1. [Dream of the Red Chamber] Douban score 9.6
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Dream of the Red Chamber (by Cao Xueqin) is an encyclopedic zhanghui novel, one of the four masterpieces of classical China.
From the perspective of the rich prince Jia Baoyu, with the tragedy of Jia Baoyu's love marriage with Lin Daiyu and Xue Baochao as the main line, and the rise and fall of the four major families of Jia, Shi, Wang and Xue as the background, it depicts all aspects of China's feudal society in the 18th century, as well as the germination of the emerging capitalist democratic ideology under feudal autocracy.
The structure is grand, the plot is euphemistic, the details are exquisite, and the characters are vivid, which can be called classics in ancient Chinese novels.
2. [Alive] Douban score 9.4
"Alive (New Edition)" (by Yu Hua) tells the tragic life experience of rural people Fugui.
Fu Gui was originally a young master, but he was addicted to gambling, and eventually gambled on the family business and was destitute. His father was killed by him, his mother was seriously ill in poverty, and Fugui went to ask for medicine, but on the way he was arrested by the Kuomintang to become a Zhuangding. After several twists and turns, I learned that my mother had long since died, and my wife's family had worked hard to raise two children. After that, more tragic fate befell Fugui again and again, his wife, children and grandsons died one after another, and finally only Fugui and an old cow were left to live together, but the old man was still alive, as if he was more free and strong than ever.
3. [One Hundred Years of Solitude] Douban score 9.3
One Hundred Years of Solitude (by García Márquez) is a masterpiece of magic realist literature that depicts the legendary story of seven generations of the Buendía family and the centuries-old rise and fall of the Caribbean coastal town of Macondo, reflecting the turbulent history of Latin America over the past century.
The works incorporate myths and legends, folk tales, religious allusions and other mysterious elements, skillfully blending reality and illusion, showing a magnificent imaginary world, and becoming one of the most important classic literary masterpieces of the 20th century.
4. [1984] Douban score 9.4
1984 (by George Orwell) is an outstanding political allegorical novel as well as a fantasy novel.
The work depicts the living conditions of human beings in a totalitarian society, as if a warning label that will never fade, alerting the world to guard against this envisioned darkness becoming a reality. Over the decades, its vitality has become stronger and stronger, and it is known as one of the most far-reaching literary classics of the 20th century.
5. [Drifting] Douban score 9.3
Gone with the Wind (by Margaret Mitchell), the novel takes place on the eve of the American Civil War in 1861.
Hao Scarlett, a young girl living in the south, has been deeply influenced by the cultural traditions of the south since she was a child, but in her blood there are wild rebellious elements.
With the war and the deterioration of the living environment, Hao Sijia's rebellious personality became more and more plump and more distinct, and in a series of setbacks, she transformed herself, changed the fate of the individual and even the entire family, and became the image of the new woman created by the times.
While depicting the lives and love of the characters, the work outlines the similarities and differences between the north and the south at the political, economic and cultural levels, with a strong epic style, which can be called a true portrayal of the turning point in American history, and has also become an enduring love classic.