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Summary: A Perfect Book
Review: To me, this is a perfect book. It is a book where I would not change a single word. It is an inspired retelling of a Chinese legend/myth, reworked for us by a master. It made me laugh and cry at the same time, it made me happy to know the characters and delighted me with the "China that never was but should have been."Of the three Master Li and Number Ten Ox books, THIS one is the best.
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Summary: Lots of copies over the years to friends, etc.
Review: This is the kind of book of which you buy more than one copy; we always keep an extra paperback around to give to special people when the mood strikes (a stranger you meet at a New Year's Eve party). The First Edition hardcopies are kept away from prying hands! We discovered BRIDGE OF BIRDS when it was first published and have read and re-read it, laughing all the way. Hughart's sequels are just as good as this original - and it IS an original. A China that never was (but should have been).
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Summary: There are no words....
Review: This is the best book I've read...bar none, and like the previous reviewer, I've read thousands in my 48 years. I'm estactic the book is now available here.... If you want a story that takes you from drama, to comedy, to action/adventure, and finally, to a most excellent love story, this is your book. Buy this book...you won't regret it!
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Summary: I will never doubt again
Review: I read this book at the recommendation of a friend, who said it was the best book he had ever read. I read it and was astonished that it is now in at least the top 10 of the over 5000 books I have read. The story is well-crafted and hilarious. The only problem I had with this book was that several scenes in it caused me to hysterically laugh aloud. Because of this, I would advise anyone reading this book to stay beyond the reach of people in white coats. It is the funniest book I've ever read. You think the Hitchhiker's Guide trilogy was funny? It's SOMBER compared to this. Believe me, you will not be disappointed. The usage of repetition is so incredibly good, the internal voice amazingly consistent...find this book. Whatever it takes, find it and buy it. NOW.
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Summary: An amazing book!
Review: I read all of these amazing Amazon.com reviews, but the book was out of print. BUT, The Bridge of Birds and the other two stories in the series (The Story of the Stone and Eight Skilled Gentlemen) have recently been published together in one volume as THE CHRONICLES OF MASTER LI AND NUMBER TEN OX. So I finally got to read these stories. I love this book!
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Summary: If you love fantasy, you must read this book.
Review: ~The Bridge of Birds is without question the finest, most perfectly crafted fantasy I have ever read, and my personal favourite book in any genre. It's a book that is more than the sum of it's parts - more than the elegant prose, the clever, intricate plotting, the dry humour and even the wonderfully drawn characters - the element that sets this masterful book apart from any other is the emotional charge it conveys, the lows & highs wich could hardly be stronger if you stepped into~ this volume & experienced the events first-hand. A brilliant fusion of fantasy & mystery, the grand adventures of Master Li & Number Ten Ox in the "ancient China that never was" will stay with you long after you finish this volume. The Bridge of Birds does that rarest of things - without the trappings of religion, it gives you a sense of the divin
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Summary: A Truly Enchanting View of Ancient China
Review: This extraordinary novel mixes Chinese mythology with a detective story in beautiful imagery. The adventures of an ancient scholar, Master Li and his assistant,Number Ten Ox are filled with ghosts, demons, gods and goddesses, poets,priests, and villians of magnificent proportions. How Ten Ox and Master Li sought to save a village's children from a mysterious, deadly sleeping plague is a panoramic, soaring vision of an ancient China filled with magic, mystery, and mayhem. I have two sets of the three Master Li novels, one for lending and one kept secure at home for rereading. I cannot believe this wonderful story is out of print. Find it if you can and be prepared for a truly amazing glimpse into a China that leaves one wistfully hoping that even a small part of it could be true.
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Summary: Bridge of Birds
Review: This book will make you wish you were only 90 years old again
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Summary: This one should have made the bestseller lists.
Review: The mix of fantasy mythology and cultural idiosyncracy makes this a unique book in a genre usually populated with elves, spaceships, and magic wands. The book is funny, full of surprises, and even the evil villains are depicted as creatures at the mercy of their own wiles. The anti-heroes exploits are great. I am contunually disappointed that this book is still unavailable. More publicity could have put this one near the top of many wish lists. Its the kind of book you want to read, save, and buy another copy for a friend.
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Summary: One of the very Best
Review: On any list of my top 10 books in the world, this would place easilly in the top 5. It features some of the most original characters in fantasy today, using a setting that has been little explored in comparison to the mass of fantasy in pseudo-european-darkages settings. As a source of pure enjoyment - what can I say - at the start of the book I laughed, at the end of cried. Few authors can create characters I actually care about, and Hughart has done it. I understand that Hughart is no longer writing - this is one of the great tragedies in fantasy literature today. Definitely read this book, and definitely read the next two in the series. You will not regret it.
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