Cao Xueqin
16 books
About the Author
Cao Xueqin, born in the early 18th century into a prominent Manchu family in Nanjing, was a Chinese novelist whose life of privilege ended in hardship following his family's fall from imperial favor, experiences that profoundly shaped his literary masterpiece. Largely self-taught and immersed in classical Chinese literature, poetry, and folklore, he spent decades crafting an epic tale of love, decay, and human folly among the aristocracy. Though he completed only the first 80 chapters before his death around 1763, his work was later edited and expanded by Gao E. Revered as one of China's greatest novelists, Cao's introspective narrative blends realism with subtle allegory, offering timeless insights into the fleeting nature of prosperity and the complexities of familial bonds.
Common genres
Writing style
lyrical
introspective
satirical
![The Dream of the Red Chamber (Centaur Classics) [The 100 greatest novels of all time - #56]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51-kxWdFTmL._SL500_.jpg)
