Dream of the Red Chamber

Dream of the Red Chamber

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The Literary Style of Dream of the Red Chamber

Looking closely at a minor passage

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Daniel Evensen
Sep 13, 2025
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The Literary Style of Dream of the Red Chamber

I kept yesterday’s translation post short for a specific reason. I want to make sure that we catch all the unusual things that take place in this book.

The author (presumably Cao Xueqin) decides to break the fourth wall in a pretty unusual manner. After all, phrases like this aren’t really necessary to move the story along:

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