The Laughing Sutra

by Mark Salzman

Iron & Silk, Mark Salzman's bestselling account of his adventures as an English teacher and martial arts student in China, introduced a writer of enormous charm and keen insight into the cultural chasm between East and West. Now Salzman returns to China in his first novel, which follows the adventures of Hsun-ching, a naive but courageous orphan, and the formidable and mysterious Colonel Sun, who together travel from mainland China to San Francisco, risking everything to track down an elusive Buddhist scripture called The Laughing Sutra. Part Tom Sawyer, part Tom Jones, The Laughing Sutra draws us into an irresistible narrative of danger and comedy that speaks volumes about the nature of freedom and the meaning of loyalty.

Genres: Fiction, Fantasy, China, Asia, Asian Literature, School, Philosophy

272 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1991

About the author

Mark Salzman is an award-winning novelist and nonfiction author who has written on a variety of subjects, from a graceful novel about a Carmelite nun’s ecstatic visions and crisis of faith to a compelling memoir about growing up a misfit in a Connecticut suburb – clearly displaying a range that transcends genre. As a boy, all Salzman ever wanted was to be a Kung Fu master, but it was his proficiency on the cello that facilitated his acceptance to Yale at the age of 16. He soon changed his major to Chinese language and philosophy, which took him to mainland China where he taught English for two years and studied martial arts. He never gave up music, though, and Salzman’s cello playing appears on the soundtrack to several films, including the Academy Award-winning documentary Breathing Lessons: The Life and Work of Mark O’Brien. He has also played with Yo-Yo Ma and pianist Emanuel Ax at Lincoln Center. Salzman’s unusual combination of talents – as both a well-known author and a concert-proficient cellist – led to a feature profile about him in The New Yorker magazine. He was also recently presented with the Algonquin West Hollywood Literary Award.

A number of Mark Salzman’s books have been chosen for “book in common” reading programs by more than a few schools and universities for their elegance, humor, and portrayal of our shared humanity. His first memoir, Iron and Silk, inspired by his years in China, was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in nonfiction and received the Christopher Award. His book True Notebooks is a fascinating look at his experiences as a writing teacher at Los Angeles Central Juvenile Hall, a lockup for violent teenage offenders. Salzman is also the author of the memoir Lost in Place: Growing Up Absurd in Suburbia, and the novels The Laughing Sutra, The Soloist, and Lying Awake. Common to each of his works is a theme of how people struggle to reach an ideal but often fall short, and the quiet change that takes place in facing the discouragement and the possibility of never achieving their goal. Salzman writes with gut-wrenching honesty and unalloyed warmth, combined with a sharp sense of humor.

Reviews

[Debbie Zapata · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Laughing Sutra is the story of Hsun-ching, who travels from China to America to find a sacred scroll for Wei-ching an old monk who cared for Hsun-ching from the time he was a young boy, hoping to fulfill the old man's one desire in life, which was to read that particular sutra. Hsun-ching travels with a mysterious partner (you may call him Colonel Sun) who turned out to be essential to everything and a pretty cool character.

I love Salzman's work, and this book was wonderful, but someday I want to come back to it and have a re-read, since this first time through was interrupted by more than a couple of real life events and I couldn't focus enough to truly catch the deeper thoughts on freedom and loyalty that are woven through the story. Hopefully next time I open the book I will be better able to concentrate!

[Jeff · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Chinese orphan boy endures the Cultural Revolution and later, with the aid of an ancient warrior, goes on a quest for a sacred text. It's an exploration of Chinese history, culture and the martial arts and a fun and exciting adventure. Thanks to my friend Wayne for the gift of this wonderful book.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent tale of enlightenment and struggle.

[Paul K · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Laughing Sutra is an intriguing story about an orphan named Hsun-Ching, who is raised by a Buddhist monk named Wei-Ching. Wei-Ching has spent his life collecting sutras, and his final goal is to find one of the last, undocumented sutras in existence, rumored to grant the reader eternal life - the Laughing Sutra. However, as time passes and ruling in China changes, Wei-Ching and Hsun-Ching are separated for several years - until one day, Hsun-Ching returns to his home, and finds that Wei-Ching has gotten very old and has fallen ill. Determined to save his master and father, Hsun-Ching seeks out the superhuman, mysterious hero, Colonel Sun, that saved his life many years before. Their goal is to travel to the distant, Western land of San Francisco, retrieve the ancient scroll, return to China, and grant Wei-Ching eternal life.

I found that this book is both hilarious and gripping. Many times, I found myself unable to put the book down, wondering what was going to happen next. I loved the historical aspect of this book - it is very integrated into the story, and provides the reader with funny, fictional explanations to certain real events in China's history, from ancient to modern times. I enjoyed reading the perception of San Francisco through the eyes of a Chinese character - Salzman did a great job of comedically interpreting the dramatic difference between the two cultures. At times, the book could feel a little repetitive, but fascinating nonetheless. If you are a casual reader that enjoys action, comedy, fantasy, culture, history, and an interesting story, I recommend this book for you!

[Owen Curtsinger · Rating 3 out of 5]

Character development and stylish prose are definitely not Salzman's strong points as a novelist; The Laughing Sutra floats along with almost no real convincing and vivid descriptions of characters or scenes. What the novel relies on to move along is the plot itself, and I found this strikingly similar to most actual Chinese classical works. From what I've read, many classical tales rely on the plot for power and effect, relaying the main idea (or teaching) through the situations that characters find themselves in rather than artful descriptions of the characters or situations themselves. Characters are often described only by their most notable physical features and their job or station in life. It's then up to the plot line of the story to hook the reader in and impart an idea or lesson. Given this, I feel like Salzman has done a great job rendering his own sort of classical Chinese tale from those he's admired (the obvious one being Journey to the West). It was a joy to read, despite the flat characters, and had some really great moments of describing the clash of cultures between East and West that any seasoned Sinophile would find amusing.

[Mitch · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am not sure why I didn't rate this one higher. It isn't a bad book at all; it just didn't strike me as better than average.

The storyline is a fantasy quest; a young student sets off in search of a miraculous sutra-scroll for his failing master. He is accompanied by a mythical creature who is trying to reconcile ancient values with the things he encounters in the modern world, often with mixed results.

The best bits, I felt, were those of cultural misunderstanding between the Chinese way(s) of looking a things, and the American way(s) of doing the same. The author played these for their humor, with an underlying edge of truth to them.

I enjoyed the ending- I like happy endings, after all- and therefore left with a better impression of the book than I had most of the time while I was reading it.

[Virginia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was happily surprised by this book. I’ve had it for years, had shelved it prematurely, and came across it while culling my library.

This is an adult fairy tale (some would call it a fantasy) in which an orphaned boy has alternating good and bad fortunes encountering good and not-good people during the first 20 years of his life. The bulk of the story occurs in his 20th year, during which he embarks on a Tom Sawyer-like adventure. It’s a parody of an ancient Chinese tale ‘The Journey to the West’, now set in the 20th century. Aside from several funny episodes, there is serious discussion about duty, loyalty, and purpose of life to provide gravitas. Cultural differences between ancient China, the “old” China, communist China, Hong Kong, and San Francisco (America) yo-yo the reader between laughter and tears/anger. I found the book to be both sweet and sad.

[Stephen Gallup · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a delightful book! The wife and daughter both became curious about it when they heard my laughter and saw how reluctant I was to put it down. And yet, despite the humor it's not just fluff. (Which puts me in mind of a forgettable novel by Douglas Adams, in which it felt as if the author were trying too hard to be funny -- because in that case without the giggles there wasn't much else.) If the humor were stripped out, The Laughing Sutra would still be an engaging story. This is my fourth exposure to Mark Salzman and I must say he never disappoints.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book. The story was a great mix of fantasy, history, loyalty, love, you name it and it was part of the story. The characters were interesting and I found myself rooting for them at every turn of theirs adventures.

[Ellen F · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spellbinding novel. I literally cried at the end of the book because I was so disappointed it had ended. I reread and reread the last few chapters in an effort to sustain the magic. Highly recommended.

[Janice · Rating 5 out of 5]

Will have you laughing out loud!

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've enjoyed several other Mark Salzman books, so snapped this up when I saw it in a used book sale at my library. It reminded me of the time when the US and China began to interact more after so many years of isolation, and when Chinese students began to attend US universities. I met several Chinese students and professors and enjoyed learning about their very different cultures. This book is like that, teaching the Western world a bit about Chinese culture, the Cultural Revolution and what a Chinese person might think about the US when seeing us for the first time.

After being orphaned, Hsun-Ching is raised by a Buddhist monk who has gathered all the known sayings (Sutras) of Buddha except one. The monk raises the boy to one day go on a quest to find this sutra (The Laughing Sutra) where it was known to be taken from India to San Francisco. The Cultural Revolution intervenes and separates and ages both of them. Hsun-Ching finds the monk again, who is ill. He feels he must go on the quest to find the sutra, even though he doesn't think the sutra will be of much value and it is almost impossible to escape from China and get into the US without papers. It is the only thing he can do to express his gratitude. So Shus-Ching goes on this humorous quest with a companion of extraordinary strength, paralleling a quest in a Chinese story where the companion is the Monkey King. It is full of humor, insight and interesting details of Chinese culture. An old book, but a goodie.

[Jacob · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was skeptical about the idea of a westerner modernizing Journey to the West, but I ended up quite smitten with this book. It is both comfortable and exotic, and much like french fries and a milkshake is a successful combination of unlikely flavors. The outrages characters in this book are what won my endearment. One particularly memorable scene sets our protagonist, a Chinese peasant turned "sent down youth"（知青), his Monkey King sidekick, and an American wannabe-bohemian-art-major female love interest at a water park, ala Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure. Not every author can pull that off!

I'd recommend this book to anyone with an interest in China, a taste for the eccentric, and an afternoon to fill.

[Toya Fish · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a slow start kind of book.
Does give you the reminder of the potential beauty of that lives within all of us and in the world around us if we have the courage to open our eyes to see it.

Spoiler of Opinion!!! ->







Unfortunately, I personally was looking for more technique. The martial arts for example are as lacking as a four year old writer. When you think those moves out in your head is one thing however to dramatically to empower the emotions needed to create the scene's credibility to the reader makes or breaks the book.

[Cynthia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lets just say Mark knows how to choose a book title:)
The Laughing Sutra is very different from what i've read before, for one it's set in China most of it and that's a first for me and its writing is so simple it makes it easier to get through. For me it partly read like a middle grade but it isn't a middle grade which is amazing. This book has a way of knocking your emotions of course. One second you're laughing and the next something has happened and your entire emotions shift.
I'm so glad i picked it up and it made me want to read the rest of the books by Mark Sulzman.

[H. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This seems like Christopher Moore’s version of fun, and it is for readers too. What Salzman does best is write about China. He doesn’t paint it as a bleak place of no hope, not does he sugar coat it. He simply turns it into an imaginable place.

The use of Monkey works, for the most part. Salzman is widely judicious with how much he leans on “INTO THE WEST”, but it does get distracting sometimes... after the discovery of the pig train it seems there are to be more allusions to Monkey, but Sandy and the rest seem to have been left at home.

[Sara · Rating 2 out of 5]

Someone gave me this years ago, and then it just sat on my shelf collecting dust. Perhaps my instinct about it was right, as it really was mostly just meh. I could have done without the fantastical elements and the writing about culture while winking. It also felt blatantly male. Was there anything I liked about it? Get rid of the fighting and built up elements of danger, and I think I would have enjoyed reading the experience of a journey that involves emigration and then return.

[Kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

A classic quest novel. My son was assigned it for summer reading so I picked it up. I can see how it worked well for his assignment. For leisure reading however, it was merely ok. A quick read that is unlikely to stay with me.

[Gita · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book, though I can't remember much about it now. But I really enjoyed it!! Read it about 20 years ago, probably.

[Hu · Rating 4 out of 5]

Delightful slapstick starring an unlucky Chinese peasant and mirthless 2000 year old warrior finding themselves in San Francisco attempting to steal a sacred Buddhist text to smuggle back into China.

[Jackie Stefan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book because my daughter's Masters thesis is on The Monkey King

[AS · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful : )

[Un Moine Vexé]

A terrible debut novel. Possibly the worst take on the character Monkey I’ve ever seen.

[Travis]

A blend of picaresque adventure, guide to China's history, politics and culture, and satire on contemporary life in China and the U.S., the book has an unpretentious charm.

[JH · Rating 5 out of 5]

Facinatng

Excellent comparison of two very different cultures and societies while showing the similarities between humans the world everywhere it ends with question unanswered

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Strange bedfellows make great friends. Too bad Hsun-ching's trip to the US was such a waste of time, on the part of looking for the Sutra. Meeting Allison was the highlight of his trip.

[Wendy Ellis · Rating 4 out of 5]

reading a few books from my kid's shelves!

[Peyton High · Rating 3 out of 5]

certainly was a silly read

[Matisse Thieffry · Rating 4 out of 5]

So cute

[David Finkenstaedt · Rating 4 out of 5]

MONKE MAN