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3.91 AVERAGE
3.91 AVERAGE
”I am Monkey, the immortal sage of Flower-Fruit Mountain and a close neighbour of your king. I’m frankly surprised you need to ask.”
When I was still in my mum’s womb in 98’, she was always watching an adaptation of Journey to the West (in Vietnamese we called it: Tay Du Ky). Whether it was the beloved 1986 classic or the revamped Hong Kong TVB of the 1996 version, every generation, every child and every adult has their own monkey.
Despite originating from a country that has a long history of censorship and oppression, Monkey King is a biting satirical allegory on Chinese bureaucracy and humanity striving for perseverance. Its endurance is evident through countless adaptations, pop cultural references and impact within Asia and beyond.
I’m so grateful to have read this story, which has shaped my childhood, adolescence and now adulthood, through a brand new translation published this year by Julia Lovell. Julia has made this almost 500 year old beloved classic accessible, yet respectful to the original, and it’s clear in her acknowledgment that she understands the significance and reverence of this story and these characters.
I’m aware I wrote absolutely nothing about the story because it’d be impossible to. I’m just very happy that we have this new translated and clothbound edition by Penguin and I’m even more grateful that it was gifted to me by my best friend.
Heaven is for gods and earth for ghosts; birth and death proceed cyclically, for such is the immutable order of nature.
When I was still in my mum’s womb in 98’, she was always watching an adaptation of Journey to the West (in Vietnamese we called it: Tay Du Ky). Whether it was the beloved 1986 classic or the revamped Hong Kong TVB of the 1996 version, every generation, every child and every adult has their own monkey.
Despite originating from a country that has a long history of censorship and oppression, Monkey King is a biting satirical allegory on Chinese bureaucracy and humanity striving for perseverance. Its endurance is evident through countless adaptations, pop cultural references and impact within Asia and beyond.
I’m so grateful to have read this story, which has shaped my childhood, adolescence and now adulthood, through a brand new translation published this year by Julia Lovell. Julia has made this almost 500 year old beloved classic accessible, yet respectful to the original, and it’s clear in her acknowledgment that she understands the significance and reverence of this story and these characters.
I’m aware I wrote absolutely nothing about the story because it’d be impossible to. I’m just very happy that we have this new translated and clothbound edition by Penguin and I’m even more grateful that it was gifted to me by my best friend.
Heaven is for gods and earth for ghosts; birth and death proceed cyclically, for such is the immutable order of nature.
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
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
I really wanted to like this book; the premise of a cheeky superhero monkey is undeniably enticing, yet it turned out to be one of the most boring books I've read in a while.
The story is filled with lavish and ostentatious elements, which are clearly intended to dwarf the reader and leave them in awe at the godly power of everyone in the tale. Due to these infinite powers, there are no stakes to fight for and when the protagonists find themselves in a predicament they act as if they didn't have these powers.
Furthermore, every character is unlikeable and forgettable, particularly the four protagonists. They're annoying cowards that ultimately, miraculously, find redemption in the eyes of Buddha.
Overall, I understand the importance and influence of this story but the reality is that it's a painfully drawn out read.
The story is filled with lavish and ostentatious elements, which are clearly intended to dwarf the reader and leave them in awe at the godly power of everyone in the tale. Due to these infinite powers, there are no stakes to fight for and when the protagonists find themselves in a predicament they act as if they didn't have these powers.
Furthermore, every character is unlikeable and forgettable, particularly the four protagonists. They're annoying cowards that ultimately, miraculously, find redemption in the eyes of Buddha.
Overall, I understand the importance and influence of this story but the reality is that it's a painfully drawn out read.
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
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
Oh man, what a ride this was!
For those of you unfamiliar with the story, “The Monkey” is an abridged adaptation of Wu Cheng’en epic tale, “The Journey Of The West”.
Written way back in the 16th century, we follow a band of unlikely outcasts; the pragmatic monk, Tripitaka, the ever mischievous and magical Monkey (who is most definitely the star of the show), and then the more tame (?) duo, Pigsy and Sandy (perhaps the Pumba and Timon of our tale), who join forces, embarking on the ultimate quest to the west!
Their mission, should they choose to accept it (which so far they have -hurrah), is to simply cross the mountainous ranges and perilous rivers of Central Asia. Battling all manner of villainous monsters and irritably priggish gods, so that they can obtain and translate the sacred scriptures (sutras) of Buddhism in India, in order to then enlighten the people of China and East Asia.
Now, I am not exaggerating when I say that this was honestly the most surprising, right old rollicking of a book I’ve read this year so far! Although an abridged version, “The Monkey” is jam packed with exhilarating exploits, outlandish satire, and a sprinkling of cultural, spiritual and philosophical insight for good (zen) measure. And I LOVED IT!
*Word of warning* as much as I have just literally gushed over how much I enjoyed this book, Like Tolkien, it is very much a world building narrative. Full of various sub-plots, deities, battles and good old (and I mean old) fashioned familial feuds. Of course all highly engaging and entertaining threads, but does still make for a pretty arduous memory game at times! (Especially if you’re like me, and have a brain like a sieve!)
Anyway, I of course can’t forget to end this unsurprisingly, rambling review, without giving a HUGE round of applause to Julia Lovell, the translator of this here gorj edition. Who’s done an abso-bloomin-lutley amazing job of translating and condensing an almost 400 year old, 2,000 page, Chinese piece of text, Into 339 pages, that still manages to retain a classic ‘journey’ feel, yet with a fresh lick of modern, nutty (sometimes even nonsensical) action-adventure paint!
4 stars for ma 4 pilgrims!
For those of you unfamiliar with the story, “The Monkey” is an abridged adaptation of Wu Cheng’en epic tale, “The Journey Of The West”.
Written way back in the 16th century, we follow a band of unlikely outcasts; the pragmatic monk, Tripitaka, the ever mischievous and magical Monkey (who is most definitely the star of the show), and then the more tame (?) duo, Pigsy and Sandy (perhaps the Pumba and Timon of our tale), who join forces, embarking on the ultimate quest to the west!
Their mission, should they choose to accept it (which so far they have -hurrah), is to simply cross the mountainous ranges and perilous rivers of Central Asia. Battling all manner of villainous monsters and irritably priggish gods, so that they can obtain and translate the sacred scriptures (sutras) of Buddhism in India, in order to then enlighten the people of China and East Asia.
Now, I am not exaggerating when I say that this was honestly the most surprising, right old rollicking of a book I’ve read this year so far! Although an abridged version, “The Monkey” is jam packed with exhilarating exploits, outlandish satire, and a sprinkling of cultural, spiritual and philosophical insight for good (zen) measure. And I LOVED IT!
*Word of warning* as much as I have just literally gushed over how much I enjoyed this book, Like Tolkien, it is very much a world building narrative. Full of various sub-plots, deities, battles and good old (and I mean old) fashioned familial feuds. Of course all highly engaging and entertaining threads, but does still make for a pretty arduous memory game at times! (Especially if you’re like me, and have a brain like a sieve!)
Anyway, I of course can’t forget to end this unsurprisingly, rambling review, without giving a HUGE round of applause to Julia Lovell, the translator of this here gorj edition. Who’s done an abso-bloomin-lutley amazing job of translating and condensing an almost 400 year old, 2,000 page, Chinese piece of text, Into 339 pages, that still manages to retain a classic ‘journey’ feel, yet with a fresh lick of modern, nutty (sometimes even nonsensical) action-adventure paint!
4 stars for ma 4 pilgrims!
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The adventure part of it was interesting and get to see what mystical creature would appear next and what plot they were scheming to stop Tripitika and the rest of the gang was fun.
However EVERY single time they mentioned or started talking about Buddhism and how one should act according to the Bhudist way I lost my interest. And this happens quite often so I when reached more than half of the book I was sick and tired of it.
Was still interesting to read but felt like a chore, unfortunately.
However EVERY single time they mentioned or started talking about Buddhism and how one should act according to the Bhudist way I lost my interest. And this happens quite often so I when reached more than half of the book I was sick and tired of it.
Was still interesting to read but felt like a chore, unfortunately.
This book was a fantastic read and this translation is a definite must-read for those that want to start reading about Monkey and Company’s journey to acquire Buddhist scriptures. Tho the humor was a bit juvenile and quite evident of the language we use today, it was still a lot of fun to read. Julia Lovell’s writing just makes this tale even more enjoyable and I can’t put it into anymore words. What else can I say but give this book a read
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
adventurous
funny
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes