Which Chinese Novels In English Have The Best Translations?

Okay, here’s my enthusiastic hot take: if you want translations that actually let the Chinese novels breathe in English, start with the ones that readers and scholars keep pointing to again and again.

For modern sci‑fi and genre stuff, 'The Three-Body Problem' translated by Ken Liu is a standout — he keeps the scientific chill and the human smallness intact while making the prose sing in English. For contemporary literary voices, Howard Goldblatt’s translations (think 'Red Sorghum' and many of Mo Yan’s books) feel very natural; he smooths difficult idioms without losing the original’s bite. When you want faithful, annotated classics, Anthony C. Yu’s multivolume 'Journey to the West' is academic gold: dense, full of cultural notes, and astonishingly readable for such a massive work.

If you crave the canonical Chinese novels, the usual holy trinity has reliable English renderings: David Hawkes (with John Minford completing later volumes) for 'Dream of the Red Chamber' is lyrical and painstaking; Moss Roberts’ 'Romance of the Three Kingdoms' balances scholarship with readability; Arthur Waley’s 'Monkey' (his version of 'Journey to the West') is lighter and brilliant for first-timers. For older yet influential translations, Pearl S. Buck’s 'All Men Are Brothers' (the 'Water Margin') is dated but historically important — I treat it like a doorway, then move on to more modern editions.

Beyond who translated what, I always hunt for editions with good footnotes and an introduction explaining cultural references. That context changes everything. Personally, I bounce between a cosy, narrative translation for pleasure and a fuller, annotated one when I want to dig deeper — both are valid ways to enjoy these books.

If you want a quick starter list from me: pick 'The Three-Body Problem' (Ken Liu) for modern sci‑fi; 'Red Sorghum' (Howard Goldblatt) to taste contemporary literary China; and for the classics grab Anthony C. Yu’s 'Journey to the West' or David Hawkes’ 'Dream of the Red Chamber' if you want depth and culture notes. I usually suggest starting with a palatable, narrative translation to get hooked, then revisiting the book in a more annotated edition if you want the historical and cultural layers.

I also love recommending Moss Roberts’ 'Romance of the Three Kingdoms' for that intoxicating mix of strategy and character — his edition helps when names and factions start to blur. If you’re unsure where to begin, try a translated short story collection by someone like Lu Xun or a modern novella: they’re digestible and show you the translator’s hand without the commitment of a thousand‑page epic. Honestly, good translations vary by taste: some people want lyrical prose, others want literal faithfulness, so try one of each and see which style clicks with you.

I get a little scholarly impulse sometimes and love collecting editions, so my recommendations skew toward translations that respect both text and context.

For the large classical epics, I lean on editions that come with commentary. Anthony C. Yu’s 'Journey to the West' is invaluable if you care about ritual, religion, and intertextual echoes — it’s dense but rewarding. David Hawkes’ translation of 'Dream of the Red Chamber', supplemented by John Minford’s later completion, reads like elegant English prose while preserving the novel’s melancholy and irony. Moss Roberts’ 'Romance of the Three Kingdoms' is another carefully footnoted edition that helps English readers follow political maneuvering without losing narrative drive.

On the modern side, Howard Goldblatt’s long career translating contemporary Chinese into lucid English makes authors like Mo Yan and Su Tong accessible without flattening their voices. For science fiction, Ken Liu’s translation of 'The Three-Body Problem' is widely praised because it captures both technical ideas and the novel’s emotional core. When I suggest what to buy, I prioritize translations that include translator’s notes or a short essay: those pages often explain choices that otherwise feel mysterious to Western readers. If you’re building a home library, mix a readable edition for casual reading with a scholarly one when you want to study — the contrast is part of the fun.

The treatment of honorifics and names is a minefield. Should it be 'Big Brother Wang' or 'Wang-ge'? 'Elder Sister Li' or 'Li-jie'? The best translations pick a system and stick to it, and often explain it early on. Some keep the Chinese terms ('shixiong', 'shidi') for authentic wuxia/xianxia feel, with a glossary. Others translate them to 'senior brother'. Neither is inherently wrong, but consistency is key. A translation that randomly switches is confusing. My personal preference is for translations that use English equivalents for readability, but I respect the choice to keep the Chinese terms for flavor. Just tell me what you're doing upfront! A transparent approach is part of a quality translation.