Cao Xueqin – 18th-century Chinese novelist, author of Dream of the Red Chamber and The Story of the Stone, a masterpiece of classical fiction. His work is seen as the peak of the “family novel,” portraying the fall of a clan as a mirror of dynastic decline. He inspired literary studies and gave rise to Hongxue – the “Redology” field devoted to his book.
📖 Cao’s novel is often called the “Chinese Hamlet” for its depth and cultural weight. 🏯 He portrayed his own Cao clan, once close to the imperial court but later in decline. 🖌 He spent years revising the manuscript but died before finishing – the ending was added by others. 📚 Dream of the Red Chamber features hundreds of characters, serving as an encyclopedia of Qing life. ✨ Scholars built an entire discipline – Hongxue (“Redology”) – devoted to its study. 🎶 The story has inspired operas, TV dramas, and even modern musicals. 📜 Many handwritten versions survive, differing in detail. 🌸 The novel’s women became cultural archetypes in China. 📖 The phrase “reading the Red Chamber” became shorthand for enjoying high literature. 😂 Amusingly, anecdotes say he was so poor he sold his drawings just to buy paper for the novel.