# Where can I find Monkey King/Journey to the West etext in English? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 13, 2001, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-find-monkey-king-journey-to-the-west-etext-in-english/57803 "2001-03-13T15:11:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2001, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-find-monkey-king-journey-to-the-west-etext-in-english/57803/1 "2001-03-13T15:11:41Z")
There are plenty available in Chinese, but I don’t read Chinese. The one place that I found it in English sold a hard copy. I suppose translators have to eat too, but … NBC’s “The Lost Kingdom” miniseries got me interested in reading the original, although I would guess that it isn’t an allegory on the Cultural Revolution, being about 350 years old. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2001, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-find-monkey-king-journey-to-the-west-etext-in-english/57803/2 "2001-03-13T22:40:11Z")
\ I retain my faith that, if anybody knows where to find this, it’s my pals at the SDMB. ---
**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2001, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-find-monkey-king-journey-to-the-west-etext-in-english/57803/3 "2001-03-14T01:27:41Z")
[The Gutenberg project](http://www.gutenberg.net) has “Journey to the Western Isles of Scotland”. Sorry, that’s all I could find. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![HoldenCaulfield](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/22d042/32.png) [@HoldenCaulfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HoldenCaulfield)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2001, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-find-monkey-king-journey-to-the-west-etext-in-english/57803/4 "2001-03-14T01:43:50Z")
The series Dragonball is based on Journey to the West, so you may want to ask on one of those message boards or check out websites. I suggest [http://www.planetnamek.com/](http://www.planetnamek.com/) ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2001, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-find-monkey-king-journey-to-the-west-etext-in-english/57803/5 "2001-03-14T05:08:29Z")
[whiney voice] But DragonballZ is so FIFTH GRADE! Can’t I at least ask at a board that caters to fans of the live-action, Japanese series of the late Seventies? At least it’s obscure enough here to be cool. [/whiney voice] Boy, my kids get p\*ssed off when I pronounce it “Dragonballs” rather than “Dragonball Z.” \ Arnold, don’t you think I would have checked Gutenburg FIRST?!?!? I mean, their CDs are right next to my knee, fercryinoutloud! You have apparently mistaken me for one of my daughters, who lack the tenacity required to follow every link that Google provides. I do not admit defeat easily, but this has defeated me. 😉 I am very disappointed in the SDMB. I cannot imagine that this does not exist (in free form) SOMEPLACE, and I assumed that you people would know where to find it. It’s not like I’m asking about something hard, like that biography of Karen Carpenter with the Barbie dolls or the pornographic outtakes from “Performance.” Guess I have to spend more on library fines taking out the Berlitz Mandarin tapes from the library than it would cost me to just buy the d_mn_d books from [Amazon.](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/sim-explorer/explore-items/-/7119016636/0/ref=pd_sim_elt_mor/107-1009867-3188513)😉 [sub]Thanks, Holden. I didn’t know the relationship between the stories and “DragonballZ,” and looking over your link has shown that I probably WILL have to pay for it! Sheesh, the d_mn_d book has been in the PD forever, but, apparently, none of the translations. What the h_ll were China scholars translating a hundred years ago, Ch\*\*rm_n M\*\*? ---
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2001, 6:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-find-monkey-king-journey-to-the-west-etext-in-english/57803/6 "2001-03-14T06:46:26Z")
Wow… do you mean Monkey, Tripitaka, Sandy, and crew?! I lent my copy to my mom a while back, so I don’t recall the publisher / translator off the top of my head. Go to Amazon and search “Journey to the West” - I just did and found several versions. The author’s name is Wu Cheng’en, if that helps in your search. If that is not what you’re talking about, well, go read it anyway - your life will be much brighter afterwards. If you take a peek into [this](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=46746) short thread you’ll find a couple other posters who have read it. A fantastic work, it made the short list of books I’ll want on a desert island. I hope that helps or at least addresses your OP. If you find yourself in a bind, let me know and I’ll try and get the copy back from my folks to lend to you. ---
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2001, 6:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-find-monkey-king-journey-to-the-west-etext-in-english/57803/7 "2001-03-14T06:48:56Z")
Ugh… sorry about no clicking your link first. It’s late and I’m tired. What’s the question again? ---
**Author:** ![don\_Jaime](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b4bc9f/32.png) [@don\_Jaime](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_Jaime)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2001, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-find-monkey-king-journey-to-the-west-etext-in-english/57803/8 "2001-03-14T16:42:35Z")
You might try for the Arthur Waley’s abridged version, called _Monkey_. It’s pretty old, and focuses more on the Great Sage’s origins than on the actual journey (a shame - the journey’s more interesting). You should be able to turn it up at eBay or your local old book dealer.