Surprised how much came back to me from the kids TV show in the '80s - the cloud to transport him, the crown that controls Monkey by giving him a headache, the staff that can change size, Pigsy, Sandy and Tripitaka of course. The book is very playful and joyous, and not at all serious as the pilgrims get into ridiculous scrapes and adventures. Tripitaka is not the saintly monk I remember, he's scared, venal, selfish and a little tetchy at times. a very humane story with flawed characters on a quest. The Chinese idea of heaven as a bureaucracy intrigues me and always makes me think of the marvellous A Matter of Life and Death
No comments:
Post a Comment