"In this fifth installment of Cao Xueqin's epic tale, the narrative shifts to the fate of the Jia dynasty and centers on Bao-yu who like a sleepwalker stumbling through life eventually awakens to the realization that life is just a dream, like the moonligh"

• Annual Best
• Historical Fiction

The fifth part of Cao Xueqin’s epic tale, The Dreamer Awakes, continues the story of the shifting fortunes of the Jia dynasty, focussing on Bao-yu, now married to Bao-chai, after the tragic death of his beloved Dai-yu. Against such worldly elements as death, financial ruin, marriage, decadence, and corruption, his karmic journey unfolds. Like a sleepwalker through life, Bao-yu is finally awakened to the realization that life is just a dream, like the moonlight reflected in the water.