Publication
Penguin Books (2006), Edition: Reprint, 400 pages
Original publication date
2002-07-31
Collections
Subjects
Description
From the author of The Dragon Scroll comes an ingenious new novel of murder and malfeasance in ancient Japan, featuring the detective Sugawara Akitada. The son of reduced nobility forced to toil in the Ministry of Justice, Akitada is relieved when an old friend, Professor Hirata, asks him to investigate a friend's blackmail. Taking a post at the Imperial University, he is soon sidetracked from his primary case by the murder of a young girl and the mysterious disappearance of an old man--a disappearance that the Emperor himself declares a miracle. Rashomon Gate is a mystery of magnificent complexity and historical detail that will leave readers yearning for more.
User reviews
LibraryThing member bcquinnsmom
The story (actually stories) within the book is good; it's just so tedious! I absolutely love stories set in the context of Ancient Japan or Ancient China and while I like the mysteries here, the author tries to do way too much at the same time. I mean, I don't blame her -- when you put a novel in
anyway: here's a brief plot summary
A former professor at the Imperial University (the main character's alma mater) comes to our hero, Sugawara Akitada (last name first) when he stumbles upon a blackmailing plot. He doesn't know who is being blackmailed, but he does know that there are several professors who are worthy of being blackmailed. He wants Sugawara (who is a minor official in the Ministry of Justice) to find out who is being blackmailed and stop the plot before the academy becomes embroiled in scandal. So, Sugawara takes an official leave from the ministry and becomes a visiting professor at the University so he can be in place. He immediately finds several professors who are "blackmailable." But instead of just blackmail, he finds himself with two murders on his hands.
While I would recommend this book, it would be better for readers not expecting a quick & easy mystery. In this book, you have to follow several plotlines, several people & their stories and it could become a bit wearisome as you go along. Otherwise, like I said, the mystery is good.
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a setting like Ancient Japan, you have to give the reader that sense of place most readers require. So she spends a lot of time trying to evoke that sense of place and time and it is a little distracting at times. Then again, is is the first of a series so those are usually a little rocky. I also had this feeling while I was reading it that it was based on the format (even down to the pictures) of Robert Van Gulik's novels about Judge Dee which were set in Tang Dynasty China. You have the same formula: official takes as protectors street thugs who swear their loyalty to him; one original crime which unleashes or masks other crimes; the focus on the personal life of the main character. What is different is that Van Gulik's works are short and to the point; this one took me a long time to read through.anyway: here's a brief plot summary
A former professor at the Imperial University (the main character's alma mater) comes to our hero, Sugawara Akitada (last name first) when he stumbles upon a blackmailing plot. He doesn't know who is being blackmailed, but he does know that there are several professors who are worthy of being blackmailed. He wants Sugawara (who is a minor official in the Ministry of Justice) to find out who is being blackmailed and stop the plot before the academy becomes embroiled in scandal. So, Sugawara takes an official leave from the ministry and becomes a visiting professor at the University so he can be in place. He immediately finds several professors who are "blackmailable." But instead of just blackmail, he finds himself with two murders on his hands.
While I would recommend this book, it would be better for readers not expecting a quick & easy mystery. In this book, you have to follow several plotlines, several people & their stories and it could become a bit wearisome as you go along. Otherwise, like I said, the mystery is good.
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LibraryThing member klaidlaw
This is my second of the Sugawara Akitata mystery novels. I wish I had read them in order because there were plots lines I already knew. That being said, this is a wonderful summer read. The characters are well drawn and I continue to learn things about Japan through reading this series. It can be
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tough for an author setting a novel in an different time and culture to not get too far into the weeds educating the reader. I think Parker has done a reasonably good job of getting the balance between story and education right. I do think the book plodded in places, and trying to balance three crimes at the same time seems a bit contrived, but all in all I would recommend this book to others wanting a look at this particular period in Japanese history and a fun mystery at the same time. Show Less
LibraryThing member herbcat
Sugawara Akitada is a lowly official in the Justice Department in medieval department, despite his having scored highly on the final exam from university and had then solved a great mystery in an outer province concerning the disappearance of three years' taxes for the emperor. Then his former
The descriptions of the scenes in this book are quite vivid, both the lovely serenity of nature and the stinky crowded market places and make me at once want to visit Japan as well as feel as if I am there. The details are perfect and clear and bring scenes to mind vividly. It would be nice to have more illustrations of characters in costume since most of us are not familiar with the fashions of that era and culture and find men with topknots and hats hard to imagine. There are many sad stories within the book yet the outlook is hopeful and there is happiness for some who deserve it.
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teacher who had taken him in after his cruel father had disowned him and evicted him from his own home sent him a letter asking him to visit him. The teacher told him about a mysterious note left in his robe and they worked out together that it was a blackmail note regarding a wrongfully awarded first place on the final exam. Akitada agreed to come to the university as a temporary lecturer in place of one who had died previously. There are many, many apparent clues and leads and questions. Akitada uses his servants, Seimei and Tora, in finding more information and tracking down people. When a young girl is strangled in a public park and the sash used to strangle her is given to an old begger, Akitada works to free the begger who is accused of the murder and being beaten by the police to make him confess. After another suspect is found, a student who is also thought innocent by Akitada, the begger is set free and killed before Akitada can find him to keep him safe. Tora helps solve that murder and in the process picks up two new shady friends which he begs Akitada to hire. He agrees and finds that they are indeed good people who have been badly treated by fate and have lost the place and honor rightly due them, but they are happy to be his loyal followers and helpers. They are hired to be guards for his home where he is keeping the young grandson of the disappeared Prince Koatira safe from his ruthless "brother -in-law who is clearly after his grandfather's fortune. After new information, shifting points of view, and new developments, the murders are solved, and the evil doers punished. Akitada and Tamako, the daughter of his former teacher, finally get all misunderstandings cleared away and admit that they both love the other and set about to be married. Akitada has once again proven his good character and clever judgement and is given a large reward with the possibility of much more and a chance to get away from his deathly boring job in the ministry. Of course, the injustice of the snobbery of the upper classes and mistreatment (sometimes vile) of the poor goes on. This is illustrated and talked about again and again all through the book, but Akitada has won the reputation of an honest, good, and kind man. Now he has also earned the respect of a very highly placed family, the only way to really advance in the emperor's government.The descriptions of the scenes in this book are quite vivid, both the lovely serenity of nature and the stinky crowded market places and make me at once want to visit Japan as well as feel as if I am there. The details are perfect and clear and bring scenes to mind vividly. It would be nice to have more illustrations of characters in costume since most of us are not familiar with the fashions of that era and culture and find men with topknots and hats hard to imagine. There are many sad stories within the book yet the outlook is hopeful and there is happiness for some who deserve it.
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LibraryThing member Rtnrlfy
Started off slow but picked up midway...
LibraryThing member devenish
'Rashomon Gate' is the first in a series of novels which follows the career of Sugawara Akitada. In them we are transported to ancient Japan and its inhabitants,high and low. In this,the first in the series,Akitado is in a fairly ordinary job in the Ministry of Justice,from which he will rise
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(slowly) as the series progresses. This is the book that sets the scene for the rest,and although perhaps the weakest one it still has many points in its favour. Show Less
LibraryThing member Olivermagnus
This innovative mystery is set in 11th Century Japan in Kyo (modern day Kyoto). Sugawara Akitada is a low ranking nobleman who works as a clerk in the Ministry of Justice. His mother is constantly nagging him to better himself.
Akitada receives a message from his former law professor at Imperial
This book is both a mystery and a historical novel. It encompasses Japanese culture, history, religion and superstition. Sometime the writing seems a little too modern but I appreciated that it made the story highly readable. I felt the plot developed a little slowly but once I got about a third of the way I was flying through it.
This is listed as the first of the Akitada mysteries, however there is previous one called Dragon Scroll where we are introduced to Akitada and learn how he and Tora become companions. I loved the scalawag Tora and plan to read that one sometime in the future. I don't feel I lost anything by reading out of order as Rashomon Gate can certainly stand on its own.
Note: If anyone has a Kindle and belongs to Amazon Prime, this book is available to read for free in the Kindle Owner's Lending Library.
Akitada receives a message from his former law professor at Imperial
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University who has found a note indicating someone on the faculty is being blackmailed. He doesn't want the University to suffer from this humiliation so asks Akitada to quietly investigate. It's not long before Akitada is involved in not only the blackmail, but two murders. He also becomes interested in one of his young students whose grandfather died under mysterious circumstances. Fortunately Akitada won't have to do all this investigation on his own. His servant, Tora, a former highwayman has significant role in solving these crimes. What an interesting character. Akitada is also very interesting and this book paints a wonderfully expressive picture of medieval Japan and the precise social order that governs everyday life.This book is both a mystery and a historical novel. It encompasses Japanese culture, history, religion and superstition. Sometime the writing seems a little too modern but I appreciated that it made the story highly readable. I felt the plot developed a little slowly but once I got about a third of the way I was flying through it.
This is listed as the first of the Akitada mysteries, however there is previous one called Dragon Scroll where we are introduced to Akitada and learn how he and Tora become companions. I loved the scalawag Tora and plan to read that one sometime in the future. I don't feel I lost anything by reading out of order as Rashomon Gate can certainly stand on its own.
Note: If anyone has a Kindle and belongs to Amazon Prime, this book is available to read for free in the Kindle Owner's Lending Library.
Show Less
LibraryThing member Olivermagnus
This innovative mystery is set in 11th Century Japan in Kyo (modern day Kyoto). Sugawara Akitada is a low ranking nobleman who works as a clerk in the Ministry of Justice. His mother is constantly nagging him to better himself.
Akitada receives a message from his former law professor at Imperial
This book is both a mystery and a historical novel. It encompasses Japanese culture, history, religion and superstition. Sometime the writing seems a little too modern but I appreciated that it made the story highly readable. I felt the plot developed a little slowly but once I got about a third of the way I was flying through it.
This is listed as the first of the Akitada mysteries, however there is previous one called Dragon Scroll where we are introduced to Akitada and learn how he and Tora become companions. I loved the scalawag Tora and plan to read that one sometime in the future. I don't feel I lost anything by reading out of order as Rashomon Gate can certainly stand on its own.
Note: If anyone has a Kindle and belongs to Amazon Prime, this book is available to read for free in the Kindle Owner's Lending Library.
Akitada receives a message from his former law professor at Imperial
Show More
University who has found a note indicating someone on the faculty is being blackmailed. He doesn't want the University to suffer from this humiliation so asks Akitada to quietly investigate. It's not long before Akitada is involved in not only the blackmail, but two murders. He also becomes interested in one of his young students whose grandfather died under mysterious circumstances. Fortunately Akitada won't have to do all this investigation on his own. His servant, Tora, a former highwayman has significant role in solving these crimes. What an interesting character. Akitada is also very interesting and this book paints a wonderfully expressive picture of medieval Japan and the precise social order that governs everyday life.This book is both a mystery and a historical novel. It encompasses Japanese culture, history, religion and superstition. Sometime the writing seems a little too modern but I appreciated that it made the story highly readable. I felt the plot developed a little slowly but once I got about a third of the way I was flying through it.
This is listed as the first of the Akitada mysteries, however there is previous one called Dragon Scroll where we are introduced to Akitada and learn how he and Tora become companions. I loved the scalawag Tora and plan to read that one sometime in the future. I don't feel I lost anything by reading out of order as Rashomon Gate can certainly stand on its own.
Note: If anyone has a Kindle and belongs to Amazon Prime, this book is available to read for free in the Kindle Owner's Lending Library.
Show Less
Language
Original language
English
ISBN
0143035606 / 9780143035602
Physical description
400 p.; 5.1 inches
Pages
400