{"title":"Books by Wu Cheng'en","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"9780141393445","title":"Monkey King: Journey to the West","description":"\u003cb\u003eOne of the world's greatest fantasy novels, \u003ci\u003eMonkey King: Journey to the West\u003c\/i\u003e is the inspiration for the new blockbuster game \u003ci\u003eBlack Myth: Wukong\u003c\/i\u003e. Published in a sparkling modern translation and available in the Penguin Clothbound Classics series, this is the perfect introduction to the seminal Chinese classic. \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eA 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.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e 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 \u003ci\u003efemmes fatales\u003c\/i\u003e; navigates the perils of Fire-Cloud Cave, the River of Flowing Sand and the Water-Crystal Palace; and is serially captured, lacquered, sautéed, steamed and liquefied - but always hatches an ingenious plan to get himself and his fellow pilgrims out of their latest jam.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Comparable to \u003ci\u003eThe Canterbury Tales\u003c\/i\u003e or \u003ci\u003eDon Quixote\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eMonkey King\u003c\/i\u003e 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.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43201477017778,"sku":"9780141393445","price":22.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9780141393445.jpg?v=1786011282"},{"product_id":"9780241752401","title":"Monkey King Makes Havoc in Heaven","description":"Wu Cheng’en’s 16th-century novel \u003ci\u003eJourney to the West \u003c\/i\u003eis widely regarded as one of the most important Chinese novels ever written. Here, in Julia Lovell’s witty and charismatic translation, we meet one of its heroes: Sun Wukong, or Monkey King, whose powers include shape-shifting, immortality and being incredibly rude. Though he rises to a position of power in the heavenly bureaucracy, Monkey King’s arrogant exploits attract the attention of the Buddha – with very unfortunate consequences.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56230969344373,"sku":"9780241752401","price":5.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9780241752401_814d7c14-35b3-4d52-90b6-c7c3a2752faa.jpg?v=1786012302"},{"product_id":"9780804842723","title":"The Monkey King's Amazing Adventures","description":"\u003cb\u003eThis classic Chinese epic features a new introduction by Daniel Kane, Head of Chinese Studies at Macquarie University and Cultural Counselor at the Australian Embassy in Beijing in 1996.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eChina's most famous traditional novel, \u003ci\u003eThe Monkey King's Amazing Adventures\u003c\/i\u003e is 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 have amazing adventures in their travels to the Western paradise.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eNo matter what obstacle was put before him, the talented, wily Monkey King always got what he wanted—unimaginable strength, eternal life, even a position in the Celestial Realm with the gods. But more than anything else, the Monkey King loved mischief and rule-breaking, and he was sure that he was the most powerful creature in the world.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBut after defeat and punishment, the Monkey King found himself wanting some things he never expected: to be good enough and have the discipline to help the monk Xuanzang on his mission to bring Buddhist Scriptures—and enlightenment—to China.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eReaders will thrill to Timothy Richard's retelling of the Monkey King's exploits—he never disappoints, whether in the Dragon King's underwater castle, the Halls of the Dead, or the palace of Buddha himself—and find themselves captivated as he joins Xuanzang and his other trusted companions, the Dragon Horse, the Monk Sand, and the equally mischievous Pig on the dangerous trek West.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56294871040373,"sku":"9780804842723","price":12.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9780804842723_eca09b97-ca85-4db9-b359-fffa1dc77773.jpg?v=1786015681"},{"product_id":"9781454950967","title":"Classic Starts®: Monkey King","description":"An illustrated chapter-book retelling of the Monkey King’​s adventures from Journey to the West—part of the Classic Starts series, which has cumulatively sold more than 8 million copies!   Sun Wukong is the “Monkey King”—and he has all the power and magic to prove it! But when his mischief lands him out of favor with the heavens, he must embark on a dangerous quest to deliver Buddhist scriptures. Will Monkey be able to control his impulsive behavior and complete his journey to the West?  This retelling is the perfect way to introduce young readers to the famous and cherished Chinese story. The book also includes discussion questions.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56300381634933,"sku":"9781454950967","price":6.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781454950967_46e54a7d-0e3d-4050-884f-4a5393225495.jpg?v=1786020701"},{"product_id":"9787513813204","title":"Journey to the West","description":"\u003cbr\u003eBinding: Paperback \/ softback","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56309969092981,"sku":"9787513813204","price":11.95,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9787513813204_bd86ebb9-ecd8-4c0f-92cb-9064b5974150.jpg?v=1786031869"},{"product_id":"9787119016634","title":"Journey to the West","description":"\u003cbr\u003eBinding: Paperback \/ softback","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56311240130933,"sku":"9787119016634","price":39.95,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9787119016634_b9eb6099-d413-4c9a-92bd-fd918992a3ba.jpg?v=1786031804"},{"product_id":"9780143138938","title":"Monkey King","description":"\u003cb\u003e“The best English edition of the classic Chinese fantasy novel I have ever read.” ―Minjie Chen, \u003ci\u003eLos Angeles Review of Books\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eA Penguin Classic\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBefore there was \u003ci\u003eThe Lord of the Rings, \u003c\/i\u003ethere was China’s \u003ci\u003eMonkey King\u003c\/i\u003e. The title character, also known as Sun Wukong, is a shape-shifting trickster on a kung-fu quest for eternal life, beloved by fans of the anime \u003ci\u003eDragon Ball\u003c\/i\u003e and the video games \u003ci\u003eLeague of Legends\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eBlack Myth: Wukong\u003c\/i\u003e. For raiding Heaven’s Orchard of Immortal Peaches, the Buddha pins Monkey King beneath a mountain and frees him only five hundred years later, to protect the pious monk Tripitaka on a fourteen-year journey to India in search of precious Buddhist sutras. Accompanied by two other fallen immortals—a rice-loving pig able to fly with its ears and a depressive man-eating river-sand monster—Monkey King undergoes eighty-one trials, doing battle with all manner of dragons, ogres, wizards, and \u003ci\u003efemmes fatales \u003c\/i\u003ein this rollicking adventure that not only stands as the most popular of China’s Four Great Classical Novels but also gave us one of world literature’s most memorable superheroes.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003ePenguin Classics is the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world, representing a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56420352229749,"sku":"9780143138938","price":12.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9780143138938_8e8cb8e1-29f9-446a-b212-fb61357d8e91.jpg?v=1786032835"},{"product_id":"journey-to-the-west","title":"Journey to the West","description":"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 humour 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.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57490305483125,"sku":"9781906230340","price":7.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781906230340.jpg?v=1786442193"}],"url":"https:\/\/backstory.london\/collections\/author-wu-chengen.oembed","provider":"Backstory","version":"1.0","type":"link"}