The Monkey King

by Timothy Mo

The Poons, according to gossip in post-war Hong Kong, have plenty of money. But when Wallace Nolasco marries May Ling, daughter of the house of Poon, he finds he has been sold short. Wallace is relegated to the bottom of the household pecking order. By the author of "Sour Sweet".

Genres: Fiction, China, Contemporary, British Literature, Novels, Asian Literature

256 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1978

About the author

Timothy Peter Mo is an Anglo-Chinese novelist. He is the son of a British mother and a Hong Kong Chinese father. He came to Britain as a 10-year-old.

Reviews

[Stephen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Give me Mo(re). I was transported to early 1950s Hong Kong by TM's 1978 debut. I know this coincides with Mo's own infancy, as he spent his first ten years in the colony before moving to the UK in the early 1960s. British Asian experience would be the subject of his sophomore, 'Sour Sweet', which had a harder gritty comic-drama clash of flavours. In 'The Monkey King' it's a lighter joy sauce, laced with umami of savory observational realism.

Few authors in the 1970s and 1980s can surely have matched Mo's early hit rate with the prize committees. He won the Geoffrey Faber Prize at the first attempt ('The Monkey King'); 'Sour Sweet' almost made it a triple by winning the Whitbread Prize and by winning the Hawthornden Prize. It only just missed after it also made the final six for the Booker Prize. Remarkably, Mo's third (much longer) novel ('An Insular Possession') yet again made the Booker Shortlist in 1986. I picked up the last of these today, and am looking forward to diving in.

I've not quite managed to give top marks to Mo yet, but can understand why he garnered such acclaim. 'Sour Sweet' was just too brutal to be entirely my cup of tea. 'The Monkey King' was more offbeat for these occidental eyes, but it charmed me for the first half. Section One was genuinely funny, while it furnished me with a new perspective on the hierarchies, familial dynamics, loyalties and circumvented etiquette that might be found in families coexisting through custom. Sections 2 and 3 lost some of the humour and became more disjointedly picaresque (usually not my favourite), but this was several leagues more entertaining for me than Cervantes or even Naipaul's 'Mr Biswas' (it felt especially similar in some ways to the latter).

Mo's subsequent output would prove more sparing than some, with four year intervals between his next two novels. Based on the first two, it's quality over quantity.

[Phae · Rating 3 out of 5]

There is a family which owns dozens of rental buildings in the nearest urban centre to where I live, and even though they are millionaires, several hundred times over, they won't spend a nickel to keep out the rats and cockroaches. Every city has landowners like these, people who are swimming in wealth and yet are absolute and contemptible misers, hording their wealth, equating their lives of deprivation, and the deprivations they force upon others, as emblems of virtue.

The Poon Family is one such Hong Kong dynasty in Timothy Mo's satirical comedy, and when Wallace Nolasco marries into it, instead of finding himself rolling in wealth, prestige and power, he winds up at the bottom of their nasty little pecking order. Fortunately, like the legendary monkey king, he is quite a clever fellow.

[Tin Wee · Rating 3 out of 5]

A reading for my ethics and authority class. I'd recommend this for a chinese audience, or an audience who had spent some time in China/ HK/ Macau/ Singapore who might better appreciate the chinese colloquialisms which are reproduced in full in this book. The story is about Wallace Nolasco, who is married into the Poon family as a compromise choice to further the Poon lineage. He is caught up in the intrigues within the family, and subsequently sent to lay low after being involved in obtaining government contracts corruptly. While in hiding he shows his resourcefulness and business head, and is recalled back to head the family. A recurrent theme is about how Wallace seeks to add value in his relations to his family, friends and community, and you are just drawn to cheer for this underdog that makes good. The story itself is descriptive and funny, and well worth a read.

[HadiDee · Rating 3 out of 5]

The only book I've read by TImothy Mo was The Redundancy of Courage, about the war and conflict in East Timor. So I was not at all prepared for this viciously funny look at family life in Hong Kong. I loved the deadpan non-judgemental writing, and the depiction of the family - in all their pragmatism, cruelty, obedience, fear, small rebellions - was perfectly caught. The second part dragged a bit, but part one was excellent, the section on Wallace commandeering May Ling and how it sets the entire household off-balance was beautifully observed. A real flashback to my time in Hong Kong.

[Anjuna Harper · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a neat little find. It had potential. Set in 1950s Hong Kong just after the Pacific war ended, it tells as story about a hong kongese family that Wallace, a Portuguese man enters into there were quite a few jokes that I found really funny. Unfortunately it’s told exactly like real life, and the excessive detail doesn’t serve any plot, also, his style of writing is a little confusing and I found myself having to reread pages from missing important details because of different social queue ect

[Caroline Weber · Rating 1 out of 5]

Interesting "slice of life" in post-revolution/civil war Hong Kong. A Filipino man marries into a Chinese family, and the various race relations and tensions are examined: Chinese, Filipino, British, American, Indian; Communists and British; and then the various ethnic groups within the Chinese population (Hakka vs. Han vs. Manchu...).

But the "pidgeon English" that is used for the dialogue is annoying, and the domestic violence (yes - all against women), is intolerable.

[Matthew · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well-written at the level of word-choice and sentences, but the ironic style, whilst entertaining, left me a bit cold towards the characters. The parts in the city didn't give me much of a sense of place - I would have preferred more description. The part in the countryside was better in this respect and had some interesting historical details, even though it felt somewhat contrived. However, despite these "issues" (seemingly intentional?) and a lack of plot, it kept my attention somehow.

[Bob · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was disappointing. I expected more after greatly enjoying Redundancy of Courage and An Insular Possession.
Like the latter this book is set largely in Hong Kong. A fairly insipid family saga but the constant use of pidgin in dialogue was unnecessary and increasingly irritating.
There is an interesting description of a mass ball game which is reminiscent of The Ba’ played on Orkney (and similar elsewhere in Britain) in the 19th and 20th Centuries with rules akin to those of Mornington Crescent.

[Jane E · Rating 3 out of 5]

Definitely a first novel. Well written but too many plot threads that go nowhere and characters that are not well developed. None the less it is funny and a very easy read. (Purchased secondhand at the Miami Book Fair)

[T · Rating 1 out of 5]

Couldn't finish it.....far too many other books I want to read than to spend time trying to get through it.

The Monkey King is an old Chinese tale, but this version deals with a Portuguese man named Wallace who is married off to a somewhat poor Chinese woman, and living with her extended family.

[Megan Halili · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm so curious for a sequel...more-ish!

[juicyD · Rating 2 out of 5]

this felt 500 pages longer than it was. i wanted to enjoy Wallace’s goofy antics and the family dynamics but it was too yawn-inducing

[Mark Thuell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lovely insights in the Chinese character and life in Hong Kong in the 60s.The New Territory sections comic aspect and story didn’t to me ring true with the rest of the book.

[jojo · Rating 3 out of 5]

the three parts of the book are so distinct and different from each other, overall a funnier sillier drier read because it begins as a I guess western or outside critique of the Chinese customs?? and he describes the cantonese in a bumbling uncivilised light, but as time goes on, he integrates into his married family and better understands the community politics because Wallace gets wrapped up into it. I think I really disliked part 2, it dragged and said nothing for so long, and the shortest section at the end was really just Wallace taking over after Mr Poon's death and I don't know if I liked it! a bit too much pidgin and alternative language phrases that were not explained but easy to read past, and the writing style is so heavy on the descriptions - as in everything introduced in any scene had to be given at least two or three compound descriptors but that's a personal gripe!

[Bookworm Amir · Rating 1 out of 5]

OK this book tries to highlight the small squabbles and quislings of a close knit Chinese family life where the narrator, a white man, marries into the family.

Offering personal and private insights into the nitty-gritty details that make up the (so the very Asian, so the very jealous) Asian family feuds, it was a bit too slow for me but it did show the funny and almost racist way of how Asians tend to think and act.

And while this book was written back I don't know when, a lot of 'Chinese' racist stereotypes are present (and its fine) because looking at the context and the time that the book was written the author wasn't trying to demean them, but actually show how us Asians really do can treat others and behave.

Stopped reading the book halfway through, but if you're into the life of an expat and/or are Chinese (heck, why them only, if you're ASIAN too), or married with one, you might enjoy this book.

[Redfox5 · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hmmm. I didn't find this book all that interesting. Some parts were just most of it wasn't. I'm very glad I don't live with the Poons. It seemed like such a depressing household to be in. They just seemed to enjoy making each other miserable. I liked May Ling the most even though in the beginning I thought she was quiet mean ignoring her nephew. I did also like Wallace but at times we get reminded that he can also be quiet cruel. I wouldn't read this book again but I would give another book of Timothy Mo's a read.

[Fiona Robson · Rating 1 out of 5]

I cannot give this book any stars as it has to be one of the worst books I have ever read. I just couldn't get into it and it was so boring. I actually bought this when I was about 14 because I thought it would make me look clever! Only just got around to reading it now and wished I hadn't bothered. About a dysfunctional family in Hong Kong. I suppose it would be interesting if you either lived or were visitng Hong Kong, but other than that ... I wouldn't bother.

[Jill]

The Monkey King by Timothy Mo (1988)

[Lysergius · Rating 3 out of 5]

A marvellous account of intimate family relationships set partly in Hong Kong.

[Tracey · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the funniest books I've ever read

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

What is significance of the monkey king in Chinese mythology can anyone enlighten me?