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Summary: Mater Li and Ox return to unravel the return of mad Prince
Review: Master Li and Number Ten Ox return to us on the trail of a mysterious noise. They travel to a small village where a very strange destruction has taken place. Has the Mad Prince really returned from the dead as he always vowed? What happened to the flowers on Prince's Path? Ox and Master Li once again take us on a trip thru a China that never was
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Summary: A Mix of Styles; Completely Entertainingg.
Review: The charm of this book is hard to pin down. It's as complex as a Conan Doyle story, as colorful as a Chinese fable, as funny as... well, nothing is quite so funny in such an occasionally terrifying way. The seemingly fantastic is easily explained; the easily deducible has it's hidden origins in fantasy. This is a very entertaining novel for all of those who love Chinese stories AND a little black humor. Masterfully written by an author who should be better known.
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Summary: Glorious!
Review: The Laughing Prince - long dead - has returned to life. As he was homicidally mad, this is not regarded as a good thing. So Master Li and Number Ten Ox have once again to lurch around ancient China to solve the mystery. Expect wit, wisdom, intrigue, general mayhem, a cast of crazy characters - and an absolutely brilliant read.
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Summary: The Second Best Book You've Never Read
Review: This is Hughart's second book, and the second Master Li and Number Ten Ox adventure. And while this book doesn't have quite the sheer delight of the first, "Bridge of Birds," it is still a wonderful adventure set in the same mythical China. And this novel confirms what you suspected after "Bridge of Birds" - Hughart is no fluke.Chinese peasant Number Ten Ox, Master Li's client in the first book, is his assistant now, and troubled because it appears ancient Master Li may drop dead before another worthwhile mystery comes along. Ox need not have worried. The Abbot of the monastery in the Valley of Sorrows arrives with a tale of murder, terror and the return of the Laughing Prince, the lunatic despot who ruled the Valley of Sorrows 750 years earlier. How can Master Li resist the temptation? How can we resist? Once again Master Li and Number Ten Ox must solve a mystery, and once again the mystery is fringed with the supernatural, homicide and genuine, laugh out loud developments. Along the way they meet some truly memorable characters, including Grief of Dawn, a young lady with a deeply mysterious past, and Moon Boy, a sound master and an entirely marvellous creation. Perhaps the best invention is the characters' mind trip through the Chinese Hell, which makes the efforts of Orpheus and Dante look pretty pitiful in comparison. The ending is less of a stunner than "Bridge of Birds," but this story is a little more mature and tightly crafted than "Bridge." The only fair criticism of "Stone" is that Hughart only wrote one more book, "Eight Skilled Gentlemen." There have to be Master Li stories not yet told; I wish Mr. Hughart would write them. A wonderful story, amusing and moving, that exposes the reader to parts of Chinese mythology in the nicest possible way. Exceptionally well written. Highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: The Second Best Book You've Never Read
Review: This is Hughart's second book, and the second Master Li and Number Ten Ox adventure. And while this book doesn't have quite the sheer delight of the first, "Bridge of Birds," it is still a wonderful adventure set in the same mythical China. And this novel confirms what you suspected after "Bridge of Birds" - Hughart is no fluke. Chinese peasant Number Ten Ox, Master Li's client in the first book, is his assistant now, and troubled because it appears ancient Master Li may drop dead before another worthwhile mystery comes along. Ox need not have worried. The Abbot of the monastery in the Valley of Sorrows arrives with a tale of murder, terror and the return of the Laughing Prince, the lunatic despot who ruled the Valley of Sorrows 750 years earlier. How can Master Li resist the temptation? How can we resist? Once again Master Li and Number Ten Ox must solve a mystery, and once again the mystery is fringed with the supernatural, homicide and genuine, laugh out loud developments. Along the way they meet some truly memorable characters, including Grief of Dawn, a young lady with a deeply mysterious past, and Moon Boy, a sound master and an entirely marvellous creation. Perhaps the best invention is the characters' mind trip through the Chinese Hell, which makes the efforts of Orpheus and Dante look pretty pitiful in comparison. The ending is less of a stunner than "Bridge of Birds," but this story is a little more mature and tightly crafted than "Bridge." The only fair criticism of "Stone" is that Hughart only wrote one more book, "Eight Skilled Gentlemen." There have to be Master Li stories not yet told; I wish Mr. Hughart would write them. A wonderful story, amusing and moving, that exposes the reader to parts of Chinese mythology in the nicest possible way. Exceptionally well written. Highly recommended.
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Summary: Why Do the Gods do what they do? Don't Ask.
Review: When Master Li told Ox to write the story of the stone, Ox protested that he did not understand of what had happened to them during their adventure with Moon Boy and Grief of Dawn. The story is lovely, filled with compassion and humor. It is fun too. I identified with Li Kao and Moon Boy when they wanted to go through the Gorge again. Mr Hughart's powers of description are wonderfully mesmerizing.
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Summary: Best Fantasy EVER
Review: Why did Barry Hughart stop writing these wonderful fantasies? They have taught me boatloads of Chinese mythology and history. Master Li and Number Ten Ox are two of the most enjoyable characters ever. There are sections in this book that make you bite your fingernails down to nubs and other parts that leave you out of breath with a cramp from laughing so hard. READ THE WHOLE SERIES. Lovers of the Hitchhiker's Guide and the Hobbit will not be dissapointed. Adams and Tolkin have nothing on Barry Hughart.
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