redheadreading's review
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
4.0
Delighted by how readable this is and I really enjoyed the combination of family saga/drama with some more otherworldly scenes (Disenchantment was a highlight!). Some chapters dragged more than others but I'm definitely going to continue on with the next volume when I can. Wang Xi-Feng is my absolute fave!
jlwilson's review against another edition
challenging
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
phloon's review
challenging
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.75
hakansid's review
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
spacestationtrustfund's review
3.0
cooks4eleven's review
2.0
I was really disappointed when reading this book. I had heard that it was a classic. I guess it received that distinction for enduring; I did not find anything of value in the reading of it.
jake_'s review
slow-paced
4.0
This first volume ofThe Story of the Stone is my first exposure to classic Chinese literature. I read it as a sort of magical realist, large-character-cast romance – something like One Hundred Years of Solitude mixed with The Mysteries of Udolpho. Like the latter, its concerns are almost entirely aristocratic, and there is plenty of interspersed poetry on such topics as beauty and melancholy. But to move away from non-Chinese literary analogies, as a work of Chinese fiction, this novel offered a fascinating insight into eighteenth century Chinese culture, history, religion, philosophy and literary traditions. The prose, while rather plain, effectively portrayed a large cast of memorable characters, and was elevated by frequent bursts of poetry. Speaking of which, David Hawkes’ translation is immensely impressive; I can only imagine the difficulty of translating this combination of almost colloquial prose and very learned poetry. On the whole the translation is fluid and readable, and footnotes are kept to a minimum. The scholarly introduction, appendix and character list add a lot of value to the edition.
I suppose the question now is whether I intend to read the next volume. I’m certainly invested in the characters, and while the prose is simpler than my preferred style, the fact that reading this makes me feel like I am uncovering an old relic of an unknown culture persuades me that I will.