One of the greatest classics of Chinese literature, Translated by Julia Lovell
One of China’s Four Great Classical Novels, Monkey King was written anonymously during the Ming dynasty and is most commonly attributed to Wu Cheng’en, the son of a silk-shop clerk from east China. It recounts a Tang-dynasty monk’s quest for Buddhist scriptures, accompanied by an omni-talented kung-fu Monkey King called Sun Wukong; a rice-loving divine pig; and a depressive man-eating river-sand monster.
Comparable to The Canterbury Tales or Don Quixote, the tale is at once a comic adventure story, a humorous satire of Chinese bureaucracy, a spring of spiritual insight and an extended allegory in which the group of pilgrims journeys towards enlightenment.
\”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
\”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
\”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
Format: Paperback
Pages: 384
Imprint: Penguin Classics
Publication date: 08/07/2025
