Dream of the Green Chamber

AnonymousQunyan Publishing House · ChinaJun 2024

3.2

Word count: 215K words
Chapters: 65

Summary

Originally titled A Brief History of Qihong, this sixty-four-chapter novel was completed in the fourth year of the Guangxu reign (1878). Its author, Yu Da, was a native of Changzhou, Jiangsu (present-day Suzhou). Frustrated in his lifelong pursuit of official honors and unrecognized for his talents, he frequented taverns and brothels. The protagonist Jin Yixiang is his alter ego, and in Dreams of the Blue Pavilion he gave expression to his ideals. The novel circulated widely and exerted considerable influence in its day. There is also a song of the same title, "Dreams of the Blue Pavilion."

Editor's review

Originally titled A Brief History of Qihong, Dreams of the Blue Pavilion is a sixty-four-chapter novel completed in the fourth year of the Guangxu reign. Its author, Yu Da, was a native of Changzhou, Jiangsu, who remained frustrated in his pursuit of official honors and unrecognized for his talents, and who frequently frequented taverns and brothels. The protagonist Jin Yixiang is regarded as the author's alter ego, and through the novel he gave expression to his personal ideals; the work circulated widely and exerted considerable influence in its time. The value of reading this book lies in observing how late Qing courtesan fiction wove together the literati's disappointment, their love affairs, and their fantasies of official success: the brothel is both the space in which the characters move and the stage on which the author projects his ambitions. Readers may note the resonance between the figure of Jin Yixiang and the author's own life, as well as the novel's portrayal of urban life and literati sociability of the period. The book is suitable as supplementary reading for the study of late Qing fiction history and courtesan fiction, and for readers interested in the psychology of modern literati. It should be noted that the character relationships and emotional descriptions carry the limitations of their era; readers should examine them in light of late Qing social context rather than simply applying modern notions.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers studying late Qing courtesan fiction and the history of modern Chinese fiction
Readers interested in the disappointed mentality of late Qing literati and urban life
Literature enthusiasts who wish to understand the composition background and author of Dreams of the Blue Pavilion

Not a good fit for

General fiction readers who prefer modern pacing and strong plot-driven narratives
Those with little interest in late Qing chapter-style language and the courtesan subject matter

Reading tips

Begin with the preface or the background of composition to understand the correspondence between Yu Da's life and Jin Yixiang
Follow the chapter headings to trace Jin Yixiang's emotional line and his line of official ambition, and observe how the two threads intertwine
Read against the background of late Qing courtesan fiction and note the historical causes of the book's idealized writing

About the publisher

Qunyan Publishing House China · Founded in 1989

Founded in 1989, Qunyan Publishing House has long been committed to publishing academic and educational books for mid- and high-level readers, and has built up a certain presence in Eastern philosophy, classical literature, and classic works. Representative titles available in the database include Records of the Grand Historian, Dream of the Red Chamber, Selections of Refined Literature, Complete Song Ci, Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio, Record of Daily Knowledge, Taiping Huimin Hejiju Fang, and The Collected Works of Wang Yangming, covering common categories such as ancient poetry, medicine, and examinations. Its author resources include Sima Qian, Cao Xueqin, Xiao Tong, Li Shan, Pu Songling, and Gu Yanwu. The press also offers distinctive series such as the Biographical Series of the China Democratic League and the Historical Documents Series of the China Democratic League, and publishes research on historical documents, biographies, memoirs, and textbooks and academic works by League members. Public information is limited, and its overall publishing scale and complete catalogue require further verification.

版权信息
序
第一回梦黄粱演成新说论红绡试访佳人
第二回花前重访艳月下暗牵丝
第三回幻景迷离游洞府柔情缱绻证良缘
第四回效痴人二生说梦遇才妓三友联诗
第五回护芳楼挹香施巧令浣花轩月素试新声
第六回筵宴才人欣浮大白柬邀众美拟集闹红
第七回品名花二生逸致奏妙技诸美才能
第八回金挹香深闺掷巧姚梦仙野径锄强
第九回庆遐龄华堂称寿访名妓花国钟情
第十回漏春光柔情脉脉进良言苦口谆谆
第十一回诗感花姨恨惊月老
第十二回花月客深闺患疾病蜂蝶使梦里说姻缘
第十三回留香阁挹香初觌面护芳楼月素愈添娇
第十四回吟艳诗才女钟情宴醉花美人结义
第十五回扮乞儿奇逢双美遇之子巧订三生
第十六回痴生目美女倾心
第十七回对雪景众美联诗闯花国挹香闹席
第十八回消除夕四友写新联庆元宵众美聚诗社
第十九回宴挹翠痴生占艳福咏梅花众美拟诗题
第二十回钮爱卿诗魁第一金挹香情重无双
第二十一回情中情处处钟情意外意般般留意
第二十二回菊花天书生遇难题糕日美女酬恩
第二十三回幻变真痴生思爱姐恨成喜好友作冰人
第二十四回留香阁美人论义挹翠园公子陈情
第二十五回进良言挹香发愤告素志拜林达衷
第二十六回装诈伪巧施诡计酬情义允订丝萝
第二十七回告父母邹姚竭力酬媒妁金钮欢心
第二十八回采芹香儒阶初进赋宜家旧好新婚
第二十九回卅六美重宴挹翠园闰五月再集闹红会
第三十回金挹香南闱赴试褚爱芳东国从良
第三十一回掇巍科才人驰誉作幻梦美女飞仙
第三十二回备列小星团圆五美折磨中道疾病旬朝
第三十三回金挹香抱疴沉重钮爱卿祷佛虔诚
第三十四回药石无功挹香归地府尘缘未断月老赐仙丹
第三十五回众美人登堂视殓诸亲朋设祭助丧
第三十六回悲中喜挹香魂返意外望诸美心欢
第三十七回省亲堂合家欢乐梅花馆五美诙谐
第三十八回夫作先生二乔受业妻操中馈众美钦贤
第三十九回天赐麟儿爱卿生子诗联雁字素玉推魁
第四十回武雅仙订盟洪殿撰章幼卿于归张观察
第四十一回未免有情宝琴话别谁能遣此月素分离
第四十二回五卿成诀别众美劝离愁
第四十三回赏中秋挹香怀美开夜筵素玉劝夫
第四十五回寄闲情支硎山拾翠添幽恨虎阜浜伤春
第四十六回吴秋兰初生玉女谢慧琼早卜金夫
第四十七回方素芝归位仙界陆丽春遁入禅关
第四十八回陈秀英遇人不淑袁巧云远适难逢
第四十九回留别有书增感慨新编笑语解牢骚
第五十回钮爱卿华堂设邹拜林北阙承恩
第五十一回喜又喜双姬生子悲更悲三美归西
第五十二回悟空花吟诗悲夜馆报劬劳捐职仕余杭
第五十三回孝感九天割股医母梦详六笏访恶知奸
第五十四回嘉贤能荣升知府请诰命恩报椿萱
第五十五回花厅上青田礼斗府衙内白日飞升
第五十六回遵礼制孝子丁忧问踪迹痴生辛苦
第五十七回归故里扬名显姓访旧美云散风流
第五十八回看破世情挹香悟道参开色界疯道谈情
第五十九回小辈公然进捷道情勉强寻欢
第六十回撇却红尘妻悲妾泣抚成子女花谢水流
第六十一回金挹香天台山得道钮爱卿月老祠归班
第六十二回邹拜林弃官修道金挹香采药逢朋
第六十三回众美人重逢仙界四好友再聚山坳
第六十四回证前因同登月老祠了尘缘归结风流案

FAQ

Is Dreams of the Blue Pavilion related to Dream of the Red Chamber?

The title easily invites association, but Dreams of the Blue Pavilion was originally titled A Brief History of Qihong and is a late Qing novel completed in the fourth year of the Guangxu reign, by Yu Da, whose protagonist Jin Yixiang is regarded as the author's alter ego. It is not the same work as Dream of the Red Chamber, and readers should not approach it directly through the framework of Dream of the Red Chamber.

What kind of person was the author Yu Da?

According to the sources, Yu Da was a native of Changzhou, Jiangsu, who remained frustrated in his pursuit of official honors and unrecognized for his talents, and who frequently frequented taverns and brothels. Jin Yixiang in Dreams of the Blue Pavilion is regarded as his alter ego, and the novel has the coloring of using its characters to express personal ideals.

Is this book suitable for beginners?

For those who have not encountered late Qing chapter novels and the courtesan subject matter, the language and character relationships may feel distant on a first reading. It is advisable to first understand the background of composition and the author's life, then follow the chapter headings to grasp the main threads, which makes it easier to enter.

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About the author

Anonymous Author

Anonymous is not a real personal name but a general Chinese designation for authors whose names are unknown, lost, or unsigned. Neither nationality nor dates of birth and death can be verified, and available public information is limited, so the works attributed to this name are the only basis for description. The collection holds 2,078 works under Anonymous, spanning medicine, classics, historical readings, ancient poetry, classical literature, and philosophy. Representative works include The Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon: Lingshu, Mencius, The Book of Documents, Nineteen Old Poems, Complete Song Ci, and The Peacock Flies Southeast. Most of these works took shape through long transmission and editing, emerging either from collective folk creation or from authors whose names were lost over time. In ancient China, the Book of Songs, the Great Learning, and many popular storybooks and plays were signed Anonymous because their authors could not be traced. Anonymous works cross the classics, histories, philosophical writings, medical texts, and poetry; their subjects are broad, and their styles vary from archaic simplicity to clear naturalness, making them important and influential sources for understanding ancient Chinese thought, medicine, and literature.