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Bridge of Birds
Barry Hughart Book Review

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Plot Summary of Bridge of Birds
"In "an ancient China that never was," Number Ten Ox lives an ordinary life - until a mysterious plague strikes his village, or at least all the children between 8 and 13. He seeks a wise man to solve the mystery of the plague that can count, and finds Li Kao, an ancient, masterful scholar with a slight flaw in his character. Together they seek first the solution and then the cure."
Ivy, Resident Scholar

"A very satisfying tale. Children in village struck down with strange plague, needs cure, call in the wise man to aide the strong, stupid, yet good intentioned guy. Their quest overlaps a different, and far older, series of events. Must find out the truth to set the past right and save all the children."
Amy, Resident Scholar



Review Analysis of Bridge of Birds
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot

Composition of Book
Descript. of chases or violence - 20%
planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 50%
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 10%
Descript. of society, phenomena (tech), places - 20%




Tone of book - cynical or dry-wit
FANTASY or SCIENCE FICTION? - science fiction story
Explore/1st contact/ enviro story Yes
Plotlets: - fighting a disease/illness affecting everyone
Tech./$$$/Info hunt Yes
Stealing/recovering/destroying - cure/disease/bioweapon
Is this an adult or child's book? - Adult or Young Adult Book

Main Character
Identity: - Male
Profession/status: - farmer
Age: - a teen - 20's-30's
Is this an ordinary person caught up in events? Yes
How sensitive is this character? - sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor - Strong but gentle sense of humor
Intelligence - Average intelligence
Physique - bulging muscles - very athletic

Main Adversary
Identity: - Male
Age: - long-lived adults
Profession/status: - Prince/Nobleman/King - dictator
Has magical powers? Yes
Magical/mental powers of main antagonist: - can change shapes - mind reading - super strength - can cast all sorts of spells - can read emotions
Eccentric: Yes - obsessed - mentally ill - deluded - emotionally unstable - wild
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in: - a moderate amount
How sensitive is this character? - mean, arrogant
Sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence - Average intelligence
Physique - bulging muscles

Setting
Terrain - Mountains
Earth setting: - general past - during "Tolkien" (fairytime) times
Takes place on Earth? Yes

Style
Person? - mostly 1st
Accounts of torture and death? - moderately detailed references to deaths - very explicit references to deaths and torture
scientific jargon? (SF only) - a fair amount of scientific explanation
Sex in book? Yes
What kind of sex: - vague references only
How much dialogue? - roughly even amounts of descript and dialog
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