C. T. Hsia studies in depth six landmarks of Chinese fiction: The Romance of the Three Kingdoms, The Water Margin, Journey to the West, Chin P'ing Mei, The Scholars, and Dream of the Red Chamber. While he provides pertinent historical and bibliographical information for the proper appreciation of each novel, his focus is mainly critical as he examines in detail its structure and style, and analyzes its major characters and episodes in relation to its moral or philosophic themes. Many Western classics are cited for relevant comparison, and generous excerpts from each novel, most of them newly translated, permit the reader to sample the flavor of the original.