Book Description

A monk contends with dangers, demons, and spirits as he makes a pilgrimage to India in the second volume of this classic Chinese fantasy adventure. Anthony C. Yu’s translation of The Journey to the West, initially published in 1983, introduced English-speaking audiences to the classic Chinese novel in its entirety for the first time. Written in the sixteenth century, it is the saga of the fourteen-year pilgrimage of the monk Xuanzang, one of China’s most famous religious heroes, and his four supernatural disciples, in search of Buddhist scriptures. Throughout his journey, Xuanzang fights demons who wish to eat him, communes with spirits, and traverses a land riddled with obstacles both real and fantastical. An adventure rich with danger and excitement, this seminal work of the Chinese literary canon is by turns allegory, satire, and fantasy. In this new edition, Yu has made his translations even more accurate and accessible with new explanatory notes, additions to the introduction, and modernized transliterations using the now-standard Hanyu Pinyin romanization system. “In 1983, [Yu’s] The Journey to the West conveyed intact to readers of English the classic that had enthralled Chinese children for centuries. . . . This new version draws on thirty years of the author’s further studies in literature and religion. It traces one theme after another to the Quanzhen Daoist movement and its new synthesis of religious thought. The translation is a joy to read, and the introduction and commentary reveal the deep foundations on which this fantastic tale of adventure is built.” —Nathan Slavin, University of Pennsylvania “A monumental achievement that takes the reader to the heart of one of the most important narratives in the Chinese tradition . . . The adoption of Pinyin romanization will make this much more convenient for classroom use as a teaching edition.” —Waiyee Li, Harvard University “One of the great works of world religious literature. This updated translation is a significant publishing milestone.” —Robert Company, Vanderbilt University Volume 2 of 4