Xing a Scolding; Xue Pan Is Thrashed by Liu Xiang-lian -- 48 Jia Lian Is Beaten by His Father for Criticizing Him; Caltrop Becomes Obsessed with Poetry -- 49 The Arrival of Xue Bao-qin, Xue Ke, Xing Xiu-yan, and the Li Sisters -- 50 Grandmother Jia Invites Herself to a Merry Gathering in a Garden Blanketed by Snow -- 51 Aroma Makes a Trip Home in Style; Skybright Catches a Cold -- 52 Xue Bao-qin Recites a Poem by a Blonde Girl; an Ailing Skybright Mends a Cloak for Bao-yu -- 53 Solemn Ancestral Rites Are Performed on New Year's Eve; the Festivities Last Half a Month -- 54 Grandmother Jia Holds Forth at Her Banquet -- 55 Tan-chun Takes Charge of the Household; Xi-feng Shares Her Views of the Cousins with Patience -- 56 The Girls Put the Garden to Work; Jia Bao-yu Learns That He Has a Double in Zhen Bao-yu -- 57 Nightingale Forces Bao-yu to Declare His Love for Dai-yu; Xing Xiu-yan Is Betrothed to Xue Ke -- 58 A Dowager Consort's Death Disrupts the Jia Household; the Child Actresses Stay On as Maidservants -- 59 Conflicts Break Out Between the Ex-Actresses and Their Foster Mothers -- 60 The Ex-Actresses Gang Up to Assault Aunt Zhao; Parfumée Tries to Help Fivey Join Bao-yu's Staff -- 61 Fivey Is Accused of Theft; Chess Tries to Replace Cook Liu with Her Own Aunt -- 62 A Garden Party Is Held to Celebrate Bao-yu, Xue Bao-qin, Xing Xiu-yan, and Patience's Birthdays -- 63 The Party Continues Into the Night; Jia Rong, in Mourning, Flirts with the You Sisters -- 64 Dai-yu Writes About Beauties in History; Jia Lian Is Urged to Take Er-jie as His Second Wife -- 65 Jia Lian Secretly Installs You Er-jie in a Second Household; You San-jie Enthralls Cousin Zhen -- 66 You San-jie Kills Herself with a Sword; Liu Xiang-lian Goes Off with a Crippled Taoist -- 67 Bao-chai Gives Away the Presents from Her Brother; Xi-feng Discovers Jia Lian's Second Marriage -- 68 Xi-feng Lures You Er-jie Into the Rong Compound and Humiliates Jia Rong with a Bogus Lawsuit -- 69 Xi-feng, Feigning Kindness, Drives Er-jie to Her Death -- 70 The Cousins Release Their Kites; Bao-yu, Though Deeply Troubled, Catches Up on His Studies -- 71 Jia Zheng Comes Home for Grandmother Jia's Birthday; Faithful Catches Chess in Flagrante -- 72 Jia Lian Is Driven to Pawning Grandmother Jia's Valuables; Sunset Is Promised to a Wastrel -- 73 A Maidservant Shows Lady Xing a Piece of Erotica; Ying-chun Refuses to Discipline Her Staff -- 74 Lady Wang Turns Against Skybright; a Raid Is Conducted on Prospect Garden -- 75 The Zhen Clan of Nanking Is Disgraced; the Jia Men Take to Gambling -- 76 Grandmother Jia Resists Ending the Mid-Autumn Party; Shi Xiang-yun Commiserates with Dai-yu -- 77 Chess and the Ex-Actresses Are Expelled; Bao-yu and Skybright Bid Their Final Farewell -- 78 Lady Wang Lies About Skybright; Bao-yu Writes an Elegy to the Hibiscus Spirit -- 79 Jia She Arranges a Hasty Marriage for Ying-chun; Xue Pan Weds a Conceited Girl -- 80 Xia Jin-gui Turns the Xue Family Upside Down; Ying-chun's Husband Treats Her Like a Slave -- 81 Bao-yu Learns the Limits of the Matriarch's Power; He Is Sent Back to the Clan School -- 82 Aroma Probes Dai-yu on Concubines; Dai-yu Coughs Up Blood on Waking from a Nightmare -- 83 The Matriarch Is Told of Dai-yu's Condition; Yuan-chun's Illness Alarms the Jia Elders -- 84 Jia Zheng Considers a Bride for Bao-yu; the Matriarch Is Pleased When Bao-chai Is Suggested -- 85 Bao-yu Is Kept in the Dark About His Betrothal; Jia Zheng Receives a Promotion -- 86 Xue Pan's Murder Charge Is Reduced; Dai-yu Teaches Bao-yu About Music -- 87 Dai-yu Plays a Tune That Snaps Her Qin String; Adamantina Has a Horrific Dream Vision -- 88 Li Wan Is Consoled by Jia Lan's Achievement; Zhou Rui Is Kicked and Jia Yun Is Humiliated -- 89 The Snapped String Unnerves Bao-yu; Hearing He Is Betrothed, Dai-yu Stops Eating -- 90 Hearing the Bride Is to Be a Cousin, Dai-yu Rallies; the Matriarch Bans Talk of the Betrothal -- 91 A Timetable Is Set for Bao-yu's Wedding; Dai-yu and Bao-yu Communicate by Talking Zen -- 92 Bao-yu Discusses Noble Women with Qiao-jie; Chess and Her Cousin Commit Double Suicide -- 93 Bao-yu Identifies with Jiang Yu-Han; Jia Qin Is Caught Seducing the Young Novices -- 94 Crab-flower Trees Bloom Out of Season; Bao-yu's Jade Mysteriously Disappears -- 95 Yuan-chun Passes Away in the Palace; Bao-yu Turns Into a Simpleton -- 96 Wang Zi-teng Dies on His Way to the Capital; a Hasty Wedding Is Set Before Jia Zheng Departs -- 97 Bao-yu Is Tricked Into Marrying Bao-chai; Dai-yu Burns Her
- Summary
- "The Story of the Stone, or The Dream of the Red Chamber, as it is also known, is a dauntingly long book with over 400 characters. The eighteenth-century novel has all the elements of a well-crafted soap opera, but embedded in the story is an unsentimental critique of China's political and social system at its peak of glory, before the intrusion of the West. Therefore, literary merits aside, the novel offers a fun way to learn about premodern China. A Companion to The Story of the Stone: A Chapter-by-Chapter Guide provides a succinct summary and commentary on each chapter of the novel"--
- Subject(s)
- ISBN
- 9780231199445 hardcover ; acid-free paper
0231199449 hardcover ; acid-free paper
9780231199452 paperback ; acid-free paper
0231199457 paperback ; acid-free paper - Bibliography Note
- Includes bibliographical references and index.
View MARC record | catkey: 36488378