14 replies to this topic

[ShanXiYan]

Hi CHF folks! Hmm looks like it's been quite awhile since I've wandered these threads...

Does anyone here know of any modern, somewhat decent retellings of 西游记/Journey to the West? I don't mean a translation, since they've already been done by bona fide scholars. Besides, direct translations are clunky and tend not to read very well in English. At the same time, I don't mean any of the "retellings" or major plot-changing stories like The Forbidden Kingdom or Dragonball Z in which the general spirit of the story is neglected.

I'm considering attempting a retelling of this story (using the main, most famous parts of the plot but adding other details) in modern novel form. I love this story, grew up watching the '80s tv series adaptation, and I think it rivals any English fantasy novel in scope and fun. I think it's a shame that there's a general lack of an English JTTW retelling that's faithful to the general spirit of the story but is also attractive to the average English reader. Anyone know if this has already been done?

[Pattie]

A quick Amazon search revealed a lot of ponderous and a few, more modern takes. It looks like Monkey: A Journey to the West is closest to what you have in mind.

And because I just love this picture....

[ghostexorcist]

The graphic novel by Katsuya Terada called The Monkey King (Vol. 1) is the only thing I can think of. The overall plot is hard to follow because it flips back and forth between the past and present. There is very little dialogue to help establish what time frame a particular event is happening in. I've read Xiyouji at least 3 times and it was even hard for me to follow. It makes several changes to the original story. For instance, instead of being trapped under the mountain for causing havoc in heaven, Monkey is literally nailed to the side of a cliff for trying to kill the Buddha. He later accepts the mission to transport a blind-folded and gagged nun (carrying a fetus that was once the Tang Monk) to India. Sha Wujing is also just a severed head. It is very dark and sexually charged, definitely not for children. This is as close to a retelling in the literal sense of the word that you will find in English.

[ghostexorcist]

I thought of a way for you to retell the story without changing any major points: write the story entirely from a certain character's perspective. What made me think of this was a book I printed out and bound for my niece. The author of the sappy vampire Twilight series just rewrote the first book from the perspective of the male lead character. It's the same novel, just from a different POV. I think it would work for Xiyouji. Monkey's point of view would be a good start. I would personally steer clear of Xuanzang because he is presented as being a crybaby. Zhu Bajie's POV would be funny. One character you hardly hear about is Sha Wujing, his POV would be interesting. Just a thought.

Edited by ghostexorcist, 03 May 2011 - 01:13 PM.

[Loong]

Actually, you hit a good point here. Normally, I would discuss these stories from the point of view of all 4 major characters, and it would serve as an essay for a college level course.

Surprisingly, most do not realise that the essays normally would follow the following path;

1. Monkey - A very humanistic viewpoint in most discussion, where simple right-wrong, tit-for-tat outlook. Righteous, but rebellious.
2. Pig - A more selfish, self preservation but being capable of "doing the right thing". This is a representation of common less educated persons.
3. ShaWuJing (which is actually a representation by turtle) - this is a less inteligent character which follows and obeys order. In the course of the book, there are contradiction/resentment in his relationship with the other characters.
4. XuanZhuang - the dilemma of buddhist philosophy of compassion and its contradiction with real world values.


Normally, discussion/essay based on XuanZhuang is most difficult, as it needs to discuss the buddhism believes, and how it reconcile with his actions. It is also very interesting for the students to identify all his decisions which contradicts buddhist believe, and the effect of his decisions.

Finally, one would have to find the similarities between the historical records vs Xiyouji to appreciate the adaptation done in writing the novel.

[ShanXiYan]

Thanks for the replies I just got posting rights and I'm eager to elaborate.

I was indeed thinking of retelling the story from a more, you could say, intimate view, from multiple points of view, ideally. Basically, a modern POV that jumps between characters more than the classical tone in which character emotions and thoughts are not particularly elaborated upon. I had once had the grand view of translating the story more rigorously, but that's already been done well by true scholars.

There have been many bastardizations of Xi You Ji (not necessarily all without merit), from the "The Lost Empire" adaptation to Dragonball Z. So think of my idea along these lines, something of a colloquial retelling of the story, caring more about bringing the characters' personalities alive, along with the thrills and wacky plot twists to a new generation of readers. I was wondering if any of you had noticed a book in which this has already been done...

If not, I might give it a shot.

[mariusj]

Dragon Ball was loosely an adaption, while DBZ is not.

[ShanXiYan]

Certainly DBZ not a direct adaptation plotwise, but many elements borrowed for its own purposes are easily recognizable as originating from XYJ. I guess if people had any objections, it didn't stop it from becoming a modern legend in its own right.

Dragon Ball was loosely an adaption, while DBZ is not.

[ghostexorcist]

Thanks for the replies I just got posting rights and I'm eager to elaborate.

I was indeed thinking of retelling the story from a more, you could say, intimate view, from multiple points of view, ideally. Basically, a modern POV that jumps between characters more than the classical tone in which character emotions and thoughts are not particularly elaborated upon. I had once had the grand view of translating the story more rigorously, but that's already been done well by true scholars.

There have been many bastardizations of Xi You Ji (not necessarily all without merit), from the "The Lost Empire" adaptation to Dragonball Z. So think of my idea along these lines, something of a colloquial retelling of the story, caring more about bringing the characters' personalities alive, along with the thrills and wacky plot twists to a new generation of readers. I was wondering if any of you had noticed a book in which this has already been done...

If not, I might give it a shot.

The Lost Empire should NEVER be mentioned ever again. In fact, all copies of the movie and novelization should be gathered up and thrown into a fire! Anyway, the closest thing I can think of is a continuation of the novel called the Xiyoubu (Supplement to the Journey to the West). It was written in 1640 by Dong Yue in an effort to have Monkey face a foe that he could not defeat with his great strength and martial skill. A fish demon traps him in a dream realm so it can eat the Tang priest without having to face Sun in battle. The dream world is an odd place where Monkey travels back and forth through time trying to locate the Tang priest, who has given up his quest for the west, taken a wife, and become a general in the army. There are numerous times that Monkey is helpless, creating a lot of internal dialogue.

[ShanXiYan]

The Lost Empire should NEVER be mentioned ever again. In fact, all copies of the movie and novelization should be gathered up and thrown into a fire! Anyway, the closest thing I can think of is a continuation of the novel called the Xiyoubu (Supplement to the Journey to the West). It was written in 1640 by Dong Yue in an effort to have Monkey face a foe that he could not defeat with his great strength and martial skill. A fish demon traps him in a dream realm so it can eat the Tang priest without having to face Sun in battle. The dream world is an odd place where Monkey travels back and forth through time trying to locate the Tang priest, who has given up his quest for the west, taken a wife, and become a general in the army. There are numerous times that Monkey is helpless, creating a lot of internal dialogue.

I suppose I should count myself lucky that I never watched said movie/series then. I only knew about it when doing a little surfing for XYJ-related adaptations awhile back and heard some horror stories. I had watched a Hong Kong adaptation in which Wukong falls in love with the White Bone Demon, among other plot changes (I know it was for comedic effect/parody but still hated it) and I never would want to completely pervert the general personalities of the characters like that. But...to create slightly different quests, or to change some events to make them flow better logically (or with as much logic as the story allows), and to tweak some of the character traits...I'd feel comfortable doing that.

That's a pretty darn awesome sequel idea.

[ghostexorcist]

I suppose I should count myself lucky that I never watched said movie/series then. I only knew about it when doing a little surfing for XYJ-related adaptations awhile back and heard some horror stories. I had watched a Hong Kong adaptation in which Wukong falls in love with the White Bone Demon, among other plot changes (I know it was for comedic effect/parody but still hated it) and I never would want to completely pervert the general personalities of the characters like that. But...to create slightly different quests, or to change some events to make them flow better logically (or with as much logic as the story allows), and to tweak some of the character traits...I'd feel comfortable doing that.

That's a pretty darn awesome sequel idea.

Yep, the adult film actress Bai Ling plays the Bodhisattva Guanyin. She falls in love with a caucasian character sent into the past to help the Monkey King. STUPID! STUPID! STUPID!

The sequel was written in 1640. I've read an English translation of the Xiyoubu called the Tower of Myriad Mirrors. The fish demon that Monkey faces is an embodiment of desire. Monkey becomes susceptible to its power because he was sexually aroused by being inside the stomach of the Rakshasa Princess Iron Fan. The reader later finds out, in the dream world, contrary to normal biology, she becomes pregnant with and gives birth to five sons simply because Monkey was in her stomach. One of these sons is a great demon called King Paramita (Perfection). Monkey faces him in battle at the end of the novel. The story contained in the brief 16 chapter book takes place between chapters 61 and 62 of the original novel.

Edited by ghostexorcist, 19 May 2011 - 02:50 AM.

[ShanXiYan]

Been awhile since I last visited, but I am currently working on a retelling, partly based on direct translations, and drawing from tv adaptations I've seen, along with my own imagination for inspiration. It's slow going since I'm busy with other things, but I'm gonna give this one a shot!

[ghostexorcist]

Good luck on your project.

[Sabrina Gage]

Hope you can get it done as soon as possible. I am a crazy fan for this fiction as it's quite interesting.

[longbaby]

During the journey to the west, Sanzang overcame 81 difficulties. But the last one of being overturned by a tortoise in Tongtian River is not satistactory to readers. In 1920s, the famous scholar, Hushi rewrote this part. On the way back China Sanzang was taken away by a demon during sleep one night, On a mountain he found himself surrounded by all demons and goblins who had been killed by Sun Wukong on the journey to the west. They shouted that they were pitiful and didn't get a meat of Sanzang before being killed. Sanzang was sympathatic and agreed to offer his meat to them. He used a knife to cut his meat piece by piece. Just when he cut the last meat, he was awaken suddenly and realized all had been just a dream. This story by Hushi impressed me a lot.
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