The Story of the Stone (Paperback)

Once again Hughart takes us on a fun and cleverly written journey through Chinese culture and legends. He really goes overboard this time, leading the reader through all the levels of hell and back again. I didn't find this story quite as endearing as the first, but still very intelligently written and thoroughly researched.

With the exception of Number Ten Ox, there is not one character in this book that is not eccentric and out-of-this-world odd. I think that is what makes the book so charming. You know that each person you meet is going to have more than just a minor character flaw, and will certainly be endowed with bigger than life blemishes and imperfections.

As with his first novel, this one is often written in such a fast-paced manner that I found myself re-reading sections to figure out what had taken place. I wouldn't say that's a major fault, though, and perhaps it's just my slow brain trying to keep up.

The book follows a classic mystery format, where clues throughout the tale are all explained at the end. But it's not Holmes pacing the floor of his den in the last chapter, explaining it all to Watson; it's done in a way that all makes sense, with the explanations fitting very well into the storyline.

I should make mention of something that I think is a major flaw in this book. The character Moon Boy is as peculiar as the rest, and with one exception, I thought of him as a quaint, likable and humorous addition to the group. That exception is his pedophilia. To have a pedophile as a minor character in a novel is not a problem, and you may call me old fashioned, but to have that person be a major character, and to treat his actions as humorous and almost acceptable, in my opinion is inappropriate. I don't think pedophilia is something to be laughed at and treated so lightly. However, Hughart displayed this character with the accompanying flaws of bestiality and other unrestrained passions, so to include all these traits in one character is probably not too far off the mark. With that said, I definitely wouldn't recommend this book for young readers.

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Chinese peasant Number Ten Ox, Master Li's client in the first book, is his assistant now, and troubled because it appears ancient Master Li may drop dead before another worthwhile mystery comes along. Ox need not have worried. The Abbot of the monastery in the Valley of Sorrows arrives with a tale of murder, terror and the return of the Laughing Prince, the lunatic despot who ruled the Valley of Sorrows 750 years earlier. How can Master Li resist the temptation? How can we resist?

Once again Master Li and Number Ten Ox must solve a mystery, and once again the mystery is fringed with the supernatural, homicide and genuine, laugh out loud developments. Along the way they meet some truly memorable characters, including Grief of Dawn, a young lady with a deeply mysterious past, and Moon Boy, a sound master and an entirely marvellous creation.

Perhaps the best invention is the characters' mind trip through the Chinese Hell, which makes the efforts of Orpheus and Dante look pretty pitiful in comparison. The ending is less of a stunner than "Bridge of Birds," but this story is a little more mature and tightly crafted than "Bridge."

The only fair criticism of "Stone" is that Hughart only wrote one more book, "Eight Skilled Gentlemen." There have to be Master Li stories not yet told; I wish Mr. Hughart would write them.

A wonderful story, amusing and moving, that exposes the reader to parts of Chinese mythology in the nicest possible way. Exceptionally well written. Highly recommended.

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