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Monkey
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2020 Annual Read - Monkey Intro
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Are you excited to read this book or intimidated?
I am using the WJF Jenner translation Beijing 1955 I am intimidated, more because of the size of the book then content. I have wanted to read all 3 of the Chinese stories and will eventually.
My paper copy has several (10) illustrations that I am really enjoying. Thank you for the map !!
The list of characters, in particular the list of characters from the Taoist Pantheon is very intimidating but this map is fantastic. I can’t believe someone took the time to construct this. Thank you for finding and sharing.
Can anyone point me in the direction of a book more than 300 pages long?
I am reading the 14th printing of the 1993 first edition of a translation by W.J.F. Jenner. The first volume is 583 pages long. The 4th volume ends on page 2343. I have already read the history of the birth of the Handsome Monkey King, who calls himself the Great Sage Equalling Heaven. Although he has cultivated The Way he has no respect for the hierarchy of the heavens and is always getting into mischief if not outright hubris filled pandemonium. I have also met the Pig character Zhu Wuneng (Pig Awakened to Power) and have read through the introduction to Xuanzang, a Buddhist monk.
The flow reminds me of Outlaws of the Marsh but there is much more fantasy and poetry as most of the action so far has taken place in Heaven.
Book wrote: "Can anyone point me in the direction of a book more than 300 pages long?"ISBNs for University of Chicago Press, translated and edited by Anthony C. Yu:
0226971503 (v. 1)
0226971511 (v. 2)
0226971538 (v. 3)
0226971546 (v. 4)
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I bought the 4 volume one that I bought on Amazon and came from an outside vender. You look at Book Depository or World Book as they have free shipping.
Just got my pile of the Anthony C. Yu translations today from the library :) Plan is to (hopefully) read 1 per month from January-April, but post in a quarterly manner throughout the year to keep in time with the general discussion.
Excited to get into this one!
I just read the 300 page abridgment and so will not comment on it here. But I'm going to follow this thread to see what you folks think as you read the original version. I really loved the short one.
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I am reading the Kindle version of Anthony C. Yu's 1983 translation, which is a revised version of his earlier translation. I am still ploughing my way through his introduction!
I have the WF Jenner translation which is 4 volumes 25 chapters a volume.
I am intimidated by reading this simply because the other great Chinese novels we have read have all been similar and repetitive. This one sounds different so I am hoping I will enjoy it more.
I am intimidated by reading this simply because the other great Chinese novels we have read have all been similar and repetitive. This one sounds different so I am hoping I will enjoy it more.
I am actually pleased to be reading the actual book at last. The other great Chinese Novels have been a challenge, but leave one with a great sense of accomplishment when finished. I have read the Romance of Three Kingdoms and The Water Margin, and I believe I read Dream of Red Mansions some years ago. I wouldn't say I am excited, but I feel up to the challenge and have even been stimulated to start studying Mandarin again.
Does anyone know how the 3 vol would be broken up to fit the schedule?
My plan is just to read a volume a quarter so I have been reading 8 chapters a month with the last month of each quarter needing to be 9 chapters. That is approximately 46 pages per week. I suspect others will be more fluid.
My plan which I do need to catch up on is to read 2 Chapters a week which means I will be on target to finish by the end of the year. I am at Chapter 8 so need to read 8 more chapters before the end of the month and I am back on track!
I've been finding this one really easy to read: like the book version of an adventure cartoon, so I'm actually ahead of schedule (yay!) I've read the first 3 volumes, and am going to finish the final one in March. I ended up with Jahrestage on my randomiser (1700 ish pages) so going to make that my next "annual", and maybe read Water Margin after that. I do want to start backtracking and reading the giant previous annuals that I missed.
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I am reading the Anthony Yu translation which also has 4 volumes and 100 chapters. I just noticed that some of this edition are available online in PDF files, if anyone is having difficulty locating print editions.
Reading 1001
Books mentioned in this topic
The Epic Crush of Genie Lo (other topics)Monkey: The Journey to the West (other topics)
Author Wu Cheng'en of the Ming dynasty is considered to the author. His father had a good education but never prospered. Wu Cheng'en took the imperial examinations several times in attempt to become a mandarin, or imperial official, but never passed, and did not gain entry into the imperial university in Nanjing until middle age; after that he did become an official and had postings in both Beijing and Changxing County but he did not enjoy his work, and eventually resigned, probably spending the rest of his life writing stories and poems in his hometown. During this time he became an accomplished writer, producing both poetry and prose, and became friends with several prominent contemporary writers. Wu remained poor throughout his life, however, and did not have any children; dissatisfied with the political climate of the time and with the corruption of the world, he spent much of his life as a hermit.
His authorship of Monkey: Journey to the west is unproven and still contested tho he is considered to be the likely author.
The novel is an extended account of the legendary pilgrimage of the Tang dynasty Buddhist monk Xuanzang who traveled to the "Western Regions", that is, Central Asia and India, to obtain Buddhist sacred texts (sūtras) and returned after many trials and much suffering. It retains the broad outline of Xuanzang's own account, Great Tang Records on the Western Regions, but the Ming dynasty novel adds elements from folk tales and the author's invention, that is, that Gautama Buddha gave this task to the monk (referred to as Tang Sanzang in the novel) and provided him with three protectors who agree to help him as an atonement for their sins. These disciples are Sun Wukong, Zhu Bajie and Sha Wujing, together with a dragon prince who acts as Tang Sanzang's steed, a white horse.
Journey to the West has strong roots in Chinese folk religion, Chinese mythology, Confucianist, Taoist and Buddhist philosophy, and the pantheon of Taoist immortals and Buddhist bodhisattvas are still reflective of some Chinese religious attitudes today. Enduringly popular, the tale is at once a comic adventure story, a humorous satire of Chinese bureaucracy, a spring of spiritual insight, and an extended allegory in which the group of pilgrims journeys towards enlightenment by the power and virtue of cooperation.
(Taken from Wikipedia).
Characters: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of...
Main characters
Sun Wukong ("Monkey King")
Tang Sanzang ("Tripitaka")
Zhu Bajie ("Pigsy")
Sha Wujing ("Sandy")
White Dragon Horse