Eileen, Waiyee, and Ann dive into Chapter 5 of Hongloumeng – and respond to #ReadingTheStone questions and discussions about the role of dreams in Chinese literature, the choice of translating xian as immortal or fairy, the author’s invention of a supernatural pantheon and the character of The Fairy Disenchantment (Hawkes’ translation of 警幻仙子, the necessary blindness of knowledge (Baoyu’s chi 痴) and the novelistic form, and perhaps musical structure as a way of thinking about Chapter 5’s revelations and role in the overarching narrative structure of Hongloumeng.

#ReadingTheStone Episode 4: On Dreams and Chapter 5

Read this week’s ongoing thread #ReadingTheStone for a rich extended discussion of all the above topics!