Review: Monkey King Volume 1 Birth of the Stone Monkey by Wei Dong Chen

SUMMARY FROM NETGALLEY.COM:

Cited as one of the greatest Chinese novels, MONKEY KING (The Journey to the West, 西游记) follows the adventures of Sun Wu Kong, born from a stone on Spring Mountain and given the title of the Handsome Monkey King, who seeks to learn the secret of eternal life. Under the tutelage of the Buddhist Master Puti, Sun Wu Kong becomes incredibly powerful, but his hubris grows until he has run afoul of the gods, who dispatch an army to Spring Mountain to subdue the Monkey King, who has declared himself the "Emperor of Heaven."

MY TAKE:

I first became acquainted with The Monkey King through the movie The Forbidden Kingdom. In the film, Jet Li's Monkey King is quite serious, although in flashbacks, it's clear that The Monkey King is quite mischievous.

In The Monkey King, we learn about the origins of The Monkey King. The Monkey King is playful, a joker, but he can come across as a jerk. He's the kind of character whom you find likable some times and extremely annoying the next. Kinda like Spongebob Squarepants. :D

The book's best parts are the funny lines said by The Monkey King. The corresponding illustrations are perfect for the lines. It reminds me a little bit of The Avatar. The Monkey King does remind me a little bit of Aang, although a much angrier and slightly annoying version of Aang.

Thanks to NetGalley and Myrick Marketing & Media LLC for the e-ARC.

THE GOOD:

1. You learn more about the legend of The Monkey King.
2. There are lot of fun moments in the book.
3. The illustration style is a perfect blend of East and West.

THE BAD:

1. The character summary at the start of the book may spoil the story for you.

FAVORITE QUOTE/S:

"Handsome Monkey King"? You're right. I am Handsome!

READ IT IF:

1. You like reading about ancient Chinese legends.
2. You enjoyed The Forbidden Kingdom.
3. You like funny/annoying heroes.

RATING:



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