Book description
First published in 1952, The Journey to the West, volume I, comprises the first twenty-five chapters of Anthony C. Yu's four-volume translation of Hsi-yu Chi, one of the most beloved classics of Chinese literature. The fantastic tale recounts the sixteen-year pilgrimage of the monk Hsüan-tsang (596-664), one of China's most…
Why read it?
1 author picked Journey to the West as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?
Of China’s four classic novels—The Romance of Three Kingdoms, The Water Margin, The Dream of the Red Chamber, and The Journey to the West—it’s the tale of the monkey king and his friends that stands out most for me.
I might struggle to name the rebels in The Water Margin, and I found Bao Yu’s moping in The Dream of the Red Chamber cloying when I read it as a student. But despite being a monkey, Sun Wukong’s behavior makes him both the simplest and the most human character in any of the books.
But behind that simplicity…
From Karl's list on books that take me back to china.
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