Rereading the Stone

Yuanyang 鴛鴦 (Faithful in the Hawkes translation) emerges as an iconic proto-feminist heroine! One of the most important and memorable subplots of Hongloumeng 紅樓夢 (Dream of the Red Chamber), Yuanyang’s refusal of Jia She’s marriage proposal. Is she “faithful,” and, if so, to what or whom?
Support the show

It’s a poetry-pilled installment of Rereading the Stone! We compare Zhang Ruoxu’s 張若虛 (660 – ca. 720) “Spring River in the Flower Moon Night《春江花月夜》,” featuring a new draft translation, with Lin Daiyu’s 《秋窗風雨夕》, “Autumn Window: A Night of Wind and Rain” in David Hawke’s translation of Dream of the Red Chamber 紅樓夢 (Story of the Stone.)
Support the show

Xifeng (and her purse) is invited into the Crabflower Club. Meanwhile we review the family relations of lesser characters like Lai Da’s wife and discuss her “don’t spare the rod” 不打不成才 philosophy.
Support the show

Xifeng is shaking with anger. Is there meaning in the madness? What are the real and imagined consequences of Jia Lian’s transgressions? We try to conceive a contemporary framework for interpreting a tumultuous series of events in Dream of the Red Chamber 紅樓夢.
Support the show

It’s Xifeng birthday, so everyone is having a good time, even if labor relations in the Jia household leave room for improvement.
Support the show