The Monkey King: A Superhero Tale of China, Retold from The Journey to the West (Skyhook World Classics)

The universally known stories in a culture have a profound and lasting influence in the mindset of growing children they are told to, and mark the continuity of tradition when repeated to their own children. This is true in every culture and this story is the ultimate in Chinese children stories. Not only does this story contain numerous character studies, conflicts and scenes that have entered into linguistic/world view idiom, but hidden inside this story are cryptic allusions to deep Buddhist and Taoist training. The full version of this story has 100 books and some authors have considered this story on par with such classics as the Tao-Te-Ching.This version is a good introduction to this story, the sort to give you a taste or to read to a child. I have a dozen versions of this story and while this is not my choice as the best short-popular version, it is close. Further, this author has released this text for the Kindle for 1 penny! This is the world's greatest bargain. Absolutely everyone should load this on their reader...As an aside...I hope that many like myself will purchase his dead tree version of the book and put it on their shelf, prove to publishers and Amazon that this is a good economic model. May many more authors release inexpensive e-book versions of texts as a promotion of their work. There is presently a vast quantity of high quality free audio books by authors trying to break in or grow their base, for traditionally published material. I regularly purchase texts that I have listened to or heard for free on the NPR Radio Reader program.I personally have been less than enthused with the universal $10 price for kindle books, the overall reading experience and utility is not the equivalent of a paper book. Given that 99.9% of the infrastructure costs such a printing, ink, paper, transport and warehousing are nonexistent for e-books, $10 is exorbitant. I generally feel that if the paper back version of a book is available for $15 compared to a $10 Kindle e-book, I would unhesitatingly go with paper.There is a lot of inexpensive e-book content "notably - Author 50-years-dead stuff" but much of the contemporary less than $5 content is barely spam. I hope that the Kindle consumer community will spot and recommend high quality inexpensive content; review and recommend it to others. Vote with your voice and and wallet (mouse-click) for this content to knock publishers of their high-horse...

This is a humorous retelling of a 16th century Chinese tale, or at least this is what we are told. Monkey is a kind of superman, but he doesn't seem all that bright. His parent was a magic stone, which being a stone could not talk and never gave him a name. He served as a king for some four hundred years but became bored and wanted a higher position. He went to learn with the Patriarch who taught him magic arts and made him immortal. Then he decided he wanted to be a god. His adventures are sometimes ridiculous but always funny and many readers will enjoy them.

I'm reading this weekly with my third grade students. I personally enjoy the story, but can't believe how much they're into it. I thought without pictures I'd be in for some trouble because this is my first time with a Kindle book on the projector. Yet, it works.Initially, I began reading the story with my booming stage voice to keep them interested, but I looked around and saw ten hands raised. I thought they were just going to bug me about getting water so they could get away so I ignored them for a bit. Then, one student blurted, "Can I read?" Well...sure. This continued until just about everyone in the room read a page.Now, I read first and the others read it after I've completed a few pages. They're really into it and learning some huge words at the same time. But I don't have to define too much so it works out.My class loves this.On a more personal note, I had no clue how much Dragon Ball ripped from Sun Wukong. I was amazed and thrilled to read it. It keeps me entertained with or without the kids. I get a little upset when they ask me a question while we're reading it.

Short read, of course, but a classic. Shepard's info at the back regarding his adaptation and the research that went into this version is interesting...perhaps as interesting as the tale itself. As he says, this is a condensation or just a part of the whole story (probably by 吴承恩), which is available to read, but this is certainly able to stand on its own. Great thing about these tales is that the hero doesn't always come out on top...or come out as a hero. There are lessons to learn, we just have to seek them out.

The author states that this is a re-telling of the first few chapters of "Journey Into the West." I have not read "Journey Into the West" but I feel that this is a good introduction to one of China's most well known legends. It is short, but well written and interesting. The only thing I would question is calling Monkey a "superhero" since he is closer to the Norse god, Loki--always causing mischief and mayhem, with a little good.

Classic entertainment.If I'm not mistaken, this is adapted from 16th century Chinese lore. It's the preamble to Journey to the West - a super-bizarre, larger than life superhero story about a badass super-strength monkey (named Monkey - what up creativity?) with a several-ton staff that changes size at will.Anyone who's played the PS3 / 360 game Enslaved - it's a weirdly-adapted version of this story... kind of.This - and Aaron Shepard's entire series of culturally diverse children's story adoptions, are well worth a read.

Found out some time ago that the tale of Monkey, his journeys and companions and enemies was the story basis for the first anime, or Japanese animation, that I ever really fell in love with. I see him clearly in these first few chapters and look forward to readingvthe rest of the tale! I've since found a delightful anime series called Journey To The West that sticks a bit more closely to the original story and it is a delight as well. I hope that I get a chance to finish reading all these fine tales.

This book is only the first part (first & chapters) of the story and doesn't go beyond monkey being thrown out of heaven.I want a refund!!!

I've read the Journey to the West (in Chinese) and Sun Wukong (the name of the monkey and for kids) (in Chinese), and this book comes as a refresher read. The stories are arranged with great faith to the original and told in an equally vivid way, and sometimes more vivid way. Excellent quality in paper and printing as well. Only grip: very expensive (46 pages for $16).

It's ancient and adventurous The monkey played an important role and I like this book a lot the content is excellent

Leicht zu lesen und schön zusammengefasst, allerdings nur der Anfang der gesamten Geschichte. Eigentlich für Kinder gedacht, aber für jemand der zwar gute Englischkenntnisse hat, es aber doch eine Fremdsprache ist, ein angenehm und leicht zu lesendes Buch.

I used to watch Monkey Magic on TV, when I was younger, not knowing it was based on a story. This book, as stated towards the end, is based on the longer story, and is like a epilogue revealing how the Monkey King came into being, how he got his staff, which again I fondly remember from the TV series, along as how he came to ride on a cloud. It's easy to read with numerous humorous tales. I would highly recommend this to anybody, even if you haven't experienced the TV show. A good and fun read

A good read, I can say.