Reading Art in Literature

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Reading Art in Literature: The Marvelous Case of "The Story of the Stone" offers a richly textured literary analysis of how Cao Xueqin embeds art objects-paintings, heirlooms, mystical artifacts, and the iconic Prospect Garden-into the fabric of his novel as allegorical guides and symbols of cultural memory. Set in Qing-era aristocratic society, these objects express sentiment, reveal social structures, and ultimately reflect the Buddhist theme of life's illusory nature. This is a literary, not art-historical, study that examines how fiction transforms material culture into narrative meaning. Enhanced with full-color images, the book illuminates how visual culture deepens the reader's engagement with one of China's greatest novels. An essential resource for scholars of Chinese literature, aesthetics, and imperial visual culture.