The Debt of Tears (The Story of the Stone #4)
Cao Xueqin
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars
4.38
· 8 ratings · 394 pages · Published: 1791
Divided into five volumes, of which The Debt of Tears is the fourth, The Story of the Stone charts the glory and decline of the illustrious Jia family (a story which closely accords with the fortunes of the author's own family). The two main characters, Bao-yu and Dai-yu, are set against a rich tapestry of humour, realistic detail and delicate poetry, which accurately reflects the ritualized hurly-burly of Chinese family life. But over and above the novel hangs the constant reminder that there is another plane of existence - a theme which affirms the Buddhist belief in a supernatural scheme of things.
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The 'The Story of the Stone' series
4.26 · 77 ratings
classics · literary-fiction · book · philosophy · literary · fiction · family · historical-fiction · male-author · adult · historical · epic · poc-author · audiobook · early-modern · humor · satire
The Story of the Stone reading order and complete book list ❯