MONKEY

by Wu Ch'eng -- En ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 25, 1943

An age-old Chinese epic which may be viewed, as you will, either as entertainment or religious allegory. Whatever the interpretation, it is a gallimaufry of fairy tale, religious legend, comedy, wisdom, trials, temptations, heavenly intervention and guidance, magic and morals, in which Monkey, Pigsy, Sandy and the Master Pilgrim personify all humanity, with dragons, monsters, demons, serpents, priests and the celestial hierarchy involved in their careers. Abridged from the original, ably translated by Arthur Waley, this will be an important addition to shelves of Chinese classics in translation, and furthermore, in addition to its literary merit, it has individual charm of unsophisticated story telling. The critical reception is assured; the market limited largely to those interested in Oriental literature, to those who make a specialty of folk literature, and to some who buy this type on snob appeal.

Pub Date: March 25, 1943

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: John Day

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 1943

Categories: FICTION