511 reviews for:

Journey to the West: The Monkey King's Amazing Adventures

Timothy Richard

3.91 AVERAGE

chelsaat's review against another edition

4.0

adventurous funny fast-paced

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"Revenge first, long-term life plans second."

This is a recent translation and abridgement of one of China’s Four Great Classical Novels (and arguably its most popular).

I can see why Sun Wukong is so revered!! Following the tales of a super-powerful immortal monkey with no respect for authority, the long-journey shenanigans reminded me a bit of “The Odyssey” mixed with the satire of “The Canterbury Tales.” Mostly I just want to play a video game of this epic quest.

I don't know how much of the titling of landmarks, demons, and deities was Lovell's translation, but I love her interpretations. Monstrous King of Chaos...name a more iconic D&D villain.

The description of China's Eighteen-Story Hell...incredible. All kinds of torture techniques, but arguably the scariest is the misplacement of your records. Hope you don't get accidentally assigned to the wrong spot or reincarnated as a monster!

"The only thing that will end the pregnancy is water from Abortion Spring, inside Child-Destroying Cave on Dissolving-Maleness Mountain." These poor men accidentally get pregnant and instantly want to die. This book was ahead of its time. 

lowercase_em's review against another edition

3.25

adventurous funny lighthearted 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

megancassidy's review against another edition

4.0

adventurous funny informative mysterious slow-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

hearth_hobbit's review against another edition

4.0

adventurous funny lighthearted medium-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

platlinum's review against another edition

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I already knew the story because I’ve seen it growing up. I thought it’d be nice to read the full thing but I just got bored because I knew what was going to happen. It’s still a good story tho

guitarpotato's review against another edition

4.0

adventurous funny medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

coriabc3d's review against another edition

5.0

adventurous funny lighthearted slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

ninjasunknown's review against another edition

3.0

adventurous lighthearted slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

michelleful's review against another edition

4.0

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I'd leave a review, but most of what I would want to say was actually observed in the introduction to this book: (1) this is an abridged version, so some of the (apparently interesting) adventures in the later half of the book are omitted, and (2) Monkey really is too overpowered a protagonist. But this was an interesting read. Not sure why I never got around to it during my 11 years of education in the Mandarin language...

the_bitextual's review against another edition

5.0

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I read all six volumes, all one hundred chapters. Everyone was kind of a jerk the whole trip, I"m surprised they didn't turn that Journey right around and go home.