The Chronicles of Master Li and Number Ten Ox

I rarely review books, however.... Mere words fail to describe the sheer genius that are the Mr. Hughart's efforts on Master Li and Number Ten Ox. The three books in this omnibus are so cleverly written, so unfailingly humorous and so totally poignant that other works will hereafter be spoiled for me. The author does state that he could have written more adventures for these characters after these three, but that they would have been formulaic, and what would be the point in that? As accurate as that may be, I mourn the fact that the world has no more to look forward to from this amazing author and his two phenomenal characters. Should he write anything else, I will snap it up. I also know that I will re-read these books in the future and approach that task with absolute glee, that I am given the chance to do so.

It has been wonderful to read this book after years of waiting for them to be published again. Hughart's writing is fantastic. In addition, this edition is beautifully bound with high quality materials. However there are numerous glaring editorial errors and typos throughout the book. These are the only reason I cannot give this book a five-star rating. I contacted the publisher regarding these errors and this was the (unsatisfactory) reply:

"That's a long story, and I apologize for the errors."

I really enjoyed this series when I first came across them in the 80's.My paperback copies are old and smelly and as these books are not likely to be republished in an electronic format I was delighted to see them published as a hardback trilogy. These books are still as witty and wildly imaginative, as entertaining and engaging as I remembered them. Master Li and Number Ten Ox are heroic and memorable characters that sadly will never become tired or cliched as their adventures are confined to so few books.

Here you can find all three Master Li and Number Ten Ox novels in a single volume. If you haven't yet sampled the pleasures of Barry Hughart's "China that never was," then you have the chance for a rare treat: an enthralling, superbly written, nearly flawless set of stories that are at once intensely humanistic and delightfully funny.

In "Bridge of Birds," we meet Number Ten Ox, a Chinese peasant whose village's children are stricken by a plague that can count. When the few copper coins he has can't buy a distinguished scholar to help him, he has to settle on Master Li, who has a slight flaw in his character. The mystery they set out to solve turns out to be just a part of an older, far more important crime against Heaven itself. Through a rollicking set of adventures, involving some of the most amazing characters in fantasy, they charge into the problem. The ending will simply amaze you. ("Bridge" in it's stand-alone volume has 171 reviews; 151 of them giving it 5 stars. Perhaps that will help persuade you.)

In "The Story of the Stone," Number Ten Ox has become an assistant to Master Li. When the abbot of a remote monastery arrives and tells Master Li that insanely homicidal Laughing Prince has returned - and he has been dead for centuries - Number Ten Ox and Master Li set out to deal with the matter.

And in "Eight Skilled Gentlemen," Master Li and Number Ten Ox are asked by the very highest Taoist scholar in China to investigate a series of mysteries, not the least of which is a vampire ghoul that appears at an execution. A critical time is coming again, and it takes all of Master Li's cunning and Ox's strength to save China.

Hughart is a brilliant, lyrical writer. His plots are simply astonishing, and his ability to paint wonderful characters in a few sentences is outstanding. My test for superb fantasy is simple: when you finish the story, the ordinary world you return to should seem a duller, mundane place. Hughart's work easily passes that test.

The only mildly disappointing part of this otherwise excellent edition is the jacket cover; there Hughart explains, carefully and honestly, why there won't be any more Master Li novels. It's a shame, and I hope he will reconsider. These are the best novels you haven't read.

My very highest recommendation.

I have read all the three books and am a great fan of these books. I read somewhere recently that Barry Hughart will not be completing the series and these 3 will be the only ones available. Initial publisher issues aside, he feels that he would be repeating himself rather than creating something new. I for one do not mind reading any further no. of Li Kao books BH is willing to write. But more importantly, I am looking for some sort of closure to the series as promised in the "Bridge of Birds". If only he were to write that one book closing off a great series properly....

It's been a couple of months since I checked this book out from the library, so my review won't be too detailed. I was quite pleasantly surprised by this book, since I had never heard of it or the author before. The writing style is quite lyrical and charming, and the plot is fast-paced. The adventures are often solved through some quite humorous actions through the efforts of the two main characters. Almost in an action-adventure movie style, the author commonly has the heroes go through some seemingly-pointless activities, which are later revealed to have been a clever attempt to foil their enemies or get around an insurmountable obstacle.

The only drawback to the hardcover trilogy is the cost; the current listed price on Amazon is ridiculous. This is certainly a worthwhile book, but I don't think that it's worth the amount that the private sellers are charging. I will be checking used book stores and other online sellers and crossing my fingers.