Rereading the Stone
Rereading the Stone is a weekly podcast devoted to historical Chinese literature, philosophy, and poetry. Its main focus is the Qing dynasty classic novel Dream of the Red Chamber (Hong lou meng 紅樓夢), also known as Story of the Stone (Shitou ji 石頭記). Hosts Kevin Wilson and William Jones read through the text chapter by chapter, discussing its characters, symbolism, Buddhist and Daoist themes, and its place in the Chinese literary tradition. Episodes also touch on related poetry, commentary traditions, and historical context.
Episodes
Ep. 99: Rereading Hong lou meng 紅樓夢 Chapter 46 pt. 2
The exciting conclusion to Yuanyang’s heroic proto-feminist refusal! Big scissors are wielded. The truth is revealed, and the stakes are nothing short of life, death, and hair most lustrous. Grandmother Jia reemerges to assert her juridical authority, and Faithful reaffirms her fidelity unto death.Support the show
Ep. 98: Rereading Hongloumeng 紅樓夢 chapter 46 part 1
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
Ep. 97: Rereading Hong lou meng 紅樓夢 Chapter 45 part 2
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
Ep. 96: Rereading Hong lou meng 紅樓夢 Chapter 45 part 1
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
Ep. 95: Rereading Hong lou meng 紅樓夢 Chapter 44 part 2
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
Ep. 94: Rereading Hong lou meng 紅樓夢 Chapter 44 part 1
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
Ep. 93: Rereading Hong lou meng 紅樓夢 Chapter 43 part 2
It’s time for part 2 (earth 土) of Chapter 43 of Dream of the Red Chamber (Story of the Stone, Hongloumeng 紅樓夢), where Baoyu performs a non-performative ritual observance of the death of Golden. We discuss Baoyuean theories of language as use, while also discussing the poetry of Cao Zhi 曹植 (192 – 232), including one “cutting edge” translation.Support the show
Ep. 92: Rereading Hong lou meng 紅樓夢 Chapter 43 part 1
This chapter (of Dream of the Red Chamber 紅樓夢) admits of dualities? So here in part 1 we cover the first half (gold 金), which involves some extensive bickering over money (including an eyebrow-raising subscription scheme to collect funds for Xifeng’s birthday…) Next episode will cover the second half of the chapter (earth 土). Support the show
Ep. 91: Rereading Hong lou meng 紅樓夢 Chapter 42 part 2
Daiyu and Baochai exchange literary intimacies, and meta-literary musings! Is reading bad, actually? Or, is it Baochai who is kind of a fascist? Would Baochai reframe from reading her own book? Or is it Daiyu who should be “called out” for her classist joke? “Grannie Liu, more like Grannie Locust?, amirite?” 他是那一門子的姥姥？直叫他是個『母蝗蟲』就是了！ -DaiyuSupport the show
Ep. 90: Rereading Hong lou meng 紅樓夢 Chapter 42 part 1
Suppose your child were born on the seventh day of the seventh month, what would you do? If you saw an immortal soul falling into the well of mortal existence, would you intervene and save them? Suppose you were facing a lifetime of strangely illiquid “tear debt,” would you seek solace in historical novels and plays that serve no clear moral or dogmatic purpose? These and other questions are all a
Ep. 89: Rereading Hong lou meng 紅樓夢 Chapter 41 part 2
One of our favorite sections of the text — Grannie Liu takes Baoyu’s bed for a spin, dreaming her own dream of red chambers! A full sensory experience, we compare it to Bayou’s dream from Qin Keqing’s bed.Support the show
Ep. 88: Rereading Hong lou meng 紅樓夢 Chapter 41 part 1
Granny Liu’s choice of cups (wood is good!) figures prominently in this installment. A wide-ranging discussion of social class and constructed value, as the real and unreal reveal themselves to be deeply interwoven.Support the show
Ep. 87: Rereading Hong lou meng 紅樓夢 Chapter 40 part 3
This part of chapter 40 of Dream of the Red Chamber (Story of the Stone, Hongloumeng) is a lot of poetic fun, but is it purely fun and games? What kind of symbolism and foreshadowing lie within, and will illicit references catch the censor’s gaze? How will Baochai escape the dialectical logic of “takes one to know one”? Is gaming a kind of waking dream? What kind of displacements might be occurrin
Ep. 86: Rereading Hong lou meng 紅樓夢 Chapter 40 part 2
More excellent Granny Liu content, as we travel deeper into the garden, soon by means of pleasure craft, with Xifeng at the helm. When withered lotus petals are observed on the surface of the water, Daiyu famously discusses the poetry of Tang poet Li Shangyin.Support the show
Ep. 85: Rereading Hong lou meng 紅樓夢 Chapter 40 part 1
It's Chapter 40 of Dream of the Red Chamber (Story of the Stone, Hongloumeng), and we're accompanying Grannie Liu on her tour of Prospect Garden. In what ways is the garden reflective of, and in dialogue with, Grannie’s Liu’s dreams and desires? What does Grannie Liu accurately perceive on her tour, and where does she project? And what about the “country bumpkin” role that Grannie Liu is
Ep. 84: Rereading Hong lou meng 紅樓夢 Chapter 39 part 2
In this episode, we puzzle over Grannie Liu’s arithmetic while questioning how age and social class more broadly inform her interactions with Grandmother Jia. A continuation of our discussion of chapter 39 of Dream of the Red Chamber (Story of the Stone), a classic work of historical Chinese literature.Support the show! https://www.buzzsprout.com/1269965/supporters/newSupport the show
Ep. 83: Rereading Hong lou meng 紅樓夢 chapter 39 part 1/2
We treat the first part of Chapter 39 of Dream of the Red Chamber (Story of the Stone, Hongloumeng), as Li Wan and friends wax philosophical on the importance of having good servants to dissipate loneliness... our discussion turns toward issues of social value, and the paradoxes of hierarchy and intimacy.Support the show
Ep. 82: Rereading Hong lou meng 紅樓夢 Chapter 38 part 4
The end (or is it beginning?) of our Chapter 38 review! (This was originally intended to be the first episode we’d release, but it was the last to be recorded, and we forgot to rearrange them.) The final part of our foray into this dense and rich chapter of Dream of the Red Chamber (Story of the Stone).Support the show
Episode 81: Rereading Hong lou meng 紅樓夢 Chapter 38 part 3
The Chapter 38 poetry review continues! No poetic stone left unturned!Support the show
Ep. 80: Rereading Hong lou meng 紅樓夢 Chapter 38 part 2
The Chapter 38 poetry review of Hong lou meng (Dream of the Red Chamber, Story of the Stone) continues!Note: as indicated in the episode, some “creative” post-production editing was performed in order to improve upon and to correct elements of our original commentary.Also note: The Greek painter whose name escapes Kevin in the episode is Parrhasius!Final note: The Leonard Cohen song briefly in que
Episode 79: Rereading Hong lou meng Chapter 紅樓夢 Chapter 38 part 1
After a brief but productive hiatus, in which considerable Hong lou meng’ing was happening “behind the scenes,” Rereading returns, with a poetry-pilled perusal of Chapter 38! This is the first part of our exploration of this chapter. Support the show
Ep 78: Rereading Hong lou meng 紅樓夢 chapter 37 part 2/2
New poetry club “The Crab-flower Club” 海棠社 just dropped, and Daiyu is sweeping up sunsets. Meanwhile Baoyu can’t seem to keep on-prompt…Support the show
Ep. 77: Hong lou meng chapter 37 part 1/2
“Why should the founding of poetry clubs be the sole prerogative of the whiskered male, and female versificators allowed a voice in the tunable concert of the muses only when some enlightened patriarch sees fit to invite them? Will you come, then, and rhyme with us?”New poetry club “The Crab-flower Club” 海棠社 just dropped!The latest installation of our exploration of Dream of the Red Chamber ( Hong
Ep. 76: Rereading Hong lou meng 紅樓夢, Chapter 36 part 2/2
Baoyu expounds upon one of his favorite topics, his notion of the ideal death, linking it to idle visions shared by his soulmate. He then goes off in search of a song, only to find the baleful laments of a caged bird in a hall of mirrors. Support the show
Ep. 75: Rereading Hong lou meng 紅樓夢, Chapter 36 part 1/2
Time to choose: do you believe in the marriage of gold and jade, or do you believe in the marriage of stone and flower? Check out part 1 of our discussion of chapter 36 of Dream of the Red Chamber, or The Story of the Stone.Support the show
Ep. 74: Rereading Hong lou meng 紅樓夢, Chapter 35 part 2/2
Baoyu is poorly regarded by visitors, and Baochai sends subtle signals to Aroma. We discuss families and fortunes. Note: I’ve preserved a weird audio effect at the end of the episode for a behind-the-scenes feel, and because I thought it was funny.Support the show
Ep. 73: Rereading Hong lou meng 紅樓夢, Chapter 35 part 1/2
Daiyu is expertly trolled by a bird, and Baoyu tries to charm Silver. Baoyu tries to get Grandmother Jia to praise Daiyu, but she praises Baochai instead. Meanwhile we attempt to ascertain the social-hierarchical significance of who serves whom, and who sits when. Support the show
Ep 72: Rereading Hong lou meng 紅樓夢 chapter 34 part 2/2
Is love disgusting? Why wouldn’t it be? If your love is not reaching toward some infinite embrace, the quality of being unqualified, is it love? After a discussion of the handkerchief verses, we discuss Xue Pan and the “dark social alchemy” of violence and quantification. Support the show
Ep. 71: Rereading Hong lou meng 紅樓夢, Chapter 34 part 1/2
In the aftermath of the beating, who really cares and who is putting on appearances? What pain can more tears rebalance? A stained handkerchief can be a symbol, and a medium for artistic response. There is mutual understanding developing in the garden, but does falsity fatally ruin the whole concept of meta-cognition?Support the show
Ep. 70: Rereading Hong lou meng 紅樓夢, Chapter 33 part 2/2
Baoyu is beaten! How does the ideology of filial piety inform this scene, when it is intra-familial conflict that, in part, brings it in being? Support the show
Ep. 69: Rereading Hong lou meng 紅樓夢, Chapter 33 part 1/2
An actor, the female impersonator Jiang Yuhan, has exited the Prince of Zhongshun’s stage, his gifted sash contradicting Baoyu’s claims of ignorance. Which path of fate is being depicted, and why must extreme violence befall Baoyu? Support the show
Ep. 68: Rereading Hong lou meng 紅樓夢, Chapter 32 part 2/2
The death of Golden 金釧! Who is at fault for her premature demise? Is there any agency in, and meaning to one’s actions, when symbols prefigure, and fate seems fixed? Support the show
Ep 67: Rereading Hong lou meng 紅樓夢 chapter 32 part 1/2
Xiangyun 湘雲 is here, and she comes bearing gifts and opinions. What’s the meaning of a gift? Do duplicates double in value? For Baoyu, is the value of linen dependent upon the familiarity of the hand crafting it? And what’s the use in a message that reaches the wrong recipient? Support the show
Ep 66: Rereading Hong lou meng 紅樓夢 chapter 31 part 2/2
A short Xiangyun 湘雲 episode! We attempt to decipher her thoughts on yinyang 陰陽 philosophy and how it relates to her relationship with her maid Kingfisher 翠縷. The metaphysics of golden qilin 麒麟 in Dream of the Red Chamber/ Story of the Stone (紅樓夢, 红楼梦) are also briefly addressed.Support the show
Ep. 65: Rereading Hong lou meng 紅樓夢, Chapter 31 part 1/2
What are the ethics of using an object? Is it immoral to break something just for the sound of it? What social, political, and economic sacrifices are justified, when performed for those closest? DISCLAIMER: no fans were hurt in the recording of this episode.Support the show
Ep. 64: Rereading Hong lou meng 紅樓夢, Chapter 30 part 2/2
What meaning could reside in a hairpin? When is a hairpin a pen, and which character is being written? Would a false Xi Shi 西施 dream of real roses? Part 2 of our discussion of Chapter 30 of "Dream of the Red Chamber" Hong lou meng 紅樓夢, "Story of the Stone" (石頭記).Support the show
Ep. 63: Rereading Hong lou meng 紅樓夢, Chapter 30 part 1/2
In the space between dreaming and waking, what rules apply? What feelings are displaced in acts of judgment? Do those who dream us wish us well? A turning point in Dream of the Red Chamber (Story of the Stone 石頭記) (Hong lou meng, Hongloumeng) (紅樓夢, 红楼梦), the story of the ill-fated Golden 金釧.Support the show
Ep 62: Rereading Hong lou meng 紅樓夢 chapter 29 part 2/2
Plays within plays, and a meta-cognitive dispute! Is every jade tear still a microcosm? Do two false representations make one shared reality? Part 2 of our discussion of Chapter 29 of Dream of the Red Chamber (紅樓夢，红楼梦), Story of the Stone (石头记).Support the show
Ep 61: Rereading Hong lou meng 紅樓夢 chapter 29 part 1/2
In Chapter 29 of Dream of the Red Chamber (Hongloumeng 紅樓夢, Story of the Stone 石頭記), the crew is out and about in full force. Even before the plays begin, a spitting is delegated, a collision is mitigated, and a famous jade is investigated.Support the show
Ep 60: Rereading Hong lou meng 紅樓夢 chapter 28 part 2/2
The poetry party, an artistic dream within a dream, continues! Readers of Dream of the Red Chamber (Story of the Stone 石頭記, Hongloumeng 紅樓夢) are here first introduced to the poetic stylings of Xue Pan 薛蟠, arguably the first postmodern brutalist poet in the classical Chinese literary tradition! Support the show
Ep. 59: Rereading Hong lou meng 紅樓夢, Chapter 28 part 1/2
Baoyu and Daiyu try to work through mutual misunderstanding, and matters of medicine reemerge. At Feng Ziying’s party, verses are improvised on the subject of female joys and sorrows, yet another poetic opportunity for red chamber dream projections. Support the show
Ep 58: Hong lou meng chapter 27 part 2/2
In this episode we broach one of the most central questions of Dream of the Red Chamber 紅樓夢 — why bury fallen flowers? Attempting to answer this question, we discuss cuckoos, mottled bamboo, the end of spring, cold pillows, inner chambers, and tears of blood. We also touch upon the relationship between interpretative spaces and values to live by.Support the show
Ep. 57: Rereading Hong lou meng 紅樓夢, Chapter 27 part 1/2
Baoyu seeks Daiyu, who is notably absent bemoaning the season. Baochai chases butterflies, and Crimson enumerates a bewildering array of ladies.Support the show
Ep. 56: Rereading Hong lou meng 紅樓夢, Chapter 26 part 2/2
A scion of great wealth demonstrates a dearth of erudition, while a legendary worrier transcends nature’s limits.Support the show
Ep. 55: Rereading Hong lou meng 紅樓夢, Chapter 26 part 1/2
Real affections between Crimson and Jia Yun are ornamented by dream and fantasy, while the Name of the Father is appropriated for idle pleasures. Daiyu’s feelings of social exclusion are accentuated by the proximity of desire.Support the show
Ep. 54: Rereading Hong lou meng 紅樓夢, Chapter 25 part 2/2
Things get weird when Mother Ma throws down a surprisingly efficacious curse. Xifeng starts slaughtering miscellaneous animals, and Baoyu is consumed by suicidal ideation. We discuss the fortuitous, surprising reappearance of the Daoist priest and Buddhist monk, and Baoyu’s relationship to, and identity with, his magical, metafictional jade. Support the show
Ep. 53: Rereading Hong lou meng 紅樓夢, Chapter 25 part 1/2
A time of danger, with molten wax and curses raining down on Baoyu! We discuss Aunt Zhao’s resentment, Mother Ma’s sesame oil subscription service, and the sublime, surprising role of the supernatural in this chapter of Dream of the Red Chamber 紅樓夢.Support the show
Ep 52: Hong lou meng review episode (Ch. 13-24)
Our second twelve-chapter review episode, chapters 13-24. A great chance to review one's rereading, with some fresh takes thrown in for good measure. Support the show
Ep. 51: Rereading Hong lou meng 紅樓夢, Chapter 24 part 2/2
We continue discussing Jia Yun’s perilous navigation of our constellation of stars, while Baoyu from an empty center thirsts for tea and attention.Support the show
Ep. 50: Rereading Hong lou meng 紅樓夢, Chapter 24 part 1/2
Let’s talk Jia Yun, a distant and poorer member of the extended Jia universe. How does this peripheral player navigate our constellation of stars? Would you take a loan from a drunken, violence-prone moneylender in order to bribe Wang Xifeng? Likewise, we observe the maids attending Baoyu viciously vying for the most favorable orbits. Support the show
Episode 49 Rereading Hong lou meng 紅樓夢, Chapter 23 part 2/2
In this episode, we finish our read-through of Baoyu’s seasonal poems, empathizing common themes and images. Meanwhile Baoyu has newly procured scandalous romantic literature and has snuck a few texts into the garden, including the famous Xixiang ji 西廂記 Romance of the Western Chamber. Join us for one of the most iconic moments of Dream of the Red Chamber, Baoyu and Daiyu comparing different method
Episode 48 Rereading Hong lou meng 紅樓夢, Chapter 23 part 1/2
An imperial injunction — to enjoy? Baoyu and the young ladies of the compound receive orders from the Imperial Concubine Yuanchun to move into the garden and reside in its various small houses. Will a life lived aesthetically affect the soul? Baoyu during the late nights transcribes improvisational visions of his waking dream, each poem dedicated to a season of the passing year. Support the show
Episode 47 Rereading Hong lou meng 紅樓夢, Chapter 22 part 2/2
In this episode, we explore the enigmatic, prophetic riddles in the second half of Chapter 22 of Dream of the Red Chamber (Story of the Stone). What controversies exist due to there being divergent versions of the text? What branching fates and vicissitudinous fortunes are posited in these gloomy lines? And why is Jia Zheng especially affected by the riddles? Is a riddle likely to make a rectifier
Episode 46 Rereading Hong lou meng 紅樓夢, Chapter 22 part 1/2
‘Can’t you be a bit quieter and attend to the play? This is Zhi-shen at the Monastery Gate we’re supposed to be listening to, not Jing-de Acts the Madman!’ Baoyu expresses in poetic verse, following a performance during Baochai’s birthday festivities, his thoughts on Buddhist enlightenment, but Daiyu and Baochai promptly burst his bubble. Are they actively discouraging him from indulging monastic
Episode 45 Rereading Hong lou meng 紅樓夢, Chapter 21 part 2/2
In our coverage of the second half of Chapter 21 of Dream of the Red Chamber, we focus on the infidelities of Jia Lian and the dynamics of his marriage with Xifeng. Observing a ritually-prescribed separation from Xifeng on account of his daughter’s recovery from smallpox, Jia Lian has the opportunity to bed another occupant of the Jia compound known for her promiscuity. Patience’s discovery of an
Episode 44 Rereading Hong lou meng 紅樓夢, Chapter 21 part 1/2
Chapter 21’s quotidian garden affairs prompt a discussion of desire, identity, naming, and boundaries. Passive aggressive feuding between Baoyu and Xiren is displaced onto Baoyu’s interaction with other maids in the household; fed up with all these flagrantly fragrant designations, Baoyu on a whim re-renames a younger maid “Number 4.” His discontent is further expressed in impromptu Daoist, in par
Episode 43 Rereading Hong lou meng 紅樓夢, Chapter 20 part 2/2
Enter the garden Shi Xiangyun, one of the most beloved characters in Dream of the Red Chamber. Meanwhile the status anxieties of Jia Huan and Aunt Zhao are explored, and Baoyu and Daiyu continue perfecting the art of verbal escalation and “maybe I should just die” provocation.Support the show
Episode 42 Rereading Hong lou meng 紅樓夢, Chapter 20 part 1/2
Enter the garden Shi Xiangyun, one of the most beloved characters in Dream of the Red Chamber. Meanwhile Nanny Li exchanges bitter words with Aroma, Jia Huan lets reveal his resentment toward Baoyu, and Daiyu is jealous of Baoyu’s time with Baochai. In this idle transitional moment, partly enforced by cultural prohibitions on labor, the garden and its occupants appear as floating constellations in
Episode 41 Rereading Hong lou meng 紅樓夢, Chapter 19 part 2/2
Baoyu, the idle subject, subjects Aroma to surprise visitation. Aroma engages Baoyu with artful artifice, as characters and readers alike question the fantasy and reality of these social roles and relations. Later on Baoyu visits Daiyu and has aromatic memories of the Land of Illusion. Plus, we break down the “Sweet Potato” story Baoyu improvises. Support the show
Episode 40 Rereading Hong lou meng 紅樓夢, Chapter 19 part 1/2
Baoyu, idle and seeking artifice, stumbles upon real acts of desire. If Chapter 5 represents the dream as a form of desire, how does Chapter 19 represent artistic forms? In this first part of our Chapter 19 discussion, we discuss Baoyu’s ambiguous relationship with Aroma, his interactions with Nanny Li, and his lack of self-awareness.Support the show
Episode 39 Rereading Hong lou meng 紅樓夢, Chapter 18 part 4/4
The final part of our deep-dive into the poetry showcased in Chapter 18 celebrating Yuanchun’s visit home. In this part we consider all of the contributions in Baoyu’s name. Issues of nature versus the natural reemerge, and Daiyu continues to be a poet diva. Behold the garden, behold the dream! Relax, enjoy some partially-enclosed spice mountains, why not? We dive deeply into all the allusions and
Episode 38 Rereading Hong lou meng 紅樓夢, Chapter 18 part 3/4
The first part of our deep-dive into the poetry showcased in Chapter 18 celebrating Yuanchun’s visit home. In this part we consider all of the contributions except those in Baoyu’s name. Specific interpretations are offered and critiqued, while general theoretical concerns previously addressed reemerge. How do these poems reflect the personalities (and the fates?) of their creators? What is the re
Episode 37 Rereading Hong lou meng 紅樓夢, Chapter 18 part 2/4
We continue exploring Yuanchun’s new social standing in this episode. What does it mean to live in a gilded cage, a shimmering space of ritual and power? How does her new position affect her relationship with her family? Meanwhile poet-rockstar Daiyu feels that her talents are going to waste, Baochai plays the teacher, and Baoyu cheats on the test.Support the show
Episode 35 Rereading Hong lou meng 紅樓夢, Chapter 18 part 1/4
Imperial Concubine Yuanchun returns home to visit family, to see the garden constructed in her honor, to review and edit the names and couplets assigned to all of the most famous spots, and to hear the celebratory, yet serious, poems everyone has written for the occasion. We begin by discussing temporal discrepancies in this chapter, exploring the relationship between logical contradiction and the
Episode 35 Rereading Hong lou meng 紅樓夢, Chapter 17 part 4/4
The final part of our first garden tour, can you handle this assault on the senses? Can you process this profusion of effusive allusions? Will it prompt your weary soul to dream fragrant dreams? Where’s the line between free play and plagiarism? Are you at home with homage, or do you rectify all references, towing the literal interpretative line? Our battle of literary minds reaches a fever pitch!
Episode 34 Rereading Hong lou meng 紅樓夢, Chapter 17 part 3/4
The garden gives and gives, and the tension between Baoyu and Jia Zheng is heightening! As one penetrates art and artifice ever more deeply, fiction becomes reality, and reality becomes hyperreality. The mock village here tucked away would have pulled at Marie Antoinette’s heartstrings, so is it any surprise that Jia Zheng likes it? Baoyu goes off and unleashes an extended critique, and is met wit
Episode 33 Rereading Hong lou meng 紅樓夢, Chapter 17 part 2/4
Deeper — into the garden! This leisurely stroll through Prospect Garden 大觀園, a location of central significance for Hong lou meng (Dream of the Red Chamber), doubles as a feat of poetic strength. We discuss further all the deep-cut historical references flying about and their possible significance for this chapter and for theories of art and meaning. Baoyu unleashes his poetic A-game material, but
Episode 32 Rereading Hong lou meng 紅樓夢, Chapter 17 part 1/4
An episode not to be missed — enter the garden! This leisurely stroll through Prospect Garden 大觀園, a location of central significance for Hong lou meng (Dream of the Red Chamber), doubles as a feat of poetic strength. Can Baoyu’s “wayward talent” mitigate his father’s skepticism and dismissiveness? We foreground a number of themes already emphasized on the podcast, in particular aesthetics and phi
Episode 31 Rereading Hong lou meng 紅樓夢, Chapter 16 part 2/2
In this episode, Rereading the Stone explores the subtext of a rather oblique discussion between Xifeng and Jia Lian, and Qin Zhong’s descent into the Yellow Springs is excavated. What lies beneath words and symbolic accoutrement, and what does it mean that the Ministers of the Underworld have already heard the legends of the magical jade? Support the show
Episode 30 Rereading Hong lou meng 紅樓夢, Chapter 16 part 1/2
While Yuan Chun ascends to palace halls of Heavenly Grace, Qin Zhong is dragged away to the Yellow Springs. Why don’t we learn directly what Yuan Chuan thinks of her new position? Is this a commentary on the author’s part? And why can’t Baoyu try harder in his interactions with Lin Daiyu? Why are his gifts so thoughtless? C’mon, man!Support the show
Ep. 29: Rereading Hong lou meng 紅樓夢, Chapter 15 part 2/2
Still outside the Jia compound and the city walls, Baoyu and Qin Zhong further explore the vicissitudes of youth, love, commitment, and debts both spiritual and material. Xifeng tries to profit from the business of betrothal, while Qin Zhong lends his heart out to Sapientia. Support the show
Ep. 28: Rereading Hong lou meng 紅樓夢, Chapter 15 part 1/2
Whereas the last chapter was heavy, even somewhat brutal, this chapter of Hong lou meng (Dream of the Red Chamber) gets our protagonist and his buddy Qin Zhong out of the Jia compound, outside the city walls, and into the open air. On-going funerary matters aren’t going to prevent Baoyu from enjoying a scenic trip and maybe even learning a little about rural agricultural life. A roadside encounter
Ep 27: Rereading Hong lou meng 紅樓夢, Chapter 14 part 2/2
Xifeng lets power get to her in Ch. 14 of Dream of the Red Chamber 紅樓夢, while shedding real tears for the dearly departed Keqing, and the young Prince of Bei-jing meets our legendary jade-in-mouth protagonist. We discuss historical matters of yinyang philosophy and supposedly “geomantic” belief systems, as well as the quasi-monetary system of tokens and scripts internal to the expansive Jia househ
Episode 26: Rereading Hong lou meng 紅樓夢, Chapter 14 part 1/2
Qin Keqing’s funeral is upon us, and Rereading the Stone is learning all about Daoist and Buddhist funerary rites and mourning rituals, and pondering the dialectics of mourning and excess, as Jia Zhen buys an official title for Jia Rong to elevate Qin Keqing in death, and as Wang Xifeng takes on more responsibilities than may be advisable.Support the show
Episode 25 Summary and Review Episode for Hong lou meng 紅樓夢 Chapters 1 through 12
Bonus Content! By popular request, check out our summary episode for chapters 1 through 12 of Hong lou meng 紅樓夢 Dream of the Red Chamber! This is mostly a plot summary for clarification and review, but we also talk a little here and there, giving general reflections on and reactions to the progress of the novel so far. Be sure to comment and tell us if this is helpful and whether you’d like to se
Episode 24 Rereading Hong lou meng 紅樓夢, Chapter 13 part 2/2
A turning point in Hong lou meng 紅樓夢 Dream of the Red Chamber, Rereading the Stone is there for when Xifeng takes on new managerial responsibilities and as cracks appear in the Ning household façade, Jia Zhen and You Shi each acting peculiar in unique ways. We also put on our economic historian caps for a moment to weigh out some of the most significant prices and money sums encountered so far in
Episode 23 Rereading Hong lou meng 紅樓夢, Chapter 13 part 1/2
Rereading the Stone takes a darker turn, as Hong lou meng 紅樓夢 Dream of the Red Chamber begins its second 12-part chapter cycle (Chapter 13). Will Xifeng heed the dream advice of Qin Keqing’s departing soul? As if to lighten the mood, this episode is noteworthy for its range of comparative materials. Support the show
Episode 22 Rereading Hong lou meng 紅樓夢, Chapter 12 part 2/2
Jia Rui and Rereading the Stone plunge head first into the alluring yet vacuous realm of fantasy in this chapter of Hong lou meng 紅樓夢 Dream of the Red Chamber. We trace the series of events that lead to Jia Rui’s receiving the magical precious mirror of the romantics (風月寶鑑 fengyue baojian). This second and final part of the Jia Rui saga is an eye-opening, darkly humorous episode not to be missed.
Episode 21 Rereading Hong lou meng 紅樓夢, Chapter 12 part 1/2
Jia Rui learns a lot — all too much — about fantasy and the reality of fantasy in this chapter of Hong lou meng 紅樓夢 Dream of the Red Chamber. We trace the series of events that lead to Jia Rui’s receiving the magical precious mirror of the romantics (風月寶鑑 fengyue baojian). Is Jia Rui wholly to blame, or does his cousin Xifeng exact her revenge with excessive zealousness? In what ways is or is not
Episode 20 Rereading Hong lou meng 紅樓夢, Chapter 11 part 2/2
When you pass through a garden, something is going to happen. Snake-in-the-grass Jia Rui shows interest in his cousin Xifeng, who has plans of her own. In a special second part of this episode, Kevin previews a talk he gave, trying to understand how to understand color and color symbolism in Hong lou meng Dream of the Red Chamber, in the process giving our most-detailed explanation to-date for wha
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