The Red Chamber Review: All of the Sex, Minus the History
Chances are you’ve heard of Dream of the Red Chamber, one of the four great Chinese classical novels. And chances are you’ve been meaning to read it, you really have, but have you seen how thick it is? No need to feel guilty for much longer, as Pauline Chen’s The Red Chamber offers up an adaptation of the classic that cuts out all the confusing history and keeps what’s really important: the love triangle. Betrothed to one woman, but in love and lust with another, Jia Baoyu knows what his family duty requires, but the heart wants what the heart wants.
For those who just gasped at the cultural blasphemy of the previous paragraph, calm down. It’s important to stress that Chen’s novel is a re-imagination – not an exact translation of the original. And the new narrative can certainly stand alone. It's not flawless, as it takes awhile for the story to really suck you in. But don’t be discouraged by the slow start. After all, Chen has to first connect the dots created by Dream of the Red Chamber before filling in the lines with her own colors.
Sure we all know about Bella-Edward-Jacob (or Archie-Betty-Veronica, for the more literary of us). But centuries before these love triangles existed, there was Baoyu, the spoiled heir of the distinguished Jia family, and his two cousins, Lin Daiyu and Xue Baochai. Anyone who watched the Chinese soap opera adaptations every afternoon with their grandparents will know that Daiyu is the classic damsel-in-distress: frail, sickly, beautiful, and unexpectedly feisty. Baochai is from a better family, dutiful, and not as pretty, but would you look at those manners. No surprise which girl Baoyu prefers and which one his family would rather he marry. Ramping up the tension is a web of jealousies, gossip, and political upheaval that serves as the backdrop to the doomed romance.
As we all know, sometimes juicy drama and steamy sex scenes are enough to keep you reading until the end. While Chamber has more than enough of these elements – some intimate moments will make you blush – Chen is also a masterful storyteller. And though much of the narrative's excitement revolves around the love triangle, the other plotlines are just as compelling – if not more so. Without spoiling too much, the novel has miscarriages, adultery, suicide, and betrayal after betrayal.
One particularly grabbing storyline centers on Wang Xifeng, the daughter-in-law who runs the household with an iron fist. After Xifeng fails to bear children, her husband takes her beloved maid and childhood friend Ping’er as his second wife. Not only is Xifeng faced with the humiliation of being upstaged by her servant, she also loses her only confidante. Outside of the story itself, the detailed (but not too detailed) descriptions of Chinese culture during the Qing dynasty will seem both authentic and familiar.
Though this novel may read as quickly as a guilty pleasure book, it’s actually a powerful, well-told story that will transport you. So put down Fifty Shades of Grey and pick up The Red Chamber, a book that does the job of a trashy romance, and then some – with none of the shame.
The Red Chamber is available on Amazon.com.cn
Photos: rafaquat.com, peekingbetweenthepages.com
