Monkey : Journey to the West

[Adrian]

This is for our Buddy Read commencing around Mid April.

[Susan O]

Looking forward to it.

[Adrian]

And me !

[Wreade1872]

Are you reading the entire thing? I've only tried the first volume so far, its quite long if your reading all of it.

I loved the japanese tv show as a kid.

[Susan O]

I was just planning of reading the Arthur Waley adaptation, Monkey: The Journey to the West. Mainly because it's what I have and I read selections from it in college many years ago.

[Darren]

ditto - I've got a copy of the Waley abridged, so I'm going to read that next month
(maybe go on to read the full Journey to the West in the future...?)

[Adrian]

Mine's the Whaley abridged version around 350 pages I think.
Maybe the full thing later when I have more time, and if I enjoy :)

[Katy, Quarterly Long Reads]

Susan wrote: "I was just planning of reading the Arthur Waley adaptation, Monkey: The Journey to the West. Mainly because it's what I have and I read selections from it in college many years ago."

That is the copy I have too. I didn't realize there had been a TV show, but that makes sense.

[Adrian]

It was a Japanese made programme, around 50+ episodes made 1978-80. Broadcast here in the UK from 79 I think, dubbed by some well known British actors, including Andrew Sachs (Manuel in Fawlty Towers) and Miriam Margolys. I remember watching (and enjoying) it, little knowing it was a Asian classic.
(I don't think the UK dubbed version was ever aired in the USA. )

[Adrian]

Hi All, well here we are at the middle of April and I'm hoping to start this book in the next few days. Is anyone else in a similar position ?

[Darren]

started just now!
read first 3 chapters and it's fast-paced, action-packed and entertaining - the nature of Monkey is irrepressible!

[Adrian]

Darren (et al), my apologies, real life interrupted and I was severely delayed in starting, so I am about a week behind you.
But yes he does seem to be irrepressible. And I'm actually finding the book easier to read than I thought.

[Luke]

I didn't realize that there was already a board in place for this. Now that I know, I'll go ahead and carry over some of the posts I've been making in another group read, starting with my edition:

[Luke]

I've finished my first 50 pages, which places me midway through Chapter 3. It's been very interesting reconciling my experiences with media that has been overtly influenced by JttW (Japanese media for the most part) with the background context of Buddhism and Sun Wukong's roles as Wannabe Immortal and Monkey King. The prose reads rather easily in contrast with the poetry, which I will admit to not finding extraordinarily engaging. I'm likely missing puns and references helter skelter, as my edition has no notes, but so far that hasn't noticeably interfered with my comprehension. It's also interesting how my concurrent read of 'The Bhagavad Gita' helped me engage with the scenes involving the pursuit of enlightenment more than I would have otherwise.

On a more disappointing note, my edition is already falling apart. Despite how pretty it is and its relatively young age (pub 1990), it's rather cheaply made. I imagine I'll have to have the tape dispenser handy throughout the read.

Associated images:





As a final note, I liked Sun Wukong at the beginning, but now he's starting to become a bit of a power-drunk brat. That's one of the major driving forces of the plot, though, so I can't say I didn't know what I was getting into.

[Luke]

I've gotten through the next fifty pages, which places me at the beginning of chapter six. This consisted mostly of narrative escalation as the Monkey King alternatively antagonized and went along with the dictates of Heaven. Lots of characters running around, and none of them, save for Sun Wukong, are any of the main characters that will be on the actual journey. I've seen various cinematic representations of some of Sun Wukong's initial interactions (the horses, the peach garden), and I know what's eventually coming (Sun Wukong trapped under the mountain), so I'm patiently wading through the contextual build up and looking forward to when the actual journey to the west will began.

Accompanying pictures:

[Luke]

I fell behind a tad yesterday as I was out of town, so I made up for it today by getting through 100 pages, which places me in Chapter 11. The Monkey King has finally been squared away under a mountain, there has been much Buddhist revelry and performance of miracles, and now the story is more and more often in the mortal plane as a bodhisattva seeks out the one chosen to undertake the journey to the west. Some of the chosen one's guardians have shown up: they're all various types of former denizens of heaven who were previously cursed into monstrous forms (pig, ogre, dragon). There's also been some build up with regards to the chosen one themself, a monk, and it seems that there's a broader set of stories that must accompany every step of the plot, from the chosen one's dramatic Moses like origins to the Emperor, whom I presume will be the one to to send the monk on his way, exploring the underworld. All this is a nice break from the neverending escalations of fights and pranks of the previous section, and while it is taking the story rather a long time to get to the point, I'm a fan of digressions, especially when they flesh out the story's world so much. Lots and lots of poetry in Chapter 10, but as it was a conversation between a woodcuttet and a fisher, it didn't get nearly as onerous as endless descriptions of perfect Buddhist heaven can get.

Lots of pictures this time due to the introduction of so many main characters:

[Adrian]

The illustrations you have are fantastic, love 'em

[Luke]

Adrian wrote: "The illustrations you have are fantastic, love 'em"

Thanks, Adrian. I haven't checked the succeeding novels, but I'm hoping they all have a similar set up as the first, which has a number of pictures illustrating the main characters at the very beginning and then plot oriented ones cropping up every chapter or two. It certainly fleshes out the narrative a great deal, and makes it easier to go along.

[Luke]

I've gone another 50 pages, and am now halfway through this first book at Chapter 13. After a harrowing account of the punishments of hell and the cycles of rebirth, Sanzang the holy monk has finally taken on his more famous name, and has also finally started the actual journey to the West, replete witb mounds of context regarding Emperors and Bodhisattvas and all that jazz. My favorite part was when a court official brought up the fact that the youth of Buddha didn't coincide at all with contemporaneous Chinese values of filial respect. It was a tad xenophobic, but the commentary on the clash of values was accurate, and the fact that all the other characters smoothed it over and 'solved' it by making speaking ill of the Buddha a crime punishible by physical mutilation didn't make the critiquers concerns any less valid. I have to wonder whether similar concerns crop up during the rest of the narrative, or whether that incident was just a one time provider of context. I'll just have to wait and see.

I've skimmed the synopsis for the rest of the volumes, and while it does seem like it could get a tad repetitive with Sanzang always needing saving, I feel the complexity and holistic quality of the narrative so far means that the future events will be repetitive in a Canterbury Tales sort of way, where each uses a similar structure to develop a different and engaging story. I can't say my mind won't ever drift off at points, but considering how I haven't gotten lost thus far and the references have been manageable, the rest of the three and a half books should go over smoothly so long as I keep it as slow and steady as I have been.

Not many pictures this time, but the fact that it's of the last of the quartet of travelers makes it something special:

[Adrian]

Aubrey wrote: "I've gone another 50 pages, and am now halfway through this first book at Chapter 13. After a harrowing account of the punishments of hell and the cycles of rebirth, Sanzang the holy monk has final..."

Slow and steady is the way I attacked it, but amazingly I didn't find it that repetitive. Good luck Aubrey

[Luke]

Powered through another 100 pages because I could. I checked the next volume and there isn't a collation of pictures at the very beginning, so I'm going to relish this volume's plethora while I can. In any event, the holy monk has met up with the monkey and technically his horse (it's actually a disgraced dragon), and so far has had two adventures involving honorable hunters and murderous monks. I've found the monk's interactions with the monkey to be the most engaging thing thus far, as while Sanzang certainly has the moral high ground, Sun Wukong's not afraid to call out Sanzang's uselessness when he's again fallen off his horse in fear of demons and tigers and whatnot. I'm looking forward to when the two (the dragon doesn't speak up much in horse form) meet up with the others, as there's potential for some great character dynamics if the author remains as evenhanded with them as they have been so far. The story's not LotR, but I see myself getting into the swing of it so long as I'm patient.

This round's pictures:

[Luke]

Adrian wrote: "Aubrey wrote: "I've gone another 50 pages, and am now halfway through this first book at Chapter 13. After a harrowing account of the punishments of hell and the cycles of rebirth, Sanzang the holy..."

Thanks Adrian.

[Adrian]

More great pictures Aubrey.

There are some great interactions between the characters and it just gets better. Yes it isn't LotR, but it is jolly good fun.

[Luke]

I've finished the first volume (review here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...) and moved onto the second. One last picture before the move forward: