Considered one of China’s great classical novels, Wu Ch’êng-ên’s Journey to the West was translated by Arthur Waley in abridged form as Monkey in 1942 and has delighted English readers ever since. It is a riveting adventure story about a priest’s quest to obtain holy Buddhist scriptures for the Tang emperor. Joining him on this rollicking journey: Sandy, Pigsy and the mischievous Monkey King, Sun Wukong, whose flying cloud and magic cudgel are never far from his infamous deeds. Waley’s accessible rendition of Wu Ch’êng-ên’s novel has become a classic in its own right: Gods, demons and disobedient monkey spirits all come alive in this entertaining work.
An Experiment in Criticism
