One of China's greatest novels is the sixteenth-century Xiyou ji 西遊記 or Journey to the West. Its central figure is the legendary Monkey King who is both prankster and serious Buddhist pilgrim, monstrous warrior and interpreter of difficult philosophy as well. Widely revered as a deity, he also plays a major role in the numerous literary sequels, films, television dramas, video games, and other spin-offs of the novel—each with a slightly different take on his journey to bring religious wisdom and wicked humor back to China, and from China on to the world!
Robert E. Hegel, Liselotte Dieckmann Professor of Comparative Literature and Professor of Chinese at Washington University in St. Louis, is a specialist in the narrative and theatrical traditions of late imperial China. He has been reading about the Monkey King for over fifty years.