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3.91 AVERAGE
3.91 AVERAGE
adventurous
funny
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I don’t like adventure books and this is a traditionally oral tale. It was fun and I’m glad I was exposed to a cultural tome. If you like adventure stories this is a really funny one. I laughed several times!
adventurous
funny
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
adventurous
funny
medium-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
adventurous
funny
medium-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
review is for this particular translation. read this as part of #AsianClassicsReadAlong hosted by ktlee.writes (on IG).
i would consider this to be more of an adaptation/abridgment than a true translation, which does line up with the translator's notes at the beginning of the book. i get the cutting out parts of the saga for readability and to remove repetition, but the language was super strange for me. the translation juxtaposed what seemed to be middle-grade syntax with gre vocabulary and it just made for a strange reading experience. it was easily readable though, so the translator did accomplish that.
i wish there were more footnotes about the choices the translator made. i know there's also a readability sacrifice to include footnotes, but it would've been helpful context (instead of digging up the original chinese online and trying to match up the words in the original with the words that were in the translation).
journey to the west is a story i grew up with in chinese children's books. i don't remember being introduced to the monkey king, i always knew the monkey king. i'm glad i got to revisit the story as an adult and get a fuller picture of their adventures. i don't think i really knew what they were adventuring towards previously, for example. i don't think i'd reach for this translation again, but would be curious to try a different translation of this classic down the road.
i would consider this to be more of an adaptation/abridgment than a true translation, which does line up with the translator's notes at the beginning of the book. i get the cutting out parts of the saga for readability and to remove repetition, but the language was super strange for me. the translation juxtaposed what seemed to be middle-grade syntax with gre vocabulary and it just made for a strange reading experience. it was easily readable though, so the translator did accomplish that.
i wish there were more footnotes about the choices the translator made. i know there's also a readability sacrifice to include footnotes, but it would've been helpful context (instead of digging up the original chinese online and trying to match up the words in the original with the words that were in the translation).
journey to the west is a story i grew up with in chinese children's books. i don't remember being introduced to the monkey king, i always knew the monkey king. i'm glad i got to revisit the story as an adult and get a fuller picture of their adventures. i don't think i really knew what they were adventuring towards previously, for example. i don't think i'd reach for this translation again, but would be curious to try a different translation of this classic down the road.
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
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
This translation is mercifully abridged and still includes the best chapters of the adventures of this ragtag group that keeps running into demons.
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
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
adventurous
funny
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
i loved monkey & his absurd antics so much. his dialogue & banter consistently made me smile. the bureaucracy of heaven was so silly, and i liked how the fantasy aspect followed the "rules" of a real-world system.
i definitely lost track of some secondary/tertiary characters -- i thought monkey & pigsy had so much personality that sandy really faded into the background for me. guanyin & tripitaka were exhausting. the demons really all just blended together, but i think that was honestly fine for my reading experience! i wasn't too focused on the details, just really enjoying the adventure of it all.
lovell's translation did a great job of condensing this story, as well as making it funny/relatable for contemporary readers.
some qualms: towards the end, i got a little bit tired of the story structure (magical misadventure/demon interference, monkey saves the day with his magic that is perfectly suited to the problem, repeat). i really can't imagine reading the original 4 volumes of the same thing!!
truly just such a fun romp of a book!!!! very glad i read this super influential asian classic & my experience was definitely enhanced by thoughtful conversations through the #AsianClassicsReadalong hosted by @ktlee.writes and @booksonmysidetable
i definitely lost track of some secondary/tertiary characters -- i thought monkey & pigsy had so much personality that sandy really faded into the background for me. guanyin & tripitaka were exhausting. the demons really all just blended together, but i think that was honestly fine for my reading experience! i wasn't too focused on the details, just really enjoying the adventure of it all.
lovell's translation did a great job of condensing this story, as well as making it funny/relatable for contemporary readers.
some qualms: towards the end, i got a little bit tired of the story structure (magical misadventure/demon interference, monkey saves the day with his magic that is perfectly suited to the problem, repeat). i really can't imagine reading the original 4 volumes of the same thing!!
truly just such a fun romp of a book!!!! very glad i read this super influential asian classic & my experience was definitely enhanced by thoughtful conversations through the #AsianClassicsReadalong hosted by @ktlee.writes and @booksonmysidetable