JourneytotheWest,commonlyknowntothewesternreadersasMonkey,isasupernaturalnovelaboutaworldofoffantasticinvention,inwhichgodsanddemonsloomlargeandvieforsupremacy.Thenovelbeganwithaseriesoforalandwrittenversions,andeventuallyattaineditsmostdefinitiveversionwrittenbyWuCh'eng-en(1500?-1582),ascholar-officialintheYantzeregion,andpublishedin1592.
ThestoryofJourneytotheWestisdividedintothreeparts:(1)anearlyhistoryoftheMonkeyspirit;(2)pseudo-historicalaccountofTripitaka'sfamilyandlifebeforehistriptotofetchthesutrasintheWesternHeaven;(3)themainstory,consistingof81dangersandcalamitiesencounteredbyTripitakaandhisthreeanimalspiritdisciples-Monkey,Pigsy,andSandy(afishspirit).
