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3.91 AVERAGE
3.91 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
An abridged version of the epic classic.
I enjoyed discovering the story and characters that have populated so many adaptations.
It's very enjoyable and easy to read, not at all a complicated epic to understand like some of the others you migh have read before.
I enjoyed discovering the story and characters that have populated so many adaptations.
It's very enjoyable and easy to read, not at all a complicated epic to understand like some of the others you migh have read before.
adventurous
funny
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
I read this mostly out of curiosity after hearing it was the inspiration for Dragon Ball lol, but I ended up having a lot of fun with it on its own terms! It was a lot sillier than I expected, basically a medieval Chinese road trip buddy comedy. This translation was great, extremely readable and fun. That being said, this abridged version was definitely enough for me; even though it was fun the "episodes" started to get pretty repetitive by the end.
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
slow-paced
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.