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Bridge of Birds
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October 2013--Bridge of Birds-Roll call and intial thoughts
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carol. , Senor Crabbypants
(last edited Sep 15, 2013 03:39PM)
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rated it 5 stars
Sep 15, 2013 03:38PM
I'm looking forward to this... first time I cracked it, I found it light and fun. Just didn't finish before the library started issuing demands.
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Barry Hughart only wrote the three books in the "Chronicles of Master Li and Number Ten Ox". "Bridge of Birds" is the first. He quit writing after the third book and has never written anything since.I still consider this one of the most unique and enjoyable fantasy books I've ever read. I am really looking forward to "wandering blindfolded through a myth devised by a maniac" (in the words of Master Li, the greatest and most frequently intoxicated wise man in a seventh century China that never was).
Me too!
On another forum I found out that Forgotten Classics has done a reading of Bridge of Birds. I've never listened to any of their podcasts, and don't know the quality, but it's published as free podcasts(with author permission), so worth checking out if someone wants an audio version.Link to podcasts
oh, thanks, Aelliana!
This has been on my want-to-read list for awhile so I'm looking forward to joining in.
Goodreads Recommendations has been proposing it to me for some time so I was happy to see it chosen here. I had never heard of it and my library system had only one copy which was out. At Barnes & Noble they seemed surprised I was looking for a book from the 1980's so I had to order it (not expensive in paperback). Seems to be a well-kept secret.
Back in the early 90's I was buying a lot of hard cover 1sts of award winning SF and Fantasy. One of the dealers I was buying from suggested I would like Bridge of Birds, given what I'd bought from him in the past. The book was cheap enough at the time, I decided to get it, even though I'd never heard of it. I still have yet to read it, so I may take this opportunity to read it with the group.
It took too long--I get my copy from the library tomorrow. At least I've got a free reading deck. Anyone else reading?
Yes, I just started this one and I'm pleasantly surprised that it is just as fun as I remember it to be.
I started almost two weeks ago, but I've had a hard time reading anything lately, almost since august. (Plus the last week has been really busy.) I like the couple of chapters I've read though, and hopefully I'll get some more reading done during the weekend.
From page 25:"'O great and might Master Li, pray impart to me the Secret of Wisdom!' he bawled... To my great credit I never batted an eyelash. 'Take a large bowl,' I said. 'Fill it with equal measure of fact, fantasy, history, mythology, science, superstition, logic, and lunacy. Darken the mixture with bitter tears, brighten it with howls of laughter, toss in three thousand years of civilization, bellow kan pei--which means 'dry cup'--and drink to the dregs.' Procopius stared at me. 'And I will be wise,' he asked. 'Better,' I said. 'You will be Chinese.'"
Carol. [Director of My Own Shelving] wrote: "From page 25:"'O great and might Master Li, pray impart to me the Secret of Wisdom!' he bawled... To my great credit I never batted an eyelash. 'Take a large bowl,' I said. 'Fill it with equal me..."
One of my favorites :D!
I'm kind of loving it. It reminds me of Princess Bride.Page 31:
"The abbot paused to consider his words...'You are a good boy, and I would not like to meet the man who can surpass you in physical strength, but you know very little about this wicked world,' the abbot said slowly. 'To tell you the truth, I am not so worried about the damage to your body as I am about the damage to your soul. You see, you know nothing whatsoever about men like Master Li... His voice trailed off, and he groped for the proper words. Then he decided that it would take several years to prepare me properly."
Our library doesn't have it, but I ordered it from Amazon. Can't say when it'll arrive, probably another week at least, but I'll read it as soon as it comes. I like your description of "light and fun."
Greatly enjoying it, not really a lot of magic. Most of it is human ingenuity and the plotting of a great trickster.
I've ordered it from Amazon as well and I should be able to start on Monday.
They are kind of like grown-up folk tales, some a little dark.
I'll be joining the party a little late. My library didn't have a copy so I ordered it via inter-library. Hopefully I can join the discussion by the end of the week. This sounds really fun.
It's a fun read, very clever and subversive. There's a lot of pieces that remind me of traditional tales, but then Hughart has fun with it.
I just received the book in the mail. I have to finish a library book first, and then I'll start on this one.
I started it yesterday and I love it. It brings in atmosphere, witty and exotic story line and action and interesting characters. It is well-balanced.
It feels like the movie "Hero" from 2002.
I finished last night, and I'm leaning towards including it on my best reads of 2013 list, but that could be afterglow talking.
message 25:
by
carol. , Senor Crabbypants
(last edited Oct 16, 2013 02:09PM)
(new)
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rated it 5 stars
John Scalzi gave it an honorable mention on his blog: The 10 SF/F Books that Meant the Most To Me: http://whatever.scalzi.com/2013/10/14...
My kindle says I'm at 41%. There's less than half and hour left of October in Norway, and even going by GR time-zone, I think it's safe to say I won't finish this in October :( It's a great book though. I think my favourites so far are the descriptions of the ginseng hunters and the sword dance.
