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513 reviews for:
The Monkey and the Monk: An Abridgment of The Journey to the West
Wu Ch'eng-En, Anthony C. Yu
3.91 AVERAGE
513 reviews for:
The Monkey and the Monk: An Abridgment of The Journey to the West
Wu Ch'eng-En, Anthony C. Yu
3.91 AVERAGE
adventurous
funny
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I have mastered 72 transformations,' explained Monkey. 'I can cloud somersault, turn invisible, and appurate. I can soar to heaven and bore down into the earth. I can saunter across the sun and the moon without casting a shadow. I can pass through metal and stone. Water cannot drown me; fire cannot burn me. Is there anything I can't do?!'
Dragons and tigers and demons, oh my! Not to fear, Sun Wukong, the Monkey King and Great Sage Equal to Heaven is here. He's virtually indestructible, having forged mystical powers under duress. He's sneaky and discerning, seeing past most disguises, transformations and ploys. He can shapeshift in an instant and always has a trusty staff to resize to fit the challenge at hand. Rescued from beneath a trio of mountains where he's been imprisoned for five hundred years for impudence among the divine, Monkey commits himself to shepherding the unassuming Tripitaka, a Buddhist pilgrim, all the way to his spiritual leader, to collect the faith's wisdom and in turn sow it in China.
Four score tribulations is one too few on their journey, which the gods watch closely. Lovell's translation covers about a third of them, with a heavy focus on adventure and intrigue, and a light touch on aphorism or moral pronouncement.
The cast is full of shit talkers and goofballs, quick-to-anger fools and abnormally powerful beings who harbor long grudges. The challenges Monkey, Tripitaka, Pigsy, Sandy and a talking horse companion face are increasingly ridiculous, with ever more allusions to earlier story developments. For all the obvious religious questing, irreverence wit, quick problem-solving in the name of loyalty and considered mercy are esteemed here. I was entertained!
I really enjoyed the antics of Dear Monkey. It has been described as an Eastern Pilgrim's Progress that primarily teaches the tenets of Buddhism with some Taoism thrown in through the antics of Monkey, Pigsy, and Sandy and their priest friend as they travel from China to India to pick up some sacred texts. There are a number of weird battles with demons, including one that was reminiscent of the insult sword fight in Monkey Island (from Monkey Island: You fight like a dairy farmer. How appropriate. You fight like a cow). In Monkey the insults went like this: I can see that you were not a priest to begin with said the monster. What makes you think that? said Pigsy. I can tell by your rake, said the monster. You must have worked in a vegetable garden and run off with the owner's muck rake.
The ending is very Wizard of Oz where everyone is rewarded according to his contribution to the cause. The book is full of advice for how to live a blessed life, some commonsensical, some bizarre.
The ending is very Wizard of Oz where everyone is rewarded according to his contribution to the cause. The book is full of advice for how to live a blessed life, some commonsensical, some bizarre.
Apparently, China is big on the power of Monkeys. This is a collection of myths surrounding a mischievous monkey named, Sun, and how he first wrecks havoc on Heaven, Hell, and Earth and then becomes a guardian to a monk on his quest to bring back the holy Buddhist scriptures.
It's interesting to see how Taoism, Buddhism, and Confucianism all played a role in the development of Chinese spirituality. The myths are full of people transforming into different sizes and animals and "Fighting 30 bouts" with evil demons. There seems to be a fascination with numbers, too: "in all they number 35 works and 15,144 books: (p.209) I found it very odd that they come up with so specific numbers for things. I mean why, 15,144 books, why not 15,000?
In any event, the book is a tad tough to read because not only is it translated from a very different culture, it's also such an old set of stories. I picked it up because I've been interested in learning about the history of buddhism, not just the spiritual tenants. While it was interesting, it failed to really capture my attention.
It's interesting to see how Taoism, Buddhism, and Confucianism all played a role in the development of Chinese spirituality. The myths are full of people transforming into different sizes and animals and "Fighting 30 bouts" with evil demons. There seems to be a fascination with numbers, too: "in all they number 35 works and 15,144 books: (p.209) I found it very odd that they come up with so specific numbers for things. I mean why, 15,144 books, why not 15,000?
In any event, the book is a tad tough to read because not only is it translated from a very different culture, it's also such an old set of stories. I picked it up because I've been interested in learning about the history of buddhism, not just the spiritual tenants. While it was interesting, it failed to really capture my attention.
adventurous
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This was a really fun read. It’s easy to pick up because the story follows a monster of the week format with the pilgrimage as the main overarching plot. It was a very interesting dive into Chinese culture and religion.
adventurous
fast-paced
I read this for alumni seminar this weekend. We have the four volume translation of Journey to the West which I have not read - its length having put me off. I intend to go back and read that at some point. This version is a 30 chapter translation - less than a third of the original. It was a lot of fun to read. If you have any interest in Chinese folktales or literature I can recommend it as an alternative to the much longer full translation. I’ve enjoyed Louis Cha in the past and can see, in Monkey, the source of some of what I liked so much in that later style.
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Interesting insight in Chinese literacy. Really liked characters and storyline.
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes