About:
When the Tiger Came Down the Mountain by Nghi Vo is the second book in The Singing Hills Cycle fantasy series. Ms. Vo is an award-winning American author.
- 126 pages
- Publisher : Tor.com
- Language : English
- ISBN-10 : 1250786134
My rating for When the Tiger Came Down the Mountain – 4
Buy When the Tiger Came Down the Mountain from Amazon.com*
More Books by Nghi Vo*
Thoughts:
I have not read Ms. Vo’s previous book; however, this is a standalone book. I didn’t feel that I missed anything of great importance.
The theme of When the Tiger Came Down the Mountain by Nghi Vo is storytelling. Telling the stories, and how they differ, is a main point in this book. Chih tells the story, but the tigers interrupt every so often to retell the same passage in either a different way, or a different perspective.
The stories themselves do not really change, but they do illustrate how different cultures tell them. We can see examples all over, the same story told differently highlighting different aspects. Cleric Chih, also understand who the audience is (the tigers) and the readers are left to figure out if he changed the story to save lives, or is telling it as she heard it.
Who gets to tell a story, change the story, and write our collective memories is a hotly debated issue to this day. Not just with fiction, but history especially. The human kind is constantly contending with reevaluating the contributions of individuals, institutions, and organizations. Sometimes we don’t know the affects until decades later.
I remember when I re-read Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson as an adult. I noticed, that with the advantage of maturity, that Long John Silver, not Jim Hawkins, is the main character. Something which I could only see from a different perspective.
And yes, the story is just as good, if not better, than I remembered it.
The world building was amusing, if anything that is the only part, I felt, that I missed from not reading book number one. It’s still enjoyable, especially the Mammoth who seem to be a major part of… something.
This is a very short book, but an interesting, as well as enticing read. I enjoyed the prose and narrative, the imagery and story within a story.
Synopsis:
The story follows Chih, a cleric, and her companions who are captured by hungry tigers. Chih weaves an intricate tale about a tiger and her scholar lover to pass the time until morning, when the company can be rescued.
Buy When the Tiger Came Down the Mountain from Amazon.com*
More Books by Nghi Vo*
Zohar — Man of la Book
Disclaimer: I got this book from the Tor.com eBook Club.
*Amazon links point to an affiliate account
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