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A review by terriw5
Monkey: Folk Novel of China by Wu Ch'eng-En
2.0
DNF @ 38%.
After months of telling myself I'll get back to it, I've finally summoned up my courage to admit to myself I will NOT be finishing this book. Which is a real pity, to be honest.
The book starts out super strong. It's my first time reading Chinese literature, and the playfulness and rhythm immediately had me hooked. But the abrupt change from Monkey's antics to the human realm of emperors and monks left me reeling, and I just struggled to maintain my interest.
Add onto that that the rest of the book becomes episodic, and I've had enough experience with Don Quixote to know that episodic stories are definitely not my cup of tea.
I'd definitely recommend the first half to almost everyone just for the experience of reading a different style of writing than what we're normally used to, and the brilliant storytelling. But the second half is a hard pass for me.
After months of telling myself I'll get back to it, I've finally summoned up my courage to admit to myself I will NOT be finishing this book. Which is a real pity, to be honest.
The book starts out super strong. It's my first time reading Chinese literature, and the playfulness and rhythm immediately had me hooked. But the abrupt change from Monkey's antics to the human realm of emperors and monks left me reeling, and I just struggled to maintain my interest.
Add onto that that the rest of the book becomes episodic, and I've had enough experience with Don Quixote to know that episodic stories are definitely not my cup of tea.
I'd definitely recommend the first half to almost everyone just for the experience of reading a different style of writing than what we're normally used to, and the brilliant storytelling. But the second half is a hard pass for me.