Monkey King tells the story of 28-year-old Sally Wang, a Chinese-American woman whose mental breakdown and sojourn in a hospital set her firmly on the path of memory. Her recovery takes place against a rich tapestry of culture and personality that unfolds before our eyes under the Monkey King's ghostly shadow. For Sally has been living with a terrible family secret, one that has shattered her life. How she pulls together her Chinese and American identities into a cohesive self and rejoins the land of the living is recounted with a wry and refreshing honesty.
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Amazon.com Review
Recent novels by Chinese American authors often describe a world where private life is far messier than the public face families put on it. To an extent, Patricia Chao's debut novel, Monkey King follows this pattern: heroine Sally Wang's "perfect" life obscures a childhood riven by sexual abuse and secrecy. After attempting suicide, Sally must confront the past and lay her demons to rest. What separates Monkey King from other novels of its kind are the surprisingly sympathetic renderings of Sally's parents, the evocative portrayal of immigrants' sense of dislocation and loss, and the fine writing with which Patricia Chao brings Sally's world to life.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From Publishers Weekly
Childhood memories pervade this impressive, multilayered debut novel, which chronicles a woman's struggle to define herself through her relationships with those around her. Sally Wang is a smart, successful, divorced New York art director who, at age 27, inexplicably tries to kill herself. Her subsequent stay in a mental hospital is narrated in sharp, ironic prose that slowly reveals an intensely disturbing secret in Sally's past. Although the Chinese folktale of a god called the "monkey king" who is supposed to guard the queen's garden but instead "ends up gobbling all the peaches himself" is integral to the plot, there are no weary, pseudo-symbolic passages here. Instead, the Asian-American experience is integrated within the character of a strong woman confronted with unspeakable memories that transcend all cultural differences. The ways her family deals with her revelations illustrate the complex relationships and hidden emotions that contribute to her state of mind. Chao's subtle, lyrical style coherently frames the puzzle of Sally's past and present lives. While she smoothly draws us onto the path of Sally's recovery, however, Chao stirs anticipation for a climax that never really happens. A seemingly unrelated catalyst moves the story to a swift conclusion that offers the tepid implication that serenity can be found in the mere act of survival. On the whole, however, Chao's vivid, intelligent voice and masterful detailing contribute to an engrossing work. $20,000 ad/promo; author tour; rights: ICM..
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Critiques the Monkey King Tradition,
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This review is from: Monkey King (Hardcover)
Readers of Journey to the West (a.k.a. Monkey) will find this book interesting for the way she subverts the popular Chinese literary figure in order to critique both Chinese and New England culture. The heroic characters of the Monkey tales are turned upside-down, suggesting the darker side of the tradition and its effects on women. Fans of Monkey and his colleagues may be upset by Chao's inversion of these characters, but for students of Asian America, the book presents an intriguing meditation on the effects of lingering Chinese patriarchy upon Chinese American women.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A captivating novel,
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This review is from: Monkey King: A Novel (Paperback)
I just finished Monkey King and I have to say it's one of the best and most original books I've ever read. Patricia Chao has an incredible talent of bringing the reader along on the protagonist's journey so that you feel like you're experiencing every emotion, sound and touch first-hand. I think this was particularly important since the protagonist, Sally, is an artist and her senses are naturally acute. I was impressed that Chao did not make Sally paralyzed by her depression. Rather, I perceived Sally as emotionally stunted by her childhood trauma, but through intense self-analysis was finally able to play "emotional catch-up." I also really appreciated how Chao captured Sally's hunger for parental approval, a theme that most people can identify with regardless of their age or station in life.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Thoughtful debut,
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This review is from: Monkey King: A Novel (Paperback)
This thoughtful debut novel by Patricia Chao entitled Monkey King tells the story of 28-year-old artist Sally Wang's struggle to believe that "life is exquisite." Patricia Chao is a sensitive and intelligent writer. So when Sally finds her salvation, she finds it not in a man's arms, not in her culture, not even with her damaged family; instead, she finds salvation to be something she must embark upon on her own.
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