Monkey

By: Wu Ch’êng-ên, Arthur Waley - translator

Narrated by: Kenneth Williams

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.

Download the accompanying reference guide.©1981 Nimbus Records Ltd. (P)2015 Naxos AudioBooks

It's an Abridged Version

Any additional comments?

Great voice reading, some Chinese pronunciations are wrong or painful to listen to.It's untrue this book is unabridged, Journey to the West is 100 chapters long, so many of the adventures are missing from it. It's a folk tale, so enjoy it as that.

What a treat!

One of Asias most famous tales read out by a master story teller. I went straight back to the beginning when I was done.

My Favorite

This is my favorite Chinese folktale/ Epic. There really is nothing that can compare. This novel still, to this day, inspires and spawns some of the most entertaining films, operas, and television shows out of Asia. This story is overflowing with humor, but also adventure, intrigue and philosophy. From Shen Yun to Drazonball Z the influence is many places.

Didn't want it to end

Great story. Reader was entertaining and enthusiastic. Gave life to each character. Definitely in my top 5 audiobooks collection.

A fascinating epic

Monkey is a great classic for anyone interested in a Chinese novel of an earlier period that gives a greater context to certain aspects of traditional chinese culture