Bridge of Birds: A Novel of an Ancient China That Never Was
Master Li and Number 10 Ox #1
Barry Hughart
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
A chinese fairytale. That made me laugh my butt off.
Number 10 Ox, the tenth son of a peasant, teams up with a physician, Master Li, who has one character flaw. They work together to save the children of Ox’s village, who have fallen ill of a mysterious disease.
Along the way, they fight monsters, mother-in-laws, misers, monks and an immortal warlord. They fly in a basket with palm-frond blades, they kill a coward’s daughter [with his blessing and help], they enjoy multiple hoards of treasures and in the end, they help restore a goddess to heaven.
This was engaging, light hearted, funny, just enough dark macabre humor to keep me tickled and serious enough so I didn’t feel like I was drowning in cotton candy.
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