Bridge of Birds

Bridge of Birds: A Novel of an Ancient China That Never Was (1984) Barry Hughart

I have a weakness for fantasy novels set in Asia–especially those set in ancient China. So when I saw Bridge of Birds on the shelf I immediately snatched it up.

A strange malady has struck the children of the village of Ku-fu. As the silkworms the village depends upon for survival are discovered dead, the children of the village fall into a strange coma and cannot be awakened. Number Ten Ox (Yu Lu), an orphan who lives with his Aunt and Uncle in relative happiness, sets out to find someone who can cure the children. This places him on the path of adventure where he meets (among others) master Li Kao, who is as much trickster was wise man.

As one who loves folk tales, I found this story almost irresistible. It was filled with characters and scenarios that felt exactly like those found in folk tales and old stories. There is also humor ranging from the subtle to the outrageous (some of the subtle humor reminded me of parts of Steven Brust’s Phoenix Guards while the outrageous humor was just… silly.)

The story ranges all over the land, and Yu Lu and Li Kao meet many fantastic and amazing characters, including the miser, the scholar, and the beautiful woman.

This book is written like a folk tale, and like many folk tales in their original form, are not necessarily suitable for young children. There is sex and death and trickery and heroism. It also wanders about the land, just like Yu Lu and Li Kao, sometimes stopping to take detours and point out strange landmarks and people.

But mostly, the story is a fun romp in the style of a folk tale, that on many levels rings true to many different kinds of folktales.

It looks as though this was originally a trilogy, and is now being re-released. I look forward to seeing the next two books in publication.
Rating: 9/10

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