Bridge of Birds

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It is a lighthearted fun tale told in an intriguing setting with some fascinating characters. In the end, it's a fantasy tale that reads like a retelling of old myths. I look forward to continuing the adventures of Master Li and Number Ten Ox. I do wonder: is the tale of the Princess of Birds and the Star Shepherd a real legend in ancient China or is it completely made up?

Unfortunately, I've learned that the author discontinued the books after having trouble with publishers. Each of the 3 books can stand on it's own so it's not really a trilogy or series, but there was a reference in Bridge of Birds to an adventure they would have but that never got written. Nevertheless, I would still highly recommend this book to anyone interesting in some lighthearted fantasy with a hint of China.

As always, my full review is on my blog: strakul.blogspot.com/2014/04/book-review-bridge-of-birds-by-barry.html

Book Review of Barry Hughart's 'Bridge of Birds: A Novel of An Ancient China That Never Was' (1985)

I should have written a review weeks ago. But I have a slight flaw in my character. (Haha).

If this book were to assume human form, it would be that golden statue of Budai surrounded by small children. I imagine him to be jokey and laughey, but sometimes veers into moments of extreme profundity, then he's back at being a goofball again.



Bridge of Birds tells of the adventures of Number Ten Ox and the great scholar Master Li Kao in pursuit of a cure for a great calamity that has befallen Number Ten Ox's village. Number Ten Ox is endearing because of his pureness of heart. Master Li Kao is just crazy, but not really. It's a simple and straightforward story, but it's not really. Along the way to their quest for the cure, you are presented a panoramic view of a China that is filled with magic of all sorts of varieties. Things are not what they seem.

What stood out for me was the sense of humor. I remember reading a lot of these zen stories when I was younger, and I thought the book has that spirit to it. Though light-hearted, there are some really profound and sad scenes. The humor can get morbid and dark.

This book can be talked about, but as the great zen master Lee Siu-Lung once said,
“Its like a finger pointing away to the moon. Dont concentrate on the finger or you will miss all that heavenly glory.” Now go and experience all that heavenly glory for yourself.

Bridge Of Birds is book one of "The Chronicles of Master Li and Number Ten Ox", in which Number Ten Ox, the tenth youngest in the family, narrates a tale of adventure set in "an ancient China that never was". This tale is told with fervor and wit, as Number Ten Ox lends his brawn and Master Li lends his brains as they try to cure the village's children.

It begins with Number Ten Ox being sent to fetch a wise man to cure the strange malady that afflicts all the children of his village, whereby they have all gone into a deep sleep or even coma. He isn't given enough money to afford one of the more famous wise men of the city, so he is forced to settle for the drunken Master Li, someone with a "slight flaw in his character".

Master Li proves to be up to the challenge, but it requires many quests to find the correct variations of the mighty ginseng root. Along the way, they meet many strange people and beasts, battle invisible hands, rising tides, and an emperor without a heart. And they even help the gods right a serious wrong along the way.

This book was a lot of fun. There were a few laugh out loud spots and certainly plenty of close calls. The relationship between Number Ten Ox and Master Li was fun to read about, as they complemented each other perfectly. Each contributed his own strengths and even "flaws" to make it all right. And the environment of the "China that never was" was fully realized and populated with many memorable side characters. I particularly liked the first adventure with Henpecked Ho.

I did think the conversations were peppered with modern words and phrases that sometimes felt jarring. And I have to admit to losing the narrative flow about 2/3 the way through the book. There were 3 or 4 quests that went on and I kind of lost track of what they were doing and why. It didn't matter that much but it was a little disconcerting.

Not sure I'm ready to take on the second book, [b:The Story of the Stone|77207|The Story of the Stone|Barry Hughart|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1321813561s/77207.jpg|850766]. I have the omnibus edition from the library, that contains all three books in it, but I am not sure I feel up to book two right now. I would like to revisit it and will certainly put it on my To Read list, but I might move along for right now. But I highly recommend it to anyone interested in a fun quasi-fantasy novel, with quirky characters and unique environment.

Set in mythic China, Bridge of Birds is a picaresque fable with similarities to The Princess Bride, the Sherlock Holmes stories, and Jack Vance's tales of Cugel the Clever. While it starts off with a rather simple premise--involving a search for a magical medicine for afflicted village children--the book's final chapters reveal that the entire story was no simple MacGuffin fetch quest, but in reality something far more original and carefully constructed.

All of Hughart's characters, including the crafty scholar Master Li Kao and earnest bumpkin Number Ten Ox, are well-drawn and appealing, if generally amoral. The heroes are Magnificent Bastards in a corrupt world. Still they manage to do a tremendous amount of good in between heists, swindles, and the occasional murder. The setting is colorful as well, encompassing both the exotic and decadent heights of the imperial lifestyle and the grubby desperation of the peasant class. The book hand-waves historical accuracy, set in "an Ancient China that never was", but Hughart still presents a fascinating world that I enjoyed spending time in.

Packed with cliffhangers and abrupt reversals of fortune, Bridge of Birds is (to borrow cheesy movie review-speak) a romp from beginning to end. I found myself grinning at many points during the story, and never wider than during the book's conclusion, which was thoroughly satisfying. All loose ends are tied up neatly, with characters and locales revisited in such a way that it highlights just how far we've traveled with Li Kao and Number Ten Ox. I rarely give out five stars, but this book is definitely worth sharing.

Bridge of Birds bills itself as "a story of an ancient China that never was." I have no idea to what extent the China herein depicted resembles any historical China; I would be more surprised to discover any strong correspondence than not. The story unfolds and keeps on unfolding. It's a fairy tail inside a legend inside a mystery, inside a heist, inside a scam, inside a... well, that would be telling. Each of these genres is well executed.

There are two important characters. It is the story of responsible and good natured boy named Number Ten Ox, who goes searching for a wise man when his village is mysteriously stricken with a plague, and finds one. His surname is Li and his personal name is Kao and there is a slight flaw in his character: that flaw is streak of amorality a mile wide. Ox, as the narrator, allows one to sympathize, Li Kao, a sprightly centenarian, gives the book its madcap pace.

Two caveats. Women tend to be peripheral in this book, and Li Kao's amorality occasionally results in gruesome deeds executed with zest.