Rereading the Stone

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...

‘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...

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...

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...

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

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...

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

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

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...

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...

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

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...

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!...

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...

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,...

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...

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

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

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

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...

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 hou...

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

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...

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...

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