The series begins with the mother-less child, Lin Daiyu - whose beauty and intelligence surpasses all, moving into the family compound of her maternal grandmother in the capital. There, the child meets numerous relatives, one of whom is Jia Baoyu, her mother's nephew and male protagonist. Baoyu was born with a piece of jade in his mouth and, so, is treated like a fragile egg and spoiled by his grandmother. He often spends his time with his female cousins and maids instead of tending to his studies.

本书是迄今为止国内外首次出版的一部全面反映《红楼梦》庚辰本原貌（包括其脂批）的校订本。 本书所据底本，是现存十一种《红楼梦》古抄本中最完整、最真切地体现了曹雪芹生前最后定本原貌的一种，由徐星署先生1932年在北京隆福寺发现收藏，由其后人无偿捐赠给燕京大学图书馆，今藏北京大学图书馆。此本与胡适先生1927年发现收藏的甲戌本（残本）堪称双璧，属国宝级珍贵抄本。今据人民文学出版社1975、1993年出版的两种影印本校点排印，并收录了原底本及影印本上的相关资料。 本书与过去所出通行印本最大的不同之处，是严格按照曹雪芹生前底本的原貌校订排印的。不仅可以从中窥见作者最后定本的真实原文，还可以直接品味到作者的“红颜知己”脂砚斋在庚辰原本上留下的2100余条珍贵批语（其中大部分和此前本社出版的甲戌校本上的批语不同）。具有很高的艺术欣赏价值、学术研究价值和版本珍藏价值。 本书的校订，在《红楼梦》文本（包括脂批）的正本清源上有重大突破，值得引起各界人士关注。