Publisher's Synopsis
Redology (Hongxue红学) is the field of study devoted to one of the best-known classic Chinese novels, Dream of the Red Chamber (Honglou Meng 红楼梦). As a documentary literary work, this book describes the history of the development of Redology in the past 100 years. Academic as it is, the Redology has been profoundly influenced by China's political and social changes. The book shows the life course of major Redology scholars, reflecting the fluctuating fate of these intellectuals in modern China.
The two-volume book is divided into twelve chapters. It begins from Hu Shih and his two students who initiated the study of "New Redology" in 1921 using Western scientific methods. Around 1949, Zhou Ruchang pushed the idea that the novel was the author's autobiography to an extreme through textual research. In 1954, Mao Zedong identified Yu Pingbo as a "bourgeois intellectual" and personally launched a criticism of the thoughts of Yu Pingbo and Hu Shih. Following this, two young men Li Xifan and Lan Ling represented the rise of Marxist literary criticism, but Lan Ling was falling into a "right-wing" in 1957. Then it tells about the experiences of the Redology scholars during the "Cultural Revolution". After 1980, Feng Qiyong became a leading figure in the academic field of the new era. These above scholars became the main characters in this book, and also involved dozens of other figures. The book introduces the knowledge of the Redology, involves the true and false secrets of various versions and cultural relics, and discusses the contradictions and disputes between different factions, units and figures. The author tries to achieve a broad vision, true historical data, strict structure, vivid details, full characters, and objective evaluation.
The author has paid attention to the Redology for more than 50 years and was a member of the Chinese Redology Society in his early years. He used to be an insider scholar and had personal contact with many of the protagonists in this book. However, He is independent of the Redology circle and has settled in North America for more than 30 years. Thus, he is able to observe calmly from a long distance. The author integrates his own personal experience into the book and has a unique perspective. Facing the complex contradictions within the Redology circle or the political background, this book is not shy of being sensitive. It intends to objectively record and sort out those origins, and excavates historical mysteries that have not been revealed by the predecessors.
