The Red Chamber

By: Pauline A. Chen

Narrated by: Grayce Wey

In this lyrical reimagining of the Chinese classic Dream of the Red Chamber, set against the breathtaking backdrop of 18th-century Beijing, the lives of three unforgettable women collide in the inner chambers of the Jia mansion. When orphaned Daiyu leaves her home in the provinces to take shelter with her cousins in the Capital, she is drawn into a world of opulent splendor, presided over by the ruthless, scheming Xifeng and the prim, repressed Baochai. As she learns the secrets behind their glittering facades, she finds herself entangled in a web of intrigue and hidden passions, reaching from the petty gossip of the servants' quarters all the way to the Imperial Palace. When a political coup overthrows the emperor and plunges the once-mighty family into grinding poverty, each woman must choose between love and duty, friendship and survival.

In this dazzling debut, Pauline A. Chen draws the reader deep into the secret, exquisite world of the women's quarters of an aristocratic household, where the burnish of wealth and refinement mask a harsher truth: marriageable girls are traded like chattel for the family's advancement, and to choose to love is to risk everything.

©2012 Pauline A. Chen (P)2012 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

"Pauline Chen's boldly imagined retelling of The Dream of the Red Chamber is a literary wonder. An epic yet intimate account of palace intrigue and political tumult that dazzles on every page. Heartbreaking, exhilarating, and impossible to put down." (Julie Otsuka, author of The Buddha in the Attic)

"Rarely does a cast of beloved literary figures from another culture and time come alive on the pages of a modern writer's work. Pauline Chen has reimagined the characters from my very favorite novel to make a compelling new version of China's great literary masterpiece. I highly recommend The Red Chamber. It will transport you into an altogether new world." (Arthur Golden, author of Memoirs of a Geisha )

"In Pauline Chen's transporting interpretation of the Chinese classic The Dream of the Red Chamber, the byzantine machinations and behind-the-screen politics of the Jia family are so skillfully rendered as to bring to mind a delicate ink painting suddenly and vividly brought to life. A remarkable achievement." (Janice Lee, author of The Piano Teacher)

Just OK

Put your headphones on while you do your housework. It will keep you in the zone.

Excellent!

great story that kept me interested the entire time. The performance was very well done. the reader was able to change her voice based on the characters and made me feel like it was a play. now I look forward to the movie...

Good Story

If you like ancient Chinese literature, this is a book for you. Despite the difficulty of strange names, it is easy to follow the players. Three young women's lives come together by way of family connections. Times go from plenty to poverty. The women have no power yet they are the ones to strategize their survival. Narration is well done.

Excellent Narrator, Interesting Novel

An often sad, but very intriguing work of historical fiction. Chen does an excellent job of sharing her characters' deepest thoughts while weaving an engaging narrative. The narration is outstanding.

Absolutely wonderful

I couldn’t stop listening, this novel was amazing. I have been using audible for about a year and never did a story capture my attention as this one did.

Hmmm

The narrator was great . I don’t know how I feel about this version of the book but I absolutely enjoyed listening to the book . I have been looking for the drama for ages but I guess it’s ban in the USA so the book was the next best thing

so good i had to listen twice!

this is such a great story. so touching and meaningful. i have been looking for a translated version of the original but hard to find. this is a vet good rendition though.

A fascinating historical leaning story

The authors weaving of multiple characters, interactions of various families and extended relatives into a cohesive live story spanning several generations is very intriguing. The depth of love, regrets from lost love, of how one’s actions or inactions can reverberate across time is indeed insightful, highly recommended!

Great Book

What did you love best about The Red Chamber?

I found the sortry line very interesting.

Who was your favorite character and why?

They each had a good point to them

What about Grayce Wey’s performance did you like?

The way she is able to change the voive to meet the person was very good

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I could have but never had that amount of time.

The Harrowing Story of Generations

A sweeping tale of family intrigue, fabulous wealth, and destructive love. Pauline Chen merges historical beauty with a classic portayal of emotional family drama. Read by the graceful accuracy of Grayce Wey.