One of my favorite books!
Rosemary F. (canadianeh) reviewed The Laughing Sutra (Vintage Contemporaries) on + 242 more book reviews
If you like stories of China, a truly recommend this cheerful fable based on Chinese folk stories of the magical Monkey King. Most good books bring their own kind of enlightenment. In this one, our hero is a young Chinese boy brought up by a monk. He and a 2,500! year-old Colonel eventually escape China and go in search of the Laughing Sutra whose great "joke" will bring ultimate enlightenment to all who read it. It's a great premise for the tale of a Chinese immigrant in America, a meeting that brings its own enlightenment. Modern China is the background for the beginning of the tale and our heroes' naivete about America and his stereotypical misconceptions provide much learning and laughter. A straightforward easy to read story that bounces from one escapade to another: happy reading!
Very Interesting! by the writer of Iron & Silk which was a best seller about the author's adventures as an English teacher and martial arts student in China. Includes references to the Cultural Revolution, the Hong Kong drug trade and American amusement parks. I learned a lot about the Chinese culture and find it fascinating!
