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519 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
519 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
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
adventurous
challenging
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Having read a lot of Dragon Ball as a child, many images evoked by the book were Son Goku travelling with a monk. It’s a fascinating story and its cultural influence makes it astonishing. I can only recommend reading it and learning more about where much of Asian lore developed from
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
It was entertaining as expected. I just disagree with some of the editing decisions that were made in the creation of this edition.
I think this edition of The Journey to the West cuts out too much of the story (and some of my favorite parts) that you miss some of the character development. Yes, the story has a lot of repetitive aspects to it but that's what being human is and what builds change in us. Personally, I think Monkey's character really makes a shift after his fight with the Six-Eared Macaque which is not an unpopular opinion and is a story that was cut from this edition. While translators and editors are free to make their own decisions, cutting a story from 100 chapters to 36 is a lot.
I think this edition of The Journey to the West cuts out too much of the story (and some of my favorite parts) that you miss some of the character development. Yes, the story has a lot of repetitive aspects to it but that's what being human is and what builds change in us. Personally, I think Monkey's character really makes a shift after his fight with the Six-Eared Macaque which is not an unpopular opinion and is a story that was cut from this edition. While translators and editors are free to make their own decisions, cutting a story from 100 chapters to 36 is a lot.
Journey to the West is one of the Four Great Classic Novels of China, published in the 1500s during the Tang Dynasty. It recounts Sun Wukong (Monkey King) and Buddhist monk ‘Tripitaka’ (Master Xuanzang)’s 108,000 mile journey from China to India to retrieve scripture from The Buddha.
Journey to The West details the birth of the mischievous Monkey King and his untraditional path to immortality. This part of the novel was entertaining, as we see Sun Wukong reject the order defined by his Taoist mentors and live by his own means — until The Buddha punishes him by trapping Sun Wukong beneath a mountain for 500 years.
Afterwards, the Buddhist Monk happens upon Sun Wukong and promises to release him, should Sun Wukong devote himself to Buddhism and help him travel to India. Sun Wukong accepts, and we follow along their 81 tribulations before leaving their mortal lives behind as they are accepted by The Buddha.
This is an essential read for those interested in Chinese culture/history and casual Taoist explorers. Journey to the West could be repetitive and simple at times, but I found that it connected a lot of dots in Chinese mythology. Despite its repetition, this novel should be hailed for how entertaining it is.
Journey to The West details the birth of the mischievous Monkey King and his untraditional path to immortality. This part of the novel was entertaining, as we see Sun Wukong reject the order defined by his Taoist mentors and live by his own means — until The Buddha punishes him by trapping Sun Wukong beneath a mountain for 500 years.
Afterwards, the Buddhist Monk happens upon Sun Wukong and promises to release him, should Sun Wukong devote himself to Buddhism and help him travel to India. Sun Wukong accepts, and we follow along their 81 tribulations before leaving their mortal lives behind as they are accepted by The Buddha.
This is an essential read for those interested in Chinese culture/history and casual Taoist explorers. Journey to the West could be repetitive and simple at times, but I found that it connected a lot of dots in Chinese mythology. Despite its repetition, this novel should be hailed for how entertaining it is.
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
If Loki crashed Don Quixote with monkeys, dragons, demons and the Buddha.
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
No