Bound Up With Books: Bridge of Birds

This round I’m reviewing one of my favorite books: Bridge of Birds: A Novel of an Ancient China That Never Was by Barry Hughart.  Although part of my love stems from the fact that I get to share it with a very good friend and not the book’s literary merits, don’t let that fool you – it is an excellent book.

All the children of the village of Ku-fu between 8 and 13 have fallen desperately ill, and it falls to Number Ten Ox, with the guidance and help of the sage Master Li Kiao (“I have a slight flaw in my character”) to determine the cause and find the cure.  Along the way they encounter ghosts, monsters (human and otherwise), an exiled and imprisoned goddess, a thousand year old myth and mystery and more wonders, pranks and cons than you can shake a stick at.

Part of the wonder is Hughart’s writing which manages to be charming without being sappy or childish, and beautiful without being ostentatious.  One of my favorite paragraphs is Master Li Kiao’s telling of his answer to a ‘barbarian’ who asked him how to acquire wisdom:

…”Take a large bowl,” I said.   “Fill it with equal measures 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 *ken pei* – which means ‘dry cup’ – and drink it to the dregs.” Procopius stared at me “And will I be wise?” he asked.  “Better,” I said.  “You will be Chinese.”

Is that not fabulous?  Of course, it helps to know that Master Li Kiao is also a consummate scam artist, and has already sold the barbarian in question  on the idea that silk is manufactured from the semen of snow white ice dragons…

“Bridge of Birds” is a tale of mythic China, and has no serious philosophical message – just a desire to impart a sense of wonder and delight, which it does admirably.  Like Mary Poppins, is practically perfect in every way…However, like all practically perfect things created by mortal hands it must have an imperfection lest it rouse the ire of the gods.  In the case of “Bridge of Birds” this would be the editing…there are odd breaks in paragraphs and a few misspellings, but they are slight and rare and in no way detract from a thoroughly enjoyable read.  Go forth and discover it for yourself, or you will have nobody else to blame .