Reviews

• Could have been better

  When I happen across a book that mixes one of my favorite genres with Chinese history and culture I can't help but read it. Problem is that, given that China is my professional field, I'm also nitpicky. There are many things I like in Tea with the Black Dragon but I would have liked it better if some little things had been different. I loved the fact that both main characters are middle-aged (it isn't that common to have people over 50 as the MCs in fantasy), I also like the old-fashioned feeling I got from the style (the book was first published in 1983 but, had I not known, I would have said it was older). it is not that it feels outdated, far from it, but the vocabulary is richer that the usual fare of 'modern' fantasy novel (although not pretentious or purple), and the prose has a more leisurely pace, it isn't slow but alternates action sequences with more meditative, leisurely moments. I also like the zen snippets and the fact that the moment of revelation for Mr. Long felt like an echo from a famous quote by Gertrude Stein. What I don't like too much is Mr. Long himself, the black dragon of the title. It feels to me like the author portrayed him like a transformed Chinese dragon but what hazy about what a Chinese dragon really is and how it differs from an European one. I cringed at Mayland Long's disconfort on being on the water, for instance, and at the hints in the book about his links with fire since Chinese dragons are known for being water-spirits in control of the rain, rivers, lakes and even the sea itself. There are also scattered references to gold and hoarding, but Chinese dragons aren't hoarders sitting on piles of gold, they are custodians of treasures and give them freely to deserving humans. Mayland Long tells of finding himself in human shape after a night-long vigil over the body of a dead hermit, fact is that in Chinese stories dragons have two shapes, they can appear either as dragons or as humans, at will, the nasty surprise for Mayland should have been finding himself trapped in human shape, not having one. On the whole I'd say 2.5 stars, it could be 3 but I'm docking an half star for the poor research on one of the main aspects of the book.

• Visiting an old friend

  Must be about 30 years ago since I read this book first. A few old favourites have been disappointing when I reread them last year. This was not the case with this book. It still is a delight to read, beautiful writing.

• A balm for the soul

  This book could have been trite. It is not. It’s charming, up-lifting, and (spoiler alert) does have a happy ending. But MacAvoy manages to make it a nail-biter, all the while reaffirming that there is still much hope in the world though victories do not come without personal cost. I don’t think I can do justice to the web she weaves to draw you in. Nor the humanity she brings to her characters. It is a short novel, easily read in a day or two. Suitable for both adults and children.

• A delightful mystery

  Martha Macnamara flies out to San Francisco to meet her estranged daughter, Liz, who is in some kind of trouble. When Liz doesn’t show up for their meeting, Martha is left not knowing where to turn. Then the bartender in the luxurious hotel where she is staying introduces her to the mysterious Mayland Long, a wealthy Chinese man who lives in the hotel. He tells Martha that she and Long have a lot in common: they both have unique ways of looking at life, and they both love to read. He laughs when he whispers that Mr. Long once told him that he used to be a Chinese black dragon who loved to read. Martha and Mr. Long become friends, and she asks him to help her find her daughter. Then Martha disappears, and Mayland Long must rely on his intelligence, enormous strength, and his ability to understand people to sort through the clues and find both women before it’s too late. I really enjoyed this mystery. The magic of the dragon is there, but it’s subtle. Mayland Long, or Oolong, is stuck in human form. He deals with fatigue, gunshot wounds, and hunger just like any other human, yet he has the determination to keep going. Plus, he has some special skills that help him just when he needs them. Mostly, he is a curious, gentle soul who has searched for centuries for truth, and when he finds Martha, he knows he has found his truth. Martha is delightful, a talented violinist who sacrificed her career to raise her daughter (which Liz resents), and now she tours with a Celtic band, earning just enough to get by. She has the ability to see the real person beneath the surface, and she is not afraid to say what she thinks. The story takes place when computer technology was in its infancy and cassette tapes were used instead of CDs, but this only makes the book more interesting and does not distract from the charm of the two main characters.

• Loved reading this book

  Loved reading this book, although you know from the outset who's who the concept is intriguing and you can't help but be drawn in and oolong with it.

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