Review of ' The Brides of High Hill'


I got to know and appreciate Nghi Vo's writing by reading his debut novel 'The Chosen and The Beautiful', the Vietnamese/American revival of Fitzgerald's “The Great Gatsby”.

'A sparkling twist that makes the magic!'.

In January, Mondadori Italian Publishing House, published the translation.

Thanks to Netgalley and to Tordotcom which I thank, I had the pleasure of reading the latest novella of 'The Singing Hills Cycle' entitled 'The Brides of High Hill'.

The author, in this cycle of stories, immerses herself in the atmosphere and history of ancient Vietnam following the adventures of the cleric Chih of the Singing Hills Abbey and the fantastic and faithful companions: the Neixin. Talking hoopoes, spirits who possess a memory and can take the place of the monk. According to the Publishing House, each of these five novellas is independent from the others and therefore can be read even without taking into account the order in which they are published. I've decided to start with this one, the fifth, which was published on May 7, 2024.

In The Brides High Hill, a young bride named Nhung Pham, whose house has fallen into disgrace, is travelling with her family, with a particular teapot and with the monk Chih, towards the home of her future husband: she will soon become the lady of Doi Cao kingdom because of an arranged marriage with the old and powerful Lord Guò.

He lives in an estate made up of several buildings whose gray appearance recalls severe Gothic environments, instilling sadness and fear.

Once she arrives at her destination, Nhung will be hosted in the Eight Peony Pavilion. Banquets will be organized in her honor, one different from the other where we witness a change in the young girl's character. Lord Guò's son also lives in the house and he's considered crazy. Having made his acquaintance, Nhung shows no fear towards him, on the contrary, despite the strangeness of his behavior, she is always ready to appear available and maternal.

The presence and actions of that sad figure suggest that something dark is hidden in the castle.

Driven by this awareness, the girl and the cleric begin to wander about in the estate at night, discovering abandoned places and beautiful ones.

There are mysteries that require a solution, in particular:

How did Guò's wives disappeared?

What happened to Neixin called Almost Brilliant?

It will be the cleric's job to resolve them.

I’ve read a thousand times this novella: the first reading didn't convinced me, but in the end, the rosebud opened in its beauty.

I’m sharing the unanimous opinions that define Nghi Vo as very good at developing her narrative, thanks to her great imagination and ability to reinterpret classics and fairy tales. In particular, in this novella you can trace "Alice in Wonderland", "A Thousand and One Nights" as well as Bluebeard.

To the question, can 'The Brides of High Hill' be considered a standalone? I'm answering in this way: it is partly true, but it is always part of a cycle of short stories, and respecting the sequence allows you to get a general picture of the characters and the evolution of the events to which the five stories are dedicated. For example, I had a hard time understanding who the neixin were and why they are so important for Chih.

I recommend this book to all of those who enjoy reading fairy tales and gothic atmospheres.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a free copy in exchange of an honest review.’