Bridge of Birds: A Novel of an Ancient China That Never Was
by Barry Hughart
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Book Summary Information
Author: Barry HughartEdition: 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
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