Monkey: Folk Novel of China (Paperback)

by Wu Ch'eng-en (Author), Arthur Waley (Translator), Hu Shih (Introduction) "There was a rock that since the creation of the world had been worked upon by the pure essences of Heaven and the fine savours..." (more)
Key Phrases: iron cudgel, magic breath, jade tablet, Lao Tzu, Bodhisattva Kuan-yin, Tiger Strength Immortal (more...)

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Product Description

Probably the most popular book in the history of the Far East, this classic sixteenth century novel is a combination of picaresque novel and folk epic that mixes satire, allegory, and history into a rollicking adventure. It is the story of the roguish Monkey and his encounters with major and minor spirits, gods, demigods, demons, ogres, monsters, and fairies. This translation, by the distinguished scholar Arthur Waley, is the first accurate English version; it makes available to the Western reader a faithful reproduction of the spirit and meaning of the original.

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Product Details Paperback: 320 pages Publisher: Grove Press (January 12, 1994) Language: English ISBN-10: 0802130860 ISBN-13: 978-0802130860 Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.4 x 0.8 inches Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies) Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (27 customer reviews) Amazon.com Sales Rank: #27,821 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books) Popular in these categories: (What's this?) #4 in  Books > Literature & Fiction > Classics > Chinese #48 in  Books > Science Fiction & Fantasy > Fantasy > Historical

Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!

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Inside This Book (learn more)

First Sentence:
There was a rock that since the creation of the world had been worked upon by the pure essences of Heaven and the fine savours of Earth, the vigour of sunshine and the grace of moonlight, till at last it become magically pregnant and one day split open, giving birth to a stone egg, about as big as a playing ball. Read the first page

Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
iron cudgel, magic breath, jade tablet, dragon king, stone monkey, false king, magic pass, white turtle, stone chest, forty leagues

Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Lao Tzu, Bodhisattva Kuan-yin, Tiger Strength Immortal, Monkey King, Deer Strength Immortal, World of Light, Load of Gold, Queen of Heaven, Southern Ocean, War Boy, Blue Lotus, Emperor of China, Golden Mountain, Monkey Sage, Ram Strength Immortal, Treasure Wood Temple, Chang Liang, Crystal Palace, Eastern Sea, Emperor of T'ang, Ts'ui Chio, Palace of Golden Bells, Peach Garden, Pole Star, Red-legged Immortal

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Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!

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Citations (learn more)

This book cites 3 books:

• The Way and Its Power: A Study of the Tao Tê Ching and Its Place in Chinese Thought by The Arth Estate in Front Matter
• The Book of Songs: The Ancient Chinese Classic of Poetry by Arthur Waley in Front Matter
• All Men Are Brothers / Shui Hu Chuan by Shi Nai'an in Front Matter

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Books on Related Topics (learn more)

Monkey, A Journey to the West by David Kherdian

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Discusses:

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The Journey to the West, Volume 2 by Anthony C. Yu

Discusses:

• dragon king
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• Lao Tzu

Monkey, A Journey to the West by David Kherdian Discusses: iron cudgel dragon king stone monkey The Journey to the West, Volume 3 by Anthony C. Yu Discusses: jade tablet stone monkey diamond snare The Journey to the West, Volume 2 by Anthony C. Yu Discusses: dragon king white jade steps Lao Tzu Loading...

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Customer Reviews

27 Reviews 5 star:  (17) 4 star:  (8) 3 star:  (1) 2 star:  (1) 1 star:    (0)           Average Customer Review 4.5 out of 5 stars (27 customer reviews)		Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews 56 of 56 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars Amazingly Funny / Witty / Deep Novel, February 22, 2000 By  David E. Weekly "Entrepreneur" (Cupertino, CA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)    I was expecting a mildly amusing but somewhat slow-going novel when I picked up Monkey for my class in Chinese Literature. But I could not put it down and finished the whole of it in two sittings! This book is as much of a page turner as any modern novel, using everything from cunning plot turns to end-of-chapter guises ("And if you don't know what became of them, you must listen to what is told in the next chapter.") to absolutely hilarious anecdotes. (I laughed aloud at the "Taoist Holy Water" episode!) An amazingly well-crafted novel with a very very fluid translation that makes it an absolute delight to read. Again: I could not put this book down! The fight scenes were also spectacular...[still panting, having just finished the book]...you must read this book! =) 32 of 34 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars The sentiments of the first reviewer..., October 29, 1999 By  Alexander M. Moir "Lt. Moir" (Vero Beach, FL and Huntington, NY) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)    are mine exactly. When I read this book for my Chinese literature class this semester I couldn't put it down. Though it is abridged from 100 to 30 chapters, most of what is removed is not as interesting. The best part about Arthur Waley's translation of "Journey to the West" (he renamed it "Monkey") is that he is one of the first to play up the very hilarious humor in the book, though there is of course a quite serious religious undertone to the whole thing. This is an amazingly funny story from the Ming Dynasty, which will not disappoint any fan of fantasy, peculiar humor or spiritual quests. A true classic of Asian literature. 19 of 19 people found the following review helpful: 4.0 out of 5 stars Exuberant fairytale with an edge, March 11, 2003 By  N. Clarke (Lancashire, United Kingdom) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)    Unlike most people, I didn't come to this book through the TV series - I have heard of it, but I've never seen it (although I do intend to try to find it now...). This translation covers only sections of the Monkey/Journey to the West saga, but what there is of it conveys well the flavour of the tale without outstaying its welcome. The plot, such as it is, revolves around the priest Tripitaka and his disciples (including Monkey), who have been charged to journey to the West and return with Buddhist scriptures for the enlightenment of China. The story can, at times, be distinctly difficult to get your head around; superficially at least, it's little more than a succession of episodes involving bizarre monsters being defeated with elaborate magical powers. There is, however, plenty of humour - generally farcical in nature, although occasionally quite dry - and the bickering of the main characters is frequently entertaining. The bureaucratic nature of heaven, in which spirits and deities are assigned strictly hierarchical posts - with salaries! - is amusing regardless of how much you know of Chinese history and society. However, many of the Buddhist and Taoist elements may be confusing to readers unfamiliar with the basic concepts. Some of the episodes rely quite heavily on outcomes grounded in, say, the workings of karma or the achievement of enlightenment - although most do conclude with Monkey and friends beating up the monsters in question, frequently with the spiritual aid of Kuan-yin and other divinities. But I do suspect that there are allusions and layers I'm missing... To paraphrase the end-of-chapter refrain, if you want to know whether Monkey and his companions succeed on their quest, you'll have to read the book!		Ad feedback   Most Recent Customer Reviews 5.0 out of 5 stars monkey Monkey is the most deliteful journey to enlightenment. I am it's biggest fan. I highly encourage anyone and everyone to read it regardless of age or education. Read more Published 22 days ago by lauren 2.0 out of 5 stars Not van Gulik's China I only rate Monkey 1 star because I could not get into it. So my review is only based on trying to read a few pages. Read more Published 1 month ago by Tobias Delbruck 5.0 out of 5 stars A cautionary note on this fine book My copy of "Childhood in Contemporary Cultures" (edited by Margaret Mead, published 1955) warns that the Waley translation "includes only thirty out of the one hundred chapters of... Read more Published 2 months ago by WTA 4.0 out of 5 stars Chinese Equivalent of Grimm's Fairy Tales The original name of this story is Journey to the West. It is the Chinese equivalent of Grimm's Fairy Tales. Read more Published 9 months ago by Helen S. Lam 4.0 out of 5 stars Beware of printer error The copy that Amazon sent was misbound at the printer: pages 119 through 150 appear twice in succession, while pages 151 through 182 are missing. Read more Published 15 months ago by John Dylan Cooper 4.0 out of 5 stars Everything old is new again Some people know the character Son Goku, from the Japanese cartoon series Dragon Ball Z. Others are familiar with Pokemon's Infernape. Read more Published 16 months ago by Litr8r 5.0 out of 5 stars For All Ages If you're a Harry Potter fan, you'll love the magic. If you're a college student, you'll love the high-spirited freedom and roaming. Read more Published 19 months ago by Helper Joe 5.0 out of 5 stars Please read Monkey carefully My father used to read this book to us as children and I have read it to all of mine. It is way more than just a story. Read more Published 21 months ago by Ben Bennett Gen Serv 4.0 out of 5 stars Ancient Chinese Huckelberry A blurb from The Nation describes the book as a "combination of picaresque novel, fairly tale, fabliau, Mickey Mouse, Davy Crocket, and Pilgrim's Progress. Read more Published on January 20, 2007 by Jack Washington 5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Translation of Chinese Classic Monkey (or the Monkey King or The Journey to the West) is one of the great epic novels in Chinese culture. Read more Published on January 9, 2006 by A. Silverstone Search Customer Reviews Only search this product's reviews

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Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Grove Press (January 12, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0802130860
• ISBN-13: 978-0802130860
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (27 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #27,821 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #4 in	Books > Literature & Fiction > Classics > Chinese
  #48 in	Books > Science Fiction & Fantasy > Fantasy > Historical

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

56 of 56 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Amazingly Funny / Witty / Deep Novel, February 22, 2000

By	David E. Weekly "Entrepreneur" (Cupertino, CA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I was expecting a mildly amusing but somewhat slow-going novel when I picked up Monkey for my class in Chinese Literature. But I could not put it down and finished the whole of it in two sittings! This book is as much of a page turner as any modern novel, using everything from cunning plot turns to end-of-chapter guises ("And if you don't know what became of them, you must listen to what is told in the next chapter.") to absolutely hilarious anecdotes. (I laughed aloud at the "Taoist Holy Water" episode!) An amazingly well-crafted novel with a very very fluid translation that makes it an absolute delight to read. Again: I could not put this book down! The fight scenes were also spectacular...[still panting, having just finished the book]...you must read this book! =)

32 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The sentiments of the first reviewer..., October 29, 1999

By	Alexander M. Moir "Lt. Moir" (Vero Beach, FL and Huntington, NY) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

are mine exactly. When I read this book for my Chinese literature class this semester I couldn't put it down. Though it is abridged from 100 to 30 chapters, most of what is removed is not as interesting. The best part about Arthur Waley's translation of "Journey to the West" (he renamed it "Monkey") is that he is one of the first to play up the very hilarious humor in the book, though there is of course a quite serious religious undertone to the whole thing. This is an amazingly funny story from the Ming Dynasty, which will not disappoint any fan of fantasy, peculiar humor or spiritual quests. A true classic of Asian literature.

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Exuberant fairytale with an edge, March 11, 2003

By	N. Clarke (Lancashire, United Kingdom) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Unlike most people, I didn't come to this book through the TV series - I have heard of it, but I've never seen it (although I do intend to try to find it now...).

This translation covers only sections of the Monkey/Journey to the West saga, but what there is of it conveys well the flavour of the tale without outstaying its welcome. The plot, such as it is, revolves around the priest Tripitaka and his disciples (including Monkey), who have been charged to journey to the West and return with Buddhist scriptures for the enlightenment of China.

The story can, at times, be distinctly difficult to get your head around; superficially at least, it's little more than a succession of episodes involving bizarre monsters being defeated with elaborate magical powers. There is, however, plenty of humour - generally farcical in nature, although occasionally quite dry - and the bickering of the main characters is frequently entertaining. The bureaucratic nature of heaven, in which spirits and deities are assigned strictly hierarchical posts - with salaries! - is amusing regardless of how much you know of Chinese history and society.

However, many of the Buddhist and Taoist elements may be confusing to readers unfamiliar with the basic concepts. Some of the episodes rely quite heavily on outcomes grounded in, say, the workings of karma or the achievement of enlightenment - although most do conclude with Monkey and friends beating up the monsters in question, frequently with the spiritual aid of Kuan-yin and other divinities. But I do suspect that there are allusions and layers I'm missing...

To paraphrase the end-of-chapter refrain, if you want to know whether Monkey and his companions succeed on their quest, you'll have to read the book!