Bridge of Birds: A Novel of an Ancient China That Never Was

Bridge of Birds: A Novel of an Ancient China That Never Was
by Barry Hughart

Bridge of Birds: A Novel of an Ancient China That Never Was
List Price: $7.50
Our Price: $3.50
You Save: $4.00 (53%)
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Buy Used: from $1.64 (click here)
Category: Book
See more book details and other editions


or

Book Summary Information

Author: Barry Hughart
Edition: Mass Market Paperback
Audio: English (Original Language); English (Unknown); English (Published)
Published: 1985-04-12
ISBN: 0345321383
Number of pages: 288
Publisher: Del Rey

Book Reviews of Bridge of Birds: A Novel of an Ancient China That Never Was

Book Review: Delightful, darkly funny tale
Summary: 5 Stars

Somehow the author managed to tell this epic tale in a tone at once childlike and morbidly funny, with a string of love stories that, though briefly sketched and often secondary to the story, even brought a tear to MY eye by the end. A page-turner and a delight for grown-up girls and boys.

Summary of Bridge of Birds: A Novel of an Ancient China That Never Was

When the children of his village were struck with a mysterious illness, Number Ten Ox found master Li Kao. Together they set out to find the Great Root of Power, the only possible cure, and together they discover adventure and legend, and the power of belief....

Bridge of Birds is a lyrical fantasy novel. Set in "an Ancient China that never was", it stands with The Princess Bride and The Last Unicorn as a fairy tale for all ages, by turns incredibly funny and deeply touching. It won the World Fantasy Award in 1985, and Hughart produced two sequels: The Story of the Stone, and Eight Skilled Gentlemen. All present the adventures of Master Kao Li, a scholar with "a slight flaw in [his] character", and Lu Yu, usually called Number Ten Ox, his sidekick and the story's narrator. Number Ten Ox is strong, trusting, and pure of heart; Master Li once sold an emperor shares in a mustard mine, because "I was trying to win a bet concerning the intelligence of emperors."

Number Ten Ox comes from a village in which the children have been struck by a mysterious illness. He recruits Master Li to find the cure and comes along to provide muscle. They seek a mysterious Great Root of Power, which may be a form of ginseng. Of course, nothing turns out to be as simple as it seems; great wrongs must be avenged and lovers separated must be reunited, from the most humble to the highest. And even in the midst of cosmic glory, Pawnbroker Fang and Ma the Grub are picking the pockets of their own lynch mob, who are frozen in awe and wonder. --Nona Vero

( H ) Books

Book Subjects
Most talked about in ( H ) Books
Legacy of Steel (Dragonlance Bridges of Time, Vol. 2) ImageLegacy of Steel (Dragonlance Bridges of Time, Vol. 2)
by Mary H. Herbert
Wizards of the Coast; Published: 1998-11-01; Mass Market Paperback; Book
Best price: $5.25
Price in other shops: $5.99
Liege Killer ImageLiege Killer
by Christopher Hinz
eReads; eReads; Release date: 2004-02-18; Published: 2004-02-18; Kindle Edition; eBooks
Best price: $7.19
Price in other shops: $8.99
Legends Gift Set: Time of the Twins, War of the Twins, and Test of the Twins (Dragonlance: Legends Trilogy) ImageLegends Gift Set: Time of the Twins, War of the Twins, and Test of the Twins (Dragonlance: Legends Trilogy)
by Margaret Weis, Tracy Hickman
Wizards of the Coast; Published: 2002-09-16; Mass Market Paperback; Book
Best price: $14.78
Price in other shops: $23.99
The Bloody Crown of Conan ImageThe Bloody Crown of Conan
by Robert E. Howard
Random House Publishing Group; Published: 2004; Paperback; Book
War of the Twins (Dragonlance Legends) ImageWar of the Twins (Dragonlance Legends)
by Margaret Weis, Tracy Hickman
Bt Bound; Published: 1999-10; Library Binding; Book
Price in other shops: $14.55
The Neutronium Alchemist : Conflict  (Neutronium Alchemist, No 2) ImageThe Neutronium Alchemist : Conflict (Neutronium Alchemist, No 2)
by Peter F. Hamilton
Aspect; Published: 1998-05-01; Mass Market Paperback; Book
Best price: $4.87
Price in other shops: $7.99
Test of the Twins (DragonLance Legends, Vol 3) ImageTest of the Twins (DragonLance Legends, Vol 3)
by Margaret Weis, Tracy Hickman
TSR; Published: 1986-09; Mass Market Paperback; Book
Best price: $0.40
Price in other shops: $4.95
The Coming of Conan the Cimmerian ImageThe Coming of Conan the Cimmerian
by Robert E. Howard
Ballantine Books; Ballantine Books; Release date: 2003-12-02; Published: 2003-12-02; Kindle Edition; eBooks
Best price: $9.99
Price in other shops: $16.95
Bridge of Birds: A Novel of an Ancient China That Never Was ImageBridge of Birds: A Novel of an Ancient China That Never Was
by Barry Hughart
Del Rey; Published: 1985-04-12; Mass Market Paperback; Book
Best price: $3.50
Price in other shops: $7.50
The Soulforge (Dragonlance:  The Raistlin Chronicles, Book 1) ImageThe Soulforge (Dragonlance: The Raistlin Chronicles, Book 1)
by Margaret Weis
Wizards of the Coast; Published: 1999-01-01; Mass Market Paperback; Book
Best price: $4.25
Price in other shops: $7.99
Similar Books and other products
Red Seas Under Red Skies ImageRed Seas Under Red Skies
by Scott Lynch
Spectra; Published: 2008-07-29; Mass Market Paperback; Book
Best price: $3.79
Price in other shops: $6.99
The Final Empire (Mistborn, Book 1) ImageThe Final Empire (Mistborn, Book 1)
by Brandon Sanderson
Tor Fantasy; Published: 2007-07-31; Mass Market Paperback; Book
Best price: $4.60
Price in other shops: $7.99
Lud-In-The-Mist ImageLud-In-The-Mist
by Hope Mirrlees
Cold Spring Press; Published: 2005-03-22; Paperback; Book
Best price: $3.47
Price in other shops: $11.00
Watchmen ImageWatchmen
by Alan Moore
DC Comics; Published: 1995-04-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $10.16
Price in other shops: $19.99
Little, Big ImageLittle, Big
by John Crowley
Harper Perennial Modern Classics; Published: 2006-10-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $9.65
Price in other shops: $16.99
The Lies of Locke Lamora ImageThe Lies of Locke Lamora
by Scott Lynch
Spectra; Published: 2007-06-26; Mass Market Paperback; Book
Best price: $4.15
Price in other shops: $7.50
The Graveyard Book ImageThe Graveyard Book
by Neil Gaiman
HarperCollins; Published: 2008-10-01; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $8.39
Price in other shops: $17.99
The Name of the Wind (Kingkiller Chronicles, Day 1) ImageThe Name of the Wind (Kingkiller Chronicles, Day 1)
by Patrick Rothfuss
DAW; Published: 2008-04-01; Mass Market Paperback; Book
Best price: $8.99
The Story of the Stone ImageThe Story of the Stone
by Barry Hughart
Doubleday; Published: 1988-05-01; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $69.51
Eight Skilled Gentlemen ImageEight Skilled Gentlemen
by Barry Hughart
Broadway; Published: 1990-12-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $11.31
Price in other shops: $19.00