“It seems to me ridiculous to try to believe that Gao E sat down and wrote the last 40 chapters [of Dream of the Red Chamber]. I'm sure that's not true. Because you can see the way Gao E works. Gao E is trying I think just to reconcile – he's not altering, I think he doesn't feel he can alter what's been found. I think he tried to alter things occasionally to square one thing with another. If you're just making something up, forging something, you wouldn't be bothered about trying to reconcile inconsistencies. You'd make jolly well sure that they didn't occur.”

— David Hawkes (sinologist)

Source: Interview, 1998, pp. 146–147

Adopted from Wikiquote. Last update June 3, 2021. History

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David Hawkes (sinologist)8

British sinologist 1923–2009

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