4.5
Monkey
ByPublisher Description
The classic Chinese novel: “Imagine a combination of picaresque novel, fairy tale, fabliau, Mickey Mouse, Davy Crockett, and Pilgrim’s Progress” (The Nation).
Probably the most popular book in the history of the Far East, this classic sixteenth-century novel is a combination of picaresque novel and folk epic that mixes satire, allegory, and history into a rollicking adventure. It is the story of the roguish Monkey and his encounters with major and minor spirits, gods, demigods, demons, ogres, monsters, and fairies. This translation, by the distinguished scholar Arthur Waley, is the first accurate English version; it makes available to the Western reader a faithful reproduction of the spirit and meaning of the original.
“Mr. Waley has done a remarkable job with this translation.” —Helena Kuo, The New York Times
“The irreverent spirit and exuberant vitality of it portraiture . . . make it an entertainment to which Mr. Waley’s witty translation has obviously contributed not a little.” —The Times (London)
“Told with immense gusto, and quite apart from its deeper meaning and wise proverbial sayings it is full of entertainment.” —The Guardian
Probably the most popular book in the history of the Far East, this classic sixteenth-century novel is a combination of picaresque novel and folk epic that mixes satire, allegory, and history into a rollicking adventure. It is the story of the roguish Monkey and his encounters with major and minor spirits, gods, demigods, demons, ogres, monsters, and fairies. This translation, by the distinguished scholar Arthur Waley, is the first accurate English version; it makes available to the Western reader a faithful reproduction of the spirit and meaning of the original.
“Mr. Waley has done a remarkable job with this translation.” —Helena Kuo, The New York Times
“The irreverent spirit and exuberant vitality of it portraiture . . . make it an entertainment to which Mr. Waley’s witty translation has obviously contributed not a little.” —The Times (London)
“Told with immense gusto, and quite apart from its deeper meaning and wise proverbial sayings it is full of entertainment.” —The Guardian
Download the free Fable app
Stay organized
Keep track of what you’re reading, what you’ve finished, and what’s next.
Build a better TBR
Swipe, skip, and save with our smart list-building tool
Rate and review
Share your take with other readers with half stars, emojis, and tags
Curate your feed
Meet readers like you in the Fable For You feed, designed to build bookish communitiesStay organized
Keep track of what you’re reading, what you’ve finished, and what’s next.Build a better TBR
Swipe, skip, and save with our smart list-building toolRate and review
Share your take with other readers with half stars, emojis, and tagsCurate your feed
Meet readers like you in the Fable For You feed, designed to build bookish communities1 Review
4.5
C.ge🔪🎀
Created 4 months agoShare
Report
About Wu Ch'êng-ên
Very little is known about Wu Ch-eng-en (c. 1505-80) although he is believed to have held the post of District Magistrate for a time. He had a reputation as a good poet but only a few rather commonplace verses of his survive in an anthology of Ming poetry and in a local gazetteer.
Start a Book Club
Start a public or private book club with this book on the Fable app today!FAQ
Do I have to buy the ebook to participate in a book club?
Why can’t I buy the ebook on the app?
How is Fable’s reader different from Kindle?
Do you sell physical books too?
Are book clubs free to join on Fable?
How do I start a book club with this book on Fable?
Save to a list
0
/30
0
/100
Private List