Monkey King Makes Havoc in Heaven

Wu Cheng’en

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Paperback

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Chinese

Penguin
15 July 2025

Fiction & Literature; Classic fiction (pre c 1945); Fiction in translation

Series: Penguin Archive

90 classic titles celebrating 90 years of Penguin Books

Wu Cheng'en's 16th-century novel Journey to the West is 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.

By: Wu Cheng’en
Imprint: Penguin
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 179mm, Width: 111mm, Spine: 6mm
Weight: 74g
ISBN: 9780241752401
ISBN 10: 024175240X
Series: Penguin Archive
Pages: 112
Publication Date: 15 July 2025
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Forthcoming

Very little is known about Wu Cheng'en (c. 1505-80), although he is believed to have held the post of District Magistrate for a time. He had a reputation as a good poet, but only a few rather commonplace verses of his survive in an anthology of Ming poetry and in a local gazetteer.