Wu Cheng'en (c. 1505-1580) was a Ming Dynasty poet about
whom little is known, although he is believed to be the author of
Journey to the West, which he published anonymously. He lived much
of his life as a hermit.
Julia Lovell (editor/translator/introducer) is the
translator of The Real Story of Ah-Q and Other Tales of China: The
Complete Fiction of Lu Xun and the author of Maoism and The Opium
War. She is a professor of modern China at Birkbeck College,
University of London, and writes about China for The Guardian,
Financial Times, The New York Times, and The Wall Street
Journal.
Gene Luen Yang (foreword) is a MacArthur "genius," the
National Ambassador for Young People's Literature, and the author
of the half-million-copy New York Times bestselling graphic novel
and National Book Award finalist American Born Chinese.
A Fortune Best Book of the Year
“A breezy, action-packed narrative . . . Rich with imaginative
world-building that evokes the best Pixar films . . . The book is
also quite funny . . . With this new readable version of Monkey
King, Western readers will also have plenty of fun.” ―San Francisco
Chronicle
“A fun, accessible book that will attract readers to a text that
may otherwise seem obscure and imposing . . . The jokes hit every
register, from slapstick and toilet humor to dryly delivered
drolleries. . . . The literary analog for the gonzo humor is
Rabelais and the fight scenes are the stuff of superhero comics.
But the comparison that kept coming to mind is with the irreverent,
twinkling humor of Looney Tunes cartoons, with Monkey King a cross
between Bugs Bunny and the Tasmanian Devil. . . . A rollicking work
of high buffoonery.” ―The Wall Street Journal
“Exhibit[s] a rollicking exuberance . . . [It] has long been—and
will continue to be—a rewarding and enjoyable reading experience
for many people.” ―The Washington Post
“The best English edition of the classic Chinese fantasy novel I
have ever read. If you wish to understand why Monkey King has been
a fixture in Chinese popular culture for no fewer than five
centuries, then look no further.” ―Minjie Chen, Los Angeles Review
of Books
“A vivacious delight: a genuinely very funny book is given its full
due . . . Sun Wukong, the Monkey King, is as vital a figure in
Chinese as Robin Hood and King Arthur are in English.” ―Foreign
Policy
“This accessible translation . . . allows Western readers to
discover Monkey King’s mix of spiritual transcendence, slapstick
humor, and deep satire.” ―Fortune
“Visit one of the greatest countries in the world through the pages
of this Chinese epic [and] Julia Lovell’s new contemporary
translation, with exquisite maps of ‘somewhat mythical lands.’”
―Piers Torday, The Guardian
“[A] brilliant new translation . . . Vibrant . . . Lovell’s
characters speak in colloquial voices, which brings them vividly to
life for modern readers. Her Monkey King is accessible enough to be
read with young children―not something that could necessarily be
said for other translations. . . . One hopes that Julia Lovell’s
wonderful 21st-century account of [Monkey King’s] adventures will
bring him continued literary immortality.” ―South China Morning
Post
“We’re in the capable hands of a translator of our era. . . .
Lovell is focused on solid, modern storytelling, not mere fealty. .
. . Monkey King has contemporary currency beyond even The Wizard of
Oz or The Lord of the Rings, to which works it bears more than a
passing resemblance—Star Wars . . . comes to mind, along with
myriad comic book and anime epics. . . . All who have loved Robin
Hood, or Tolkien, or J. K. Rowling, or the superheroes [Gene Luen]
Yang pings in his foreword, will find similar friends in Monkey,
Tripitaka, Pigsy (the Friar Tuck of Asia) and Sandy. Thanks to
Lovell’s engaging translation, it’s a fair bet that many more in
the Anglophone world, especially the younger generations, will gain
these friends, along with a greatly enhanced understanding of
China.” ―Asian Review of Books
“A translation that’s really funny . . . [It] is a delight and a
tour de force. . . . There are delicious dashes of alliteration. .
. . I was particularly taken with the anachronisms. They are
superlatively funny.” ―Nicky Harman, Asian Books Blog
“A mirthful tale of endless mischief, deception, irony and combat .
. . Impish and adventurous . . . Thanks to this fresh translation .
. . the adventures of superhero simian Sun Wukong are newly
accessible to English readers around the world.” ―Global Asia
“A joy to read . . . Monkey King . . . is the superhero kids love
to fantasize about. Naughty. Ingenious. Powerful. His weapons and
magic skills are amazing and delicious. With his sense of humor,
adventurous spirit, and his love of life, he is irresistible. The
stories flow from the book beautifully, and we can’t wait to find
out what trouble Monkey gets into next, and how he gets out of
it. . . . This is a fun book for a large range of ages. . . .
[It] is fast paced, and the 339 pages fly by. . . . Monkey King
also includes a fun map to track the lands we’ve visited in the
stories, and a list of the major characters. . . . The extras,
like the introduction, add fascinating details about the book’s
history, and delight those of us who are curious about this great
classic. . . . Asians and Asian Americans can feel good that this
book represents a bright star in our cultural heritage.”
―International Examiner
“I marvelled at the ingenuity, cheek and charm of Monkey King:
Journey to the West by Wu Cheng’en in Julia Lovell’s lively new
translation: what a book to return to!” ―Daniel Medin, The White
Review, “Books of the Year”
“Fantastically funny . . . [Monkey King’s] character is redemptive,
his humor infectious—running the gamut from slapstick to
drollery—and his journey one worth following. . . . Lovell is to be
commended. . . . With a foreword by Gene Luen Yang and a delightful
map by Laura Hartman Maestro, [her translation] will capture
contemporary readers.” ―Mountain Times
“This new translation . . . breathes fresh life, humor, wit, and
charm into the 16th-century classic. . . . If you did not know that
this was an abridged version . . . you never would. . . . [It] is
exactly as long as it needs to be, with the fat cut and the story
paced perfectly. . . . Every line of dialogue drips with sarcasm,
snappy one-liners, and laugh-out-loud observations for the lovable
bastard that is Monkey. . . . If you’ve ever wanted to read Journey
to the West but have been put off by fears of it being too long,
too dense, too dry (as we have all thought when it comes to
classics), then put those fears aside. Julia Lovell’s translation
is nothing but fun, frantic fantasy writing. . . . She has injected
the book with energy, spice, and humor. . . . I can’t imagine
having more fun than I did with Julia Lovell’s hilarious
translation. . . . There is no end to the fun and joy gleaned from
[it].” ―Will Heath, Books & Bao
“An all-new translation of one of the greatest stories ever written
. . . An out-and-out fantasy adventure that has captivated
audiences and influenced creatives for centuries.” ―Bustle
“Jam-packed with outrageous danger and outlandish transformations .
. . Lovell does an admirable job condensing the original text . . .
while capturing the essence of Chinese fantastical storytelling and
parody. Readers who enjoy nutty adventures and nonsensical plots
will get a kick out of this madcap fable.” ―Publishers Weekly
“This new edition should more than satisfy anyone interested in
reading not only a highly praised classic of Chinese literature,
but also one of the most influential fantasy narratives in the
world.” ―Booklist
“Of all [my mother’s] stories, my favorites by far were about Sun
Wukong, the Monkey King. . . . With every comic book and graphic
novel that I create, I am trying to recapture the wonder I felt
when my mother would regale me with tales of the Monkey King.”
―Gene Luen Yang, from the Foreword
“A monument of world literature, Monkey King is also one of the
funniest, most subversive satires ever written. There is no
trickster quite as tricky, no companion more resourceful or more
ridiculously entertaining, no hero more true than the monkey king.
If you’ve not read Journey to the West, prepare yourself for the
adventure of a lifetime and know that like Monkey himself, you are
about to be transformed. No book can truly capture the stupendous,
absurd glory of life, but Monkey King comes pretty damn close. Even
if you have read Monkey King, Julia Lovell’s magnificent new
translation becomes its own cloud somersault, its own gold-hooped
staff.” ―Junot Díaz
“A new translation of Monkey King is a cause for joy! Imaginative
and mischievous, exhilarating and timeless, this
sixteenth-century superhero saga is a delight to readers of all
ages.” ―Yiyun Li
“An exhilarating new translation of my favorite of all the classic
Chinese novels—a great, wild epic that expands and fires one’s
imagination.” ―Ha Jin
“Uproarious and action-filled, this highly readable new translation
captures the most beloved of Chinese characters in all his
impossible charm. Irrepressible and irresistible, Monkey
speaks to us across the centuries, and here makes us laugh anew.”
―Gish Jen
“Monkey King is one of the great epics of our world. I spent
a good part of my childhood enthralled with the
adventures of the OG mischief maker, Sun Wukong. What a delight
that this exhilarating translation of the timeless classic will
entertain generations to come.” ―Marie Lu, #1 New York Times
bestselling author of Legend, The Young Elites, and Skyhunter
“A fantastic retelling, easily on par with Neil Gaiman’s Norse
Mythology. Monkey King has never been so much fun; I friggin’ loved
it.” ―Peter Clines, New York Times bestselling author of Paradox
Bound
“Monkey King is one of the most memorable characters in all of
Chinese literature, beloved of readers young and old. This is a
first-rate translation, fluent and accurate—I thoroughly enjoyed
reading it. I think it will bring the novel over very successfully
to the modern English-reading public, and help to enrich the
Western perception of the Chinese cultural universe at a most
important time in our world’s history.” ―John Minford,
award-winning translator of The Art of War, Tao Te Ching, and I
Ching
“The Monkey King, one of Chinese literature’s great characters,
should add many new disciples to his existing fans through this
compelling new version of his adventures. Julia Lovell here conveys
a vibrant sense of the richness―and also the sheer fun―of this Ming
dynasty text, a classic of world fiction from one of its first
great ages.” ―Craig Clunas, University of Oxford
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