Post #2107838
2026-05-06 07:37 UTC
Book tip: Wu Cheng'en, Monkey King: Journey to the West, trans. Julia Lovell.
If you only read one 16th-century Chinese novel this weekend, pick this one. It's the most fun one can have without stealing the immortal wine from a celestial Peach Banquet to which one was pointedly not invited.
For those who think the form of art should fit the content, Lovell's translation mirrors its hero: highly skilled, playfully mischievous, and somersaulting breezily over the long slogs.
Replies (2)
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@jkmcnk@mastodon.social 2026-05-06 08:06
@noctuaminervae when done reading, go and play black myth: wukong :)
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@christymarx@beige.party 2026-05-06 17:43
@noctuaminervae A long time ago I was hired to adapt the Monkey legends for animation. I read the entire body of stories in annotated version. It was fascinating. There are layers of puns and meaning. Sadly the project never went anywhere.