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1st out of 127 books
—
179 voters
Bridge of Birds: A Novel of an Ancient China That Never Was (The Chronicles of Master Li and Number Ten Ox #1)
When the children of his village were struck with a mysterious illness, Number Ten Ox sought a wiseman to save them. He found master Li Kao, a scholar with a slight flaw in his character. Together, they set out to find the Great Root of Power, the only possible cure.
The quest led them to a host of truly memorable characters, multiple wonders, incredible adventures—and stra...more
The quest led them to a host of truly memorable characters, multiple wonders, incredible adventures—and stra...more
Paperback, 278 pages
Published
April 12th 1985
by Del Rey
(first published 1984)
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4 stars.
Due to the acquisition of GoodReads by Amazon on March 28, 2013 and my existing and continuing boycott of all things Amazon, the review I wrote after reading this book has been relocated to my blog and can be found in its entirety by following this link: http://bit.ly/10mZSaW
I highly recommend Bridge of Birds to all lovers of fairy tales, legends and high adventure.
Due to the acquisition of GoodReads by Amazon on March 28, 2013 and my existing and continuing boycott of all things Amazon, the review I wrote after reading this book has been relocated to my blog and can be found in its entirety by following this link: http://bit.ly/10mZSaW
I highly recommend Bridge of Birds to all lovers of fairy tales, legends and high adventure.
21 likes · like · see review
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I can't think of a book quite like this. BoB is a light-hearted Chinese fantasy that is refreshing and completely enjoyable. Hughart makes the folktales and legends of ancient China seem utterly commonplace and this lends to the surreality of the story. After reading a number of very serious books, I really needed a novel like this!
16 likes · like · see review
Aug 07, 2012
David
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Loyola librarians; pretty much everyone else on the face of the earth
When I moonlighted at the late, lamented "The Stars Our Destination" between about 1996 and 2000, this was one of two books Alice Bentley stocked in vast quantity at deeply-discounted prices (the other being the store's namesake). When you love a book like Alice loved this one, you want to make sure everyone reads it, and she was its zealous advocate to our not-yet-enlightened clientele. It was the sort of book that disappoints you when you have to leave it at the end, like being exiled from a w...more
9 likes · like · see review
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I was really torn between 3 & 4 stars for "Bridge of Birds". I enjoyed the story and thought that the setting (ancient China) and characters were quite unique for fantasy. I loved that it was a done-in-one fantasy. I thought the prose was beautifully lyrical. It was funny in places. However, the story fell a little bit flat because it was told in the style of a myth or fable. The characters were more like caricatures than three-dimensional people. I didn't sense any great urgency to their ob...more
11 likes · like · see review
This is truly a book about a China that never was, and probably should have been. Hughart catches perfectly the folk story style while also giving us a complex and engrossing story, through a fantastical world enhanced by all those close contacts with real world history.
The main characters are very likable, the plot does not lose track of itself despite the sharp turns, and it is wonderful how "a small character flaw" can make someone interesting.
It is read in a breeze, which is also an importan...more
The main characters are very likable, the plot does not lose track of itself despite the sharp turns, and it is wonderful how "a small character flaw" can make someone interesting.
It is read in a breeze, which is also an importan...more
7 likes · like · see review
I'm starting to get to the age where I'm reading books now and saying, "Why wasn't this published when I was younger?! This is what I've been missing all these years; this fills the gap that, until it was filled, I never knew existed!" Although Bridge of Birds was published before I was born, it still provokes a similar feeling (one of, "Why didn't I know about this when I was younger?").
There's something seductive about fables and fairy tales—the real, often grim fairy tales that lurk in the su...more
There's something seductive about fables and fairy tales—the real, often grim fairy tales that lurk in the su...more
The opening chapters of this book are very good, and set up high expectations for the rest of the story. The author invokes mythology, history and superstition, and infuses them into the affairs of a small Chinese village. The action begins when the children of Ku-Fu fall into a mysterious death-like coma. The hero, Number Ten Ox, hires the sage Li Kao, and together the two set off on a quest to find the Great Root of Power, which is the only known cure.
The end is wonderful, surprising and myth...more
The end is wonderful, surprising and myth...more
5 likes · like · see review
Dejemos que se presenten ellos mismos: "Mi apellido es Lu y mi nombre personal es Yu, pero mis ilustres lectores no deben confundirme con el eminente autor de El clásico del té. No pertenezco a una familia distinguida, y como soy el décimo hijo varón de mi padre y soy bastante fuerte me llaman Buey Número Diez." Buey ejerce de narrador de la historia, y al estilo de una especie de doctor Watson, nos cuenta los trágicos hechos acaecidos en su aldea y las aventuras por las que ha de pasar para hal...more
Jul 12, 2007
Shane
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
fans of historical fiction, chinese fantasy
Loved this book for its fresh style. It is witty, funny and melancholy too. It is a fairy tale about two heroes, one with a slight flaw in his character, who seek the Great Root of Power, (Ginsing) to heal children from a village afflicted with paralysis. Strange lands, horrifying creatures and magical beings are all involved...and love sweet love with an amazing didn't see it coming ending!!! If made into a movie it would be a cross between Ku-Fu Hustle and The Princess Bride. Read it today!
Oh, this was fun. A clever, snarky, funny story that reads almost like a real Chinese epic but is even more fun than that. A definite re-read - I'm trying to put my finger on what it reminds me of, it's like Outlaws of the Marsh meets Kipling meets Andre Norton meets Saki, or something. I would have loved it more if I'd read it as a kid, but I loved it plenty anyway.
The story of the peasant boy Number Ten Ox and Master Li Kao, a world-renowned scholar "with a slight flaw in his character," is the material for the best book you've never heard of. Barry Hughart's "Ancient China that never was" is peopled by a host of hilariously memorable characters and laden with a wealth of invention unmatched by many a "serious" fantasy novel. The novel's central mystery, of a devastating plague that strikes the children of a remote Chinese village and the search for an el...more
Bridge of Birds by Barry Hughart is not a new book. Not even close. It was published in 1984. In 1985 it won the World Fantasy Award for best novel and in 1986 it won the Mythopoeic award for best fantasy.
Bridge of Birds is ‘a novel of an ancient China that never was,’ to use the lovely description that appeared on some of the covers of editions over the years. It is the first of three books that feature Number Ten Ox, our narrator, and Master Li, an elderly (at least 100 years old), disreputabl...more
Bridge of Birds is ‘a novel of an ancient China that never was,’ to use the lovely description that appeared on some of the covers of editions over the years. It is the first of three books that feature Number Ten Ox, our narrator, and Master Li, an elderly (at least 100 years old), disreputabl...more
Sep 14, 2007
Tracey
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
alternate universe and fable fans
Shelves:
due-for-re-read
Have had Bridge of Birds on my To Read list for quite some time, picked it up at a local used book store a few weeks ago & finally dug in over the weekend.
It's a saga, fable and multitude of fairy tales all rolled into one. Yu Lu (aka Number Ten Ox), the narrator & protagonist, goes in search of a wise man to cure a mysterious illness that has attacked the children of his village. He meets master Li Kao (who has a slight flaw in his character) and in the course of tracking down the Grea...more
It's a saga, fable and multitude of fairy tales all rolled into one. Yu Lu (aka Number Ten Ox), the narrator & protagonist, goes in search of a wise man to cure a mysterious illness that has attacked the children of his village. He meets master Li Kao (who has a slight flaw in his character) and in the course of tracking down the Grea...more
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 r...more
There are two important characters. It is the story of r...more
First of three wonderful novels chronicling the adventures of Master Kao Li, a scholar with "a slight flaw in his character", and his trusty sidekick, Yu Lu, better known as Number Ten Ox for convoluted reasons. Hughart's delightful fantasy, like many good fantasies, revolves around a quest. It seems the children of Number Ten Ox's village are mysteriously dying and the only cure is a 'Great Root of Power,' spread throughout the empire and guarded by fearsome sentinels and insidious traps.
Maste...more
Maste...more
We toss the word awesome around now-a-days. But seldom do we think about awe. That sense of wonder, the moment where time stops, when we see things in a new way or are reminded of the deeper truths we knew but from which our attention had been distracted. This book is a tonic to correct that ailment. I have just reread it as my son requested (required?) so that we could share in the joy of discussing it's pleasures and strengths. They are many. The characters are noble but flawed; the action is...more
This is unquestionably one of the gems of fantasy fiction, and one that is unfortunately not as well known as it should be. Story, character, structure, mythology all blend together perfectly, within a plot that continually loops back on itself until all the events you thought were unrelated are revealed to be part of a glorious whole. I read this book every few years, usually when I'm much in need of comfort and mental peace, and it never fails to deliver.
It struck me, this time, that Hughart's...more
It struck me, this time, that Hughart's...more
The one where the strong and good-hearted Number Ten Ox and Li Kao, a scholar with a slight flaw in his character, have many adventures as they try to save the village children from a mysterious plague.
I adore this book. The characters are lovable, the puzzles are delightfully puzzling, the emotional tone moves surefootedly from humor to tragedy to myth.
It's somewhat similar to The Hobbit, but much as I love The Hobbit, Bridge of Birds is superior in plotting, because none of the adventures a...more
I adore this book. The characters are lovable, the puzzles are delightfully puzzling, the emotional tone moves surefootedly from humor to tragedy to myth.
It's somewhat similar to The Hobbit, but much as I love The Hobbit, Bridge of Birds is superior in plotting, because none of the adventures a...more
The characters are great and the adventure that they have is entertaining. I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes fantastic fiction.
Does anyone else even write whimsical medieval Chinese fantasy in English? I don't know and don't care. Barry Hughart created a great partnership for "Master Li" and "Number Ten Ox." These guys have shades of Don Quixote and Sancho Panza, or the Lone Ranger and Tonto, or even Legolas and Gimli. Moreover, Hughart manages to be mystical and earthy at the same time, which is no mean feat. Hughart, from what I understand, was a one-hit wonder in the writing game, but this is the kind of book that Si...more
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The story is very funny, and the characters are enjoyably quirky. The pacing is fast, and the world-building is excellent. However, most (if not all) of the characters are not really very nice or moral people. I'm glad I read it once, but I doubt I'll read it again.
Wunderschönes Buch - hat alles, was ein guter Roman haben muss
Ich habe an diesem Buch nichts auszusetzen. Wirklich. Hier hat man das seltene Beispiel eines perfekten Romans, der gleichzeitig zum Lachen, Weinen, Staunen und Schreien ist.
Ich würde den Roman allerdings weniger unter "Fantasy" einordnen, dabei könnten viele Leute etwas anderes erwarten. Wenn man einige der Klassiker der chinesischen Literatur gelesen hat (wie "Reise nach dem Westen" oder "Die Räuber vom Liangshan Moor"), dann weiss...more
Ich habe an diesem Buch nichts auszusetzen. Wirklich. Hier hat man das seltene Beispiel eines perfekten Romans, der gleichzeitig zum Lachen, Weinen, Staunen und Schreien ist.
Ich würde den Roman allerdings weniger unter "Fantasy" einordnen, dabei könnten viele Leute etwas anderes erwarten. Wenn man einige der Klassiker der chinesischen Literatur gelesen hat (wie "Reise nach dem Westen" oder "Die Räuber vom Liangshan Moor"), dann weiss...more
This was the February pick for the Sword and Laser, and I'm glad I read it. It feels more like a translation of a Chinese mythological tale than a novel written by a guy named Barry in 1984. That's a good thing, in my opinion. It has a lot of the humor found in bizarre characters and nonsensical cultural practices (because of an emperor's whim or fetishization, I am not saying that the Chinese are nonsensical) that I have seen in a lot of *actual* Chinese literature, and Japanese too. The fantas...more
13 likes · like · see review
This book has been on my to-read list for approximately fifteen years. In the long, long ago days when people actually communicated on Usenet, I noticed that this book kept getting mentioned on rec.arts.sf.written as a perennial favorite, but somehow I never actually got around to reading it until I found the whole series for $3 on my Kindle. My friends assured me that it was awesome.
And you know what? It is. Everyone was right. It is a charming, humorous sort-of mystery quest folktale... thing....more
And you know what? It is. Everyone was right. It is a charming, humorous sort-of mystery quest folktale... thing....more
My name is Olesen, my personal name is Kristian, and there is a slight flaw in my character.
This book is memorable for its strong characterisation, its apparent fidelity to its source material, and its attention to narrative structure. The last quality is the most evident, as Hughart observes the conventions of traditional folk tales by incorporating the (seemingly strict) plotting conventions of Chinese folk tales in a way that deeply satisfies the reader. Hughart evidently realises that the a...more
This book is memorable for its strong characterisation, its apparent fidelity to its source material, and its attention to narrative structure. The last quality is the most evident, as Hughart observes the conventions of traditional folk tales by incorporating the (seemingly strict) plotting conventions of Chinese folk tales in a way that deeply satisfies the reader. Hughart evidently realises that the a...more
With brute force, I pushed, pulled, and lifted my way through a series of tasks for a close friend of mine. In exchange, he offered two things: his thanks and the nickname Number Ten Ox.
It took me nearly two years before I finally looked up the origins and dug deeply into Bridge of Birds: A Novel of an Ancient China That Never Was by Barry Hughart. What I found was a light, fanciful, humorous tale mixing Western myth, Asian themes, sly charlatanerie, and a wonderfully simple, yet elegant cast of...more
It took me nearly two years before I finally looked up the origins and dug deeply into Bridge of Birds: A Novel of an Ancient China That Never Was by Barry Hughart. What I found was a light, fanciful, humorous tale mixing Western myth, Asian themes, sly charlatanerie, and a wonderfully simple, yet elegant cast of...more
Barry Hughart is one of the great hidden treasures of the fantasy genre. Many authors have been called ahead of their time, but in this case it;s an appellation that actually sticks, which explains why his Master Li stories were criminally under-appreciated when they first came out. Bridge of Birds is the first of three highly entertaining books.
The setting is China at the start of the T'ang dynasty, though the story plays fast and loos with historical details and is better described as a “China...more
The setting is China at the start of the T'ang dynasty, though the story plays fast and loos with historical details and is better described as a “China...more
The best thing about this book is that it is clever and whimsical. The worst thing about this book is that it is, at times, WAY TOO clever and whimsical. There were some genuinely funny moments (my favorite was a very enthusiastically tragic scene involving porcupine cookery). In spite of myself, I also appreciated some of the inventive character names, even though they make a mockery of traditional Chinese nicknames/epithets: Liverlips Loo, Ma the Grub, Henpecked Ho, Cut-off-their-Balls Wang, B...more
One of those books that almost anyone can read and enjoy. This kind of book that usually gets around only by word of mouth. In my case my sister simply handed me a copy, and said, "Hear, brat. Read this." It is a fantasy, a mystery, and something else. It is deeply funny, and at the same time wonderfully touching. It is a quirky novel, often associated with "The Princess Bride." Barry Hughart happily twists the ordinary into the profound, and the profound into ordinary. In most mysteries, the pl...more
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Sword and Laser: "China!" | 22 | 173 | Mar 08, 2013 10:44pm | |
| The Sword and Laser: Finished | 47 | 271 | Mar 02, 2013 11:50am | |
| The Sword and Laser: "...The View Through a Half-Closed Eye..." | 6 | 91 | Mar 01, 2013 05:22pm | |
| The Sword and Laser: S&L Podcast - #121 - A Bird Too Far | 43 | 228 | Feb 27, 2013 08:19pm | |
| The Sword and Laser: S&L Video- #28 - February Book Club: Bridge of Birds Wrap-Up & Your Feedback! | 15 | 124 | Feb 27, 2013 02:18pm | |
| The Sword and Laser: Difficulty finding a copy | 24 | 312 | Feb 27, 2013 12:36pm | |
| The Sword and Laser: A slight flaw in my reading | 12 | 219 | Feb 24, 2013 04:15am |
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“Error can point the way to truth, while empty-headedness can only lead to more empty-headedness or to a career in politics.”
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“The supernatural can be very annoying until one finds the key that transforms it into science," he observed mildly... "Come on, Ox, let's go out and get killed.”
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