吴承恩所著的《西游记》是中国文学史上第一部杰出的富于浪漫主义色彩的长篇神魔小说。全书主要描写了孙悟空大闹天宫及后来皈依佛门，和猪八戒、沙和尚共保唐僧西天取经，历经九九八十一难，最后取得真经，修成“正果”的故事。小说着重表现了孙悟空斩妖除魔，不畏艰险，勇于斗争的精神，素有“反抗者赞歌”之誉。小说同时又把社会幻想化，将辛辣的讽刺同批判艺术巧妙结合，在荒诞与怪异中表现了社会生活的现象与本质。

吴承恩（1504-1582年），字汝忠，号射阳山人，江苏淮安人。山阳县（今江苏省淮安市楚州区）人，明代杰出的小说家。其代表作有《西游记》，其余作品还有《禹鼎志》，但已散佚，另有《射阳先生存稿》。
吴承恩出生于一个由学官沦落为小商人的家庭，家境贫寒。他自幼聪明过人，少年得志，喜欢古代神话和民间传说，因文才出众，在故乡受到人们的赏识与好评，认为他科举及第，“如拾一芥”。《淮安府志》载他“性敏而多慧，博极群书，为诗文下笔立成。”因科考的屡次失败，生活的穷困潦倒，加深了他对封建科举制度、黑暗社会现实的认识，促使他运用神怪小说的形式来表达内心的痛苦与愤懑。他自言：“虽然吾书名为志怪，盖不专明鬼，实记人间变异，亦微有鉴戒寓焉。”
吴承恩大约40岁才补得一个岁贡生，到北京等待分配官职，没有被选上，由于母老家贫，去做了长兴县丞，终因受人诬告，两年后“拂袖而归”，晚年以卖文为生，大约活了将近80岁。《天启淮安府志》评价他“性敏而多慧，博极群书，为诗文下笔立成，清雅流丽，有秦少游之风复善谐谑，所著杂记几种，名震一时。”不过都是他死后的事了。他一生创作丰富，但是由于家贫，又没有子女。作品多散失。

Chapter 1
The Divine Root conceives and the spring breaks forth;As the mind's nature is cultivated, the Great Way arises.
Chapter 2
He becomes aware of the wonderful truth of enlightenment;By killing the demon he realizes his spirit-nature.
Chapter 3
The Four Seas and Thousand Mountains all submit;In the Ninth Hell the Tenth Category is struck off the register.
Chapter 4
Dissatisfied at being appointed Protector of the Horses;Not content with the title of Equal of Heaven.
Chapter 5
After chaos among the peaches the Great Sage steals the pills;In the revolt against Heaven the gods capture the demons.
Chapter 6
Guanyin comes to the feast and asks the reason why;The Little Sage uses his might to subdue the Great Sage.
Chapter 7
The Great Sage escapes from the Eight Trigrams Furnace;The Mind Ape is fixed beneath Five Elements Mountain.
Chapter 8
Our Buddha creates the Scriptures and passes on Perfect Bliss;Guanyin obeys a decree and goes to Chang'an.
Chapter 9
Chen Guangrui comes to grief on his way to his post;The monk of the river current avenges his parents.
Chapter 10
With a stupid plan the dragon king breaks the laws of Heaven;Minister Wei sends a letter to an officer of Hell.
Chapter 11
After touring the underworld, Taizong returns to life;By presenting a pumpkin Liu Quan continues his marriage.
Chapter 12
The Tang Emperor keeps faith and holds a Great Mass;Guanyin appears to the reincarnated Golden Cicada.
Chapter 13
He falls into the tiger's den and is saved by the Great White Planet;On Double-Forked Peak Boqin entertains the priest.
Chapter 14
The mind-ape returns to truth;The six bandits disappear without trace.
Chapter 15
On the Coiled Snake Mountain the gods give secret help;In the Eagle's Sorrow Gorge the thought-horse is reined in.
Chapter 16
The monks of the Guanyin Monastery plot to take the treasure;The monster of the Black Wind Mountain steals the cassock.
Chapter 17
Brother Monkey makes trouble on the Black Wind Mountain;Guanyin subdues the Bear Spirit.
Chapter 18
The Tang Priest is rescued in the Guanyin Temple;The Great Sage removes a monster from Gao Village.
Chapter 19
In the Cloud Pathway Cave Sun Wukong wins over Zhu Bajie;On Pagoda Mountain Xuanzang receives the Heart Sutra.
Chapter 20
The Tang Priest meets trouble on the Yellow Wind Ridge;Pig wins mastery halfway up the mountain.
Chapter 21
The Guardians of the Faith build a farm for the Great Sage;Lingji from Sumeru pacifies the wind devil.
Chapter 22
Pig fights a great battle in the Flowing Sands River;Moksa obeys the Dharma and wins Friar Sand over.
Chapter 23
Sanzang does not forget the basic;The four holy ones have their piety tested.
Chapter 24
On the Mountain of Infinite Longevity a great immortal entertains an old friend;In the Wuzhuang Temple Monkey steals manfruit.
Chapter 25
The Immortal Zhen Yuan captures the pilgrim priest;Monkey makes havoc in the Wuzhuang Temple.
Chapter 26
Sun Wukong looks for the formula in the Three Islands;Guanyin revives the tree with a spring of sweet water.
Chapter 27
The corpse fiend thrice tricks Tang Sanzang;The holy monk angrily dismisses the Handsome Monkey King.
Chapter 28
On the Mountain of Flowers and Fruit the devils rise;Sanzang meets a monster in the Black Pine Forest.
Chapter 29
Sanzang, delivered, crosses a border;A grateful Pig tours mountains and forests.
Chapter 30
An Evil Monster harms the true law;The Thought-Horse remembers the Mind-Ape.
Chapter 31
Pig moves the Monkey King through his goodness;Sun the Novice subdues the ogre through cunning.
……

《西游记》是中国四大古典名著之一，是神魔章回小说的代表作，也是古代长篇浪漫主义小说的巅峰之作。小说描写了孙悟空、猪八戒、沙和尚保护唐三藏去西天取经，历经八十一难，取回真经，皆成正果的故事。小说充满了神奇的幻想，在读者面前展开了一个五光十色的幻想世界。
《西游记》是我国文化遗产中的瑰宝。它以丰富奇特的艺术想象、生动曲折的故事情节、栩栩如生的人物形象、幽默诙谐的语言，构筑了一座独具特色的艺术宫殿，相信它会给每一个读者带来愉悦的阅读体验。