Though I hesitate to re-read books (just not enough time) I was quite happy that the Sword & Laser book club chose Bridge of Birds as their monthly pick. I first read this wonderfully charming tale when it tied with Mythago Wood for the World Fantasy Award best novel.

The tale of scholar Li Kao (who has a slight flaw in his character)and Number Ten Ox (a huge peasant who is not dim at all) is pure adventure at its most delightful. I've given this book to many people over the years with an almost universally positive response.

I hate to reduce a novel to a quick blurb, but when forced I tell friends it's like a fantasy Sherlock Holmes & Watson set in an ancient China that never was. Not that great, but it's such a hard novel to describe. Hughart takes real Chinese history and myth, and depicts it where magic works in the manner people believed at the time. He has such a deft touch that the history is never ponderous or pedantic, but adds to the charm.

In the end, Bridge of Birds is one of my favorite novels ever. It has so much heart, wonder, and whimsy, and it saddens me to this day that Barry Hughart stopped writing after three novels because he could not support himself through writing. If you are considering this book, read it, you won't regret it.