Don't Forget to Read a Book!

Hello, Stranger. Let's talk about Barry Hughart's  The Story of the Stone  and Eight Skilled Gentleman. The Short of It Plot:  Number Ten Ox and Master Li have a couple more adventures. Page Count:  The Story of the Stone: 271 Eight Skilled Gentleman: 255 Award: Remaining books in a trilogy; first book (Bridge of Birds) won. Worth a read : Yes.  Primary Driver:  ( Plot, World, or Character ) Bechdel Test : Fail Technobabble:  Minimal. Review:  Enjoyable continuations of Number Ten Ox's story. The character work is consistently excellent, the pacing is quick, the writing is good. Does not, however, really expand or improve upon anything. These are enjoyable - possible even very good - but they lack the magic that makes Bridge of Birds something special. Every small thing contributes to the overall story - but it starts to feel heavy-handed.  The Medium of It Spoiler Free! This is going to be a short one. If you enjoyed the first...

Hello, Stranger. Let's talk about Barry Hughart's  Bridge of Birds. The Short of It Plot:  Number Ten Ox sets out to help his village and ends up wrapped up in a centuries-old conflict. Page Count:  271 Award:  1985 World Fantasy Award Worth a read : Yes. Primary Driver:  ( Plot, World, or Character ) Bechdel Test : Fail Technobabble:  Fantasy Babble - yes Review:  A gem. Excellent writing, charming characters, engaging plot. Many books use Greco-Roman or Norse Mythology and it's a breath of fresh air to see an unrelated mythos and fables in a book. The world as depicted is both complex and fascinating. One of the most fun and novel books I've encountered. I was constantly surprised, but it never felt like cheating. At points heartbreaking, at points laugh-out-loud funny. The Medium of It Spoiler Free! Skip all this nonsense, go find yourself a copy, and give this a read. Like a dejected birdwatcher, you can do it with no egrets. If you're st...