I enjoyed this much more than I expected - great fun! ( )

I thought this was a fun book, with lots of good humor. I had a bit of trouble keeping up with all the characters, but that wasn't too much of a problem. I guess you could compare this somewhat to The Princess Bride in many ways, though I didn't like this as much. But it was a fun diversion from my usual more serious reads. ( )

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.
( )

"It's yours for a song," said Master Li. "In this case a song means a large purse of fake gold coins, two elegant suits of clothes, the temporary use of a palatial palanquin and suitably attired bearers, a cart of garbage, and a goat."
One-Eyed Wong did some mental addition.
"No goat."

And to think I had never even heard of this book until a couple of weeks ago! Such a wonderful book as this is a true joy to find. Bridge of Birds is simultaneously wry, wise, earthy, hilarious, subversive, and full of human warmth; it would have been on my favorites list for ages had I known to read it years ago. Fantasy, fable, folk tale, ripping yarn, or what have you: it's all these and a bit more. If anything, I was struck by the acts and thoughts of kindness throughout. It is, in a way, about working to find joy, after all.

Read it if you can. ( )

So I read this a long time ago, and I mostly didn't remember it. I finally found a copy, and on a re-read, I found an amazing book set in a fictional China. When all the children in Number Ten Ox's Village end up in a deep sleep, the village elders task him with finding a master scholar who can help, Unfortunately (or fortunately), Ten Ox finds Li Kao, a Master with a slight flaw. What the flaw is.... I'll leave it up to you to figure out.

Where the story really shines is the way mythology and common sense/trickery are merged together, into something that's half con-job story, half fairy tale.The fairy tale is weaved in gracefully, and I'm not entirely sure its a common tale in China, or if the author took it from a European story.

The story is incredibly well written, and is always solidly grounded. When magic does happen its surprising, but adds to the mystique of this world. ( )