Discover the thrilling exploits of this unlikely hero in China's most famous traditional novel. This classic Chinese epic tells the story of the Monkey King, his incredible origin and downfall, and his epic quest to redeem himself with his trusted companions, as they face fantastic foes, demons, and monsters and during their travels to the Western paradise. The talented, wily Monkey King was used to getting what he wanted--unimaginable strength, eternal life, even a position in the Celestial Realm with the gods. But his mischief gets him into trouble, the Monkey King finds himself wanting to be good and strong enough to help the monk Xuanzang on his mission to bring Buddhist Scriptures--and enlightenment--to China. Readers will thrill to Timothy Richard's retelling of the Monkey King's exploits, whether in the Dragon King's underwater castle, the Halls of the Dead, or the palace of Buddha himself. Featuring a detailed introduction by scholar Daniel Kane, this edition of The Money King's Amazing Adventures is sure to delight readers of all ages.

One of the world's greatest fantasy novels and a rollicking classic of Chinese literature, in a sparkling new translation and published in a Clothbound Classics edition. A shape-shifting trickster on a kung-fu quest for eternal life, Monkey King is one of the most memorable superheroes in world literature. High-spirited and omni-talented, he can transform himself into whatever he chooses and turn each of his body's 84,000 hairs into an army of clones. But his penchant for mischief repeatedly gets him into trouble, and when he raids Heaven's Orchard of Immortal Peaches, the Buddha pins him beneath a mountain. Five hundred years later, Monkey King is finally given a chance to redeem himself: he must protect the pious monk Tripitaka on his journey in search of precious Buddhist sutras that will bring enlightenment to the Chinese empire. Joined by two other fallen immortals - Pigsy, a rice-loving flying pig, and Sandy, a depressive river-sand monster - Monkey King does battle with Red Boy, Princess Jade-Face, the Monstress Dowager, and all manner of dragons, ogres, wizards and femmes fatales; navigates the perils of Fire-Cloud Cave, the River of Flowing Sand and the Water-Crystal Palace; and is serially captured, lacquered, sauteed, steamed and liquefied - but always hatches an ingenious plan to get himself and his fellow pilgrims out of their latest jam. Comparable to The Canterbury Tales or Don Quixote, Monkey King is at once a gripping adventure, a comic satire and a spring of spiritual insight. With this new translation by the award-winning Julia Lovell, the irrepressible rogue hero of one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature has the potential to vault, with his signature cloud-somersault, into the hearts of a whole new generation of readers.

Wu Ch’êng-ên wrote Monkey in the middle of the sixteenth century, adding to an ancient Chinese legend his own touches of delicacy and humour.

The result is an attractive jumble of the absurd and the profound, of religion and history, of anti-bureaucratic satire and pure poetry. While the story tells of Tripitaka’s journey to India and what happens on the way, its true theme is man’s pilgrimage through life, with Monkey, Pigsy and Sandy symbolizing the diverse elements of human nature.

Entertaining and highly readable, Monkey is a unique blend of charm, wisdom and imagination.

In ancient China a magical monkey appears, creating chaos everywhere he goes. The only way to put his tricks and talents to good use is to make him protector of Xuanzang, a young and handsome monk determined to travel from China to India in search of the precious scriptures.Monkey and his fellow disciples, Piggy and Sandy, have to protect Xuanzang from monsters and demons who think they can live forever just by taking a bite out of the monk.Can Xuanzang and his loyal disciples reach India safely and find what they are looking for? Do they have enough confidence and courage to conquer the demons, both those lurking around them and those within their own hearts?Full of humor and adventure, "Journey to the West" is a story of self-discovery and the pursuit of excellence. Written by Chinese scholar Wu Cheng en more than four hundred years ago, it reflects everyone s pilgrimage towards truth, peace and beauty."Real Reads" are accessible texts designed to support the literacy development of primary and lower secondary age children while introducing them to the riches of our international literary heritage. Each book is a retelling of a work of great literature from one of the world s greatest cultures, fitted into a 64-page book, making classic stories, dramas and histories available to intelligent young readers as a bridge to the full texts, to language students wanting access to other cultures, and to adult readers who are unlikely ever to read the original versions."