The Journey to the West, Volume 1 (Journey to the West)

JOURNEY TO THE WEST," IS A CELEBRATED CLASSIC WRITTEN ABOUT FIVE CENTURIES AGO BY WU CHENG'EN, AKA MASTER OF SHEYANG, ABOUT THE JOURNEY TO THE WEST TO FETCH THE SUTRA, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, IT IS a story of every person's purpose in life, to live a righteous life, go on the road he or she must go, until he or she reaches the Western Paradise. This person, represented by a team of the Tang Priest and his four disciples, has personalities like each of them. We may not know it, but we have an ounce of cleverness and bravery and strength in each and every one of us, like Monkey King, and are we not as stupid, lazy, and lascivious as Pig? Like Frair Sand, we can be steadfast to our beliefs, what is right, and can tell what is man and what is demon, what is right and what is wrong? The horse is repentant of his crime and accepted his converted life as a horse, are we not like that too? The Tang Priest represents everything that is pure and right, but is a gullible person. The demons they met on their way represent different sins and temptations, to fight them is a battle within oneself, fighting for what is right and against what is wrong. At last, when all battles against evil are won, they are pure and righteous and changed over the course of the journey, worthy to meet Buddha, get the Sutras, and become Buddhas themselves. This simple story is lesser known as a religious story, but is still highly recommended by me, because of its exciting plot, great characters,a reflection of Chinese feudalism and society of the time Wu Cheng'en lived, teachings of Buddhism, and knowing a thing or two about Chinese culture, all packaged in one. A true classic!

_Journey to the West_ is, almost more than anything else, a hilarious read. The adventures of Handsome Monkey King, which dominate this volume, are witty and engrossing. Much better than many historical epics, in which everybody is just so darn EARNEST, this book inserts wit and a genuine (and gentle) understanding of human nature into an engrossing, and often deadly serious and menacing storyline. Yu's translation is clear and lucid, and supports the action very nicely. So many Asian epics are muddled (well, massacred, really) in translation that Yu's gifts are a breath of fresh air.I highly and enthusiastically recommend _Journey to the West_ to...well...everybody.

Journey to the West is probably the most well-known tale amongst Chinese folk the world over. It is a story that has been adapted in the form of operas, television series, cartoons and movies many times over. To be able to read a complete and unabridged version of this epic is a joy indeed. My only regret is that as a Western-educated Chinese, I am not able to read this masterpiece in it's original language. Although the translator does a very good job at translating the book, I am sure many nuances and subtleties of the Chinese language have been lost in the translation.The story is a simple one. Set during the early Tang dynasty (the peak of Chinese civilisation), a holy Buddhist monk has to travel from China to India to collect the true Mahayana Buddhist scriptures from the Lord Buddha himself, in order to bring enlightenment to his fellow country men. The journey is a long and ardous one, not least because numerous demons lie waiting in ambush for a chance to capture and eat the monk, as his holy body will confer immortality on whoever eats it. Thus, the Goddess of Compassion assembles a strange group of bodyguards for the monk: the proud and mischievous Monkey, the lustful and greedy Pig, the loyal and steadfast Friar Sand, and a Dragon Prince transformed into a horse. Their various adventures are so full of humor and wacky hijinks that I cannot help myself from laughing out from time to time. Monkey is the ultimate Chinese version of the universal trickster-hero. Do yourself a favor and pick up this book. You will not regret it for a moment.

This is a book written on lots of levels. It's a great adventure story for kids or for anyone else at first reading (although the old Arthur Waley abridgement is better for that kind of reading). On second (and third, and fourth...) readings it becomes clear that this is a story of the different parts of the self--the "five elements" in classical Chinese terms--that learn to integrate and find the self-discipline to reach the Buddha-realm. Each adventure is a challenge to master a different part of the self and its experience of life: the "six robbers" are the illusion that the six senses show us the truth, the White Bone Demon is fear of the idea of death, etc.. Monkey, the main character, is the limitless power of the mind, arrogant but tameable. Not just a great story, this is book of incredible depth and understanding. Yu's is the only translation that understands this.

The only English translation I've found of the Chinese classic "Journey to the West". If you are interested in Asian studies, you must read this novel. Many modern Asian anime, comics, and stories are adaptations of this one or are based on it. The main character is a mischievous monkey who becomes immortal by eating a peach of immortality from the garden of the gods. He studies Taoism and gains special powers. His punishment is to escort a priest from China to India in search of the Buddhist scriptures. On the way they encounter many different monsters, funny adventures, and two more companions: a pig, and a sea monster. This translation includes an extensive explanation of certain Chinese terms.