| Editions | About these Editions |
|---|---|
Arthur Waley, Monkey, (Evergreen Books, 1994)http://www.amazon.com/Monkey-Novel-China-Wu-Cheng-en/dp/0802130860/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1264524263&sr=1-1 |
This is our recommended text. Arthur Waley's translation of Wu Ch'êng-ên's original tale was first published in 1942. It is a superb abridgment of the very long original, fast-paced and highly readable, giving a good selection of key episodes focused on the novel's most popular character, the monkey-king known as "Aware-of-Vacuity." |
Anthony C. Yu, trans., Journey to the West (University of Chicago Press, 4 volumes, 1977-1983)http://www.amazon.com/Journey-West-Anthony-C-Yu/dp/0226971503/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1264524770&sr=1-1 |
Professor Anthony Yu stays close to Wu Ch'êng-ên's original, and is particularly effective in translating the many poems scattered through the text. Even people lacking time to read all four volumes can gain a lot from reading the first volume. This is the first full edition of the work in English. |
W. J. F. Jenner, trans., Journey to the West (Foreign Languages Press; Reprint edition, 4 volumes, 1984); also available in a one-volume abridged version (Asiapac Books, 1994)http://www.amazon.com/Journey-West-4-Boxed-Set/dp/7119016636/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1264524821&sr=1-1 |
Written fifty years ago by a British translator, it is still very readable, and falls in between Waley and Yu in terms of faithfulness to the original story. |
