Author: Wu Cheng'en
Translator: Li Zhi
Publisher: Shanghai Guji Publishing House
Format: Hardcover
Genre: Fantasy
Date: May 2007
Pages: 1353
Book Series: The Four Great Classical Novels with Commentaries by Renowned Scholars
Number of issues: 8
ISBN: 9787532517817
Language: Chinese
Adaptation: Retelling
Summary:
Journey to the West: The Li Zhuowu Annotated Edition (available in two volumes, featuring vertical, traditional-character typesetting) is a boxed set comprising Journey to the West: The Li Zhuowu Annotated Edition (Volume I) and Journey to the West: The Li Zhuowu Annotated Edition (Volume II). This edition is one of only four surviving Ming-dynasty printed versions of Journey to the West; the original is held in Japan, while only later reprints exist within China. Among the extant Ming-dynasty editions, this is the only one that includes critical commentary. Furthermore, as most Qing-dynasty annotated editions focus primarily on Buddhist interpretations, this version stands as the only one to offer commentary from a literary perspective. The annotations provide insightful analysis of the novel’s structure, characterization, and language; filled with brilliant, witty remarks, they frequently elicit knowing laughter from the reader and hold significant scholarly value.
Journey to the West (Annotated Edition by Li Zhuowu) (2015) 李卓吾批评本·西游记
Author: Wu Cheng'en (Ming Dynasty) / Commentary by Li Zhuowu (Ming Dynasty)
Translator: Chen Hong / Yang Bo / Li Zhi
Publisher: Yuelu Publishing House
Format: Hardcover
Genre: Fantasy
Date: September 2015
Pages: 816
Book Series: Annotated and Critiqued Editions of the Four Great Classical Novels (Collector’s Edition)
Number of issues: 4
ISBN: 9787553803661
Language: Chinese
Adaptation: Retelling
Summary:
Journey to the West comprises several narrative arcs—the birth of the Monkey King, the havoc wreaked in Heaven, the origins of the monk Tang Seng, the impetus for the pilgrimage, and the journey to the Western Heaven itself—with the pilgrimage serving as the central, unifying thread. The narrative progresses through this quest, with each of the "eighty-one tribulations" introducing various conflicts and climactic moments that oscillate between the perilous and the lighthearted. Throughout these successive trials, the text intricately unfolds the tensions between the pilgrims and the demons and spirits they encounter, the struggles against the natural environment, and the interpersonal conflicts—most notably between Tang Seng and Sun Wukong, and between Zhu Bajie and Sun Wukong. The result is a fantastical, ever-shifting, and deeply engaging narrative.
This edition features comprehensive commentary attributed to Li Zhuowu, though it was likely penned by the Ming-dynasty writer Ye Zhou. While his critical framework may lack the systematic rigor of Jin Shengtan’s, Ye Zhou—bridging the gap between Li Zhuowu and Jin Shengtan—offers unique insights into the fantastical nature of Journey to the West. His perspective is far more astute than that of critics like Jin Shengtan, Mao Zonggang, or Zhang Zhupo, who tended to dismiss or disparage the artistic achievements of the novel.
"Those who read Journey to the West without grasping the author’s true intent might mistake it for mere jest. I shall highlight these points one by one, so that the author’s original purpose does not remain obscured. Take the first chapter, for instance—it is brimming with profound wonders; to truly comprehend its meaning is more rewarding than reading through the entire Buddhist canon. The text itself refers to the work as a 'Tale of Deliverance from Tribulation' (Shi’e Zhuan), implying that reading it can liberate one from adversity. If, after finishing Journey to the West, one remains burdened by such tribulations, has one not failed the work itself? And what does 'deliverance from tribulation' mean? It is simply the attainment of liberation." Such critical observations—attributed to Li Zhuowu—are concise and restrained, yet they strike directly at the essence of the work, inviting deep reflection.
