How you explore Hung Lou Meng, or, The Dream of the Red Chamber, Book I on Literah
The cast, the places, the objects, the plot, and the author’s own words — each one a card in a feed you scroll on your phone. One at a time, at your pace, in any order you like.
- Built for your phone. Literah is designed for mobile, so your worlds travel with you. On a laptop it shows a QR code to carry the world to your phone.
- A feed, not a wall of text. 31 characters, 14 places, 10 objects and 6 plot beats, each its own card with its own illustration.
- The author’s own words. 39 passages of Hung Lou Meng, or, The Dream of the Red Chamber, Book I sit in the feed verbatim, exactly as Cao Xueqin wrote them, each with a short reading of what it is doing. The map is ours; the prose is always the book’s.
- The same scroll, a better world. The gesture you already give away to feeds, spent on Cao Xueqin instead.
The Hung Lou Meng, or, The Dream of the Red Chamber, Book I feed, as it appears in your mobile
The plot of Hung Lou Meng, or, The Dream of the Red Chamber, Book I
The story beat by beat, as Literah maps it.
- The Stone and the Flower
- Shih-yin and Yucun
- Daiyu Enters the Jia Mansion
- Baoyu and the Dream
- Baochai and a Death
- The Grand View Garden
The author's pen in Hung Lou Meng, or, The Dream of the Red Chamber, Book I
The passages themselves, Cao Xueqin's own words, as Literah maps it.
- Dreams As Warningch. 1
- The Unchosen Stonech. 1
- A Lifetime of Tearsch. 1
- The Inscribed Gemch. 1
- Shih Yin Awakensch. 1
- The Buddhist's Demandch. 1
- Warning Before the Lanternsch. 1
- Ying Lien Lost at Nightch. 1
- The Temple Fire Spreadsch. 1
- Silver, Clothes, and Departurech. 1
- The Stone's Historych. 1
- The Fool and His Pagesch. 1
- Shame Before Womankindch. 1
- Tai Yu Departs In Tearsch. 2
- Tai Yu Goes Ashorech. 3
- Grandmother's Tearful Embracech. 3
- The Reckless Entrancech. 3
- Old Acquaintances Reunitedch. 3
- The Jade Dashed Downch. 3
- Ying Lien Revealedch. 4
The characters of Hung Lou Meng, or, The Dream of the Red Chamber, Book I
Who is who, as Literah maps it.
- Pao-yü / Baoyumajor
- Lin Tai-yü / Daiyumajor
- Hsüeh Pao-ch’ai / Baochaimajor
- Wang Hsi-feng / Wang Xifengmajor
- Yuan Ch’un / Yuan Chunmajor
- Chia Yü-ts’un / Jia Yucunmajor
- Dowager Lady Chia / Grandmother Jiasupporting
- Madame Wangsupporting
- Chia Cheng / Jia Zhengsupporting
- Chia Lien / Jia Liansupporting
- Aunt Xuesupporting
- Ch’in K’o-ch’ing / Qin Keqingsupporting
- Hsi Jen / Aromasupporting
- Ying Lien / Hsiang-ling / Xianglingsupporting
- Chen Shih-yinsupporting
- Liu-lao-lao / Granny Liusupporting
The locations in Hung Lou Meng, or, The Dream of the Red Chamber, Book I
Where it happens, as Literah maps it.
- Ch'ing Keng Peakmountain peak
- Ta Huang Hills and Wu Ch'i Cavemythic landscape
- Visionary Realm of the Great Voidvisionary realm
- Ku Suwalled town
- Ten Li Streetstreet
- Humanity and Purity Lanelane
- Gourd Templetemple
- Rong Mansionaristocratic mansion
- Ning Mansionaristocratic mansion
- Grand View Gardengarden estate
- Happy Red Court / I Hung Yuangarden residence
- Hsiao Hsiang Lodge / Bamboo Lodgegarden residence
- Heng Wu Gardengarden residence
- Imperial Palacepalace
The core concepts in Hung Lou Meng, or, The Dream of the Red Chamber, Book I
What the book keeps returning to, as Literah maps it.
- Preciousness and Uselessness Are Unstable Categories
- Love as Debt, Memory, and Misrecognition
- Women’s Inner Lives Are the True Archive
- Dream and Reality Exchange Names
- Splendor Is Already Decline
- Domestic Life Is Political Life
- Jade and Gold as Competing Values
- Beauty Needs Inscription to Survive
The objects of note in Hung Lou Meng, or, The Dream of the Red Chamber, Book I
The things that carry meaning, as Literah maps it.
- Precious Gem of Spiritual Perception
- Baochai’s Gold Lock
- Poems
- Garden Tablets and Inscriptions
- Yuan Ch’un’s Imperial Sedan
- Imperial Lanterns
- Daiyu’s Handkerchiefs
- Xifeng’s Keys and Account Books
- Shih-yin’s Silver and Winter Clothes
- Yucun’s Legal Papers
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