ChinaTalk

Mao and the Monkey King

Sep 22, 2021

Julia Lovell, a prominent author known for her works on modern Chinese history, shares insights on the classic novel 'Journey to the West.' She delves into the origins of this literary masterpiece, focusing on the iconic character Sun Wukong. Lovell discusses Mao Zedong's surprising identification with the Monkey King and how adaptations during his reign censored over 90% of the story. The conversation also reveals the challenges of translating this rich text, highlighting themes of rebellion, humor, and cultural context.

38:32

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Episode guests

Julia Lovell

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Episode notes

Intro

5min

Translating 'Journey to the West'

13min

Mao, Monkeys, and Modern Misogyny

12min

Navigating Humor and Descriptive Richness in Translation

5min

Energetic Expressions of Joy and Celebration

3min

Julia Lovell, author of Maoism: A Global History and The Opium War: Drugs, Dreams and the Making of China, discusses translating Journey to the West (https://www.amazon.com/Monkey-King-Journey-Classics-Hardcover/dp/0143107186), for English audiences.

Joined by translator Brendan O'Kane as co-host, on this episode we discuss:

The origins of Journey to the West and the exploits of its primate protagonist Sun Wukong.
Mao's relationship to the novel and how he saw himself in the Monkey King.
Why performances of the story in the Mao era cut out more than 90% of the story

Outtro music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tvA78U8sWn0 Great Sage Equal to Heaven by Hua Chenyu

Want to meet up in the bay Oct 5-10th? Hit me up on twitter or at jorschneider @ gmail

Outtro music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tvA78U8sWn0 Great Sage Equal to Heaven by Hua Chenyu

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