Divided into five volumes, of which The Debt of Tears is the fourth, it charts the glory and decline of the illustrious Jia family ( a story which closely accords with the fortunes of the author's own family). The two main characters, Bao-yu adn Dai-yu, are set against a rich tapestry of humour, realistic detail and delicate poetry which accurately reflects the ritualized hurly-burly of Chinese family life. But over and above the novel hangs the constant reminder that there is another plane of existence - a theme which affirms the Buddhist belief in a supernatural scheme of things.
