The Collection of Critical Biographies of Chinese Thinkers, under the general editorship of the late honorary president of Nanjing University, Professor Kuang Yarning, is the largest-scale project of research materials on Chinese thinkers undertaken since the beginning of the twentieth century. Standing on the shoulders of this great man and other 200 well-known Chinese professors, this collection of concise Chinese-English version is not only based on a profound academic foundation, but also exhibits a brand new feature which is the virtue of explaining the profound in a simple way, hence leading readers to mastery of the contents; it also incorporates a refined principle of selection, a simple mode of evaluation and commentary, and a moving narration of the stories and their wisdom.

Cao Xueqin is China's greatest novelist, with unconventional ideas and extraordinary telents. His masterpiece, Honglou Meng, not only represents the highest achievement of Chinese classical novels but also is a gem of world literature.

引言遗感的寻找

一 秦淮风月忆繁华

 ——曹雪芹的家世

二 步兵白眼向人斜

 ——曹雪芹的生平

三 不如著书黄叶村

 ——曹雪芹的创作

四 不是情人不泪流

 ——曹雪芹的思想

五 三寸柔毫能写尽

 ——曹雪芹的才华

六 艳情人自说红楼

 ——《红楼梦》的续书

七 传神文笔足千秋

 ——《红楼梦》的流传

尾声 一部小说和它创造的奇迹

译后记