This is unlikely but have any of you read "Story of the Stone" or "Dream of the Red Chamber?"
There are several translations for both the title and the book but it's a five volume Chinese novel by Cao Xuexin. I believe the best translation is by David Hawkes. DO NOT get the abridged version. The author didn't finish the fifth book so it's fun to speculate on what he really wanted the ending to be. He kept extensive notes.
Anyway, it's a great novel when looking at both plot standards and metaphor. It can be enjoyed on many levels. I read it for the first time after my father's colleague gave me the full set + several files full of literary analysis (which I'm not usually into but for this book, it's awesome) and I stayed up for several days reading it all. My roommates thought I was fucking insane.