Status
Available
Call number
Collection
Publication
Dover Publications (1976), Paperback, 237 pages
Description
Long before Western writers had even conceived the idea of writing detective stories, the Chinese had developed a long tradition of literary works that chronicled the cases of important district magistrates. One of the most celebrated of these was Judge Dee, who lived in the seventh century a.d. This book, written anonymously in the eighteenth century, interweaves three of Judge Dee's most baffling cases: a double murder among traveling merchants, the fatal poisoning of a bride on her wedding night, and the suspicious death of a shop keeper with a beautiful wife. The crimes take him up and down the great silk routes, into ancient graveyards where he consults the spirits of the dead, and through all levels of society, leading him to some brilliant detective work.… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member michaeleconomy
weird ancient chinese detective drama.I read this for world history II.
LibraryThing member TracyK1
I like the book. It is different from the other's that this author wrote, although he keeps it pretty close. This is a translated book written by someone else in the 18th century that was later translated by Robert Van Gulik during WWII. It is a very good read and you also get an interesting
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history of china and how there legal system works. Show Less
LibraryThing member alexyskwan
Only the first part can truly be called a mystery, the second part was more about restoring the Li's to the throne.
LibraryThing member NatalieSW
I listened to this on Audible this time; I read all the Judge Dee books years ago and enjoyed this one again.
Van Gulik was born in the Netherlands, but grew up in Jakarta -- then Batavia. He learned a lot of languages well and took a PhD in Leiden before becoming a diplomat, then worked in Japan
Van Gulik was born in the Netherlands, but grew up in Jakarta -- then Batavia. He learned a lot of languages well and took a PhD in Leiden before becoming a diplomat, then worked in Japan
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until the Japanese declared war on Netherlands in 1941. He went to China, and became fascinated with the Chinese detective mystery. He's an interesting character himself, and I've just convinced myself to search out a biography — or write one! Show Less
LibraryThing member JackMassa
Enjoyable as a mystery novel, but mostly interesting to me for all the knowledge it provides on daily life, society, government, and law in Tang China.
LibraryThing member LisCarey
Judge Dee was a 7th century Chinese magistrate and statesman, of the Tang Dynasty. His cases were recorded in the Imperial archives, but most have not survived. In the 18th century, three cases were written into an anonymous Chinese mystery novel, Dee Goong An. Mystery novels were a popular Chinese
Chinese district magistrates were completely responsible for peace and order in their districts, and in the investigation of serious crimes, they acted as judge, prosecutor, and detective. In the course of investigating his cases, Dee uses deceit, disguise, divination, dreams, and also threats and torture. Chinese law required that no one could be executed without a confession, and so even a case with overwhelming evidence might require torture. On the other hand, if an accused person died under torture without confessing, the magistrate and his entire staff could be executed. So, it was a potentially risky strategy.
The three cases are a bride poisoned on her wedding night, a double murder involving two silk merchants in a small town in the district, and a murder of small shopkeeper in another small town. That last murder wasn't recognized as murder for nearly a year, until Judge Dee, investigating the case of the silk merchants, overhears a remark about the death, the widow's retreat from all social life, and the fact that her young daughter has become mute. It's this case that poses the greatest danger and the greatest challenge to Dee.
The stories are good, interesting, and well-paced, and there's added interest because these stories reflect Chinese law and Chinese custom, even with the Ming dynasty anachronisms introduced by the anonymous Chinese author. It's a very enjoyable read, or listen, and well worth your time.
I bought this audiobook.
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genre, but usually with a strong supernatural element that Robert van Gulik thought would be unacceptable to western readers. Dee Goong An mostly lacks that element, and in 1949, van Gulik translated it into English. After that, he wrote his own entirely fictional adventures of Judge Dee, but this book is the only place to find the historical, or believed to be historical, cases of the historical Judge Dee.Chinese district magistrates were completely responsible for peace and order in their districts, and in the investigation of serious crimes, they acted as judge, prosecutor, and detective. In the course of investigating his cases, Dee uses deceit, disguise, divination, dreams, and also threats and torture. Chinese law required that no one could be executed without a confession, and so even a case with overwhelming evidence might require torture. On the other hand, if an accused person died under torture without confessing, the magistrate and his entire staff could be executed. So, it was a potentially risky strategy.
The three cases are a bride poisoned on her wedding night, a double murder involving two silk merchants in a small town in the district, and a murder of small shopkeeper in another small town. That last murder wasn't recognized as murder for nearly a year, until Judge Dee, investigating the case of the silk merchants, overhears a remark about the death, the widow's retreat from all social life, and the fact that her young daughter has become mute. It's this case that poses the greatest danger and the greatest challenge to Dee.
The stories are good, interesting, and well-paced, and there's added interest because these stories reflect Chinese law and Chinese custom, even with the Ming dynasty anachronisms introduced by the anonymous Chinese author. It's a very enjoyable read, or listen, and well worth your time.
I bought this audiobook.
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LibraryThing member Michael.Rimmer
A fascinating glimpse into life in 7th century CE China, translated in the 1940s from a 19th century Chinese manuscript that appears to preserve a genuine account of investigations undertaken by the magistrate of a small city.
Judge Dee is insightful, ethically scrupulous and morally strict,
The current (2024) Netflix series excludes torture, but includes a few fight scenes, which I had thought was pandering to the modern vogue for adding martial arts to spice up the action, and was pleasantly surprised to read a few examples of Judge Dee's lieutenants exhibiting their "Chinese boxing and wrestling".
I really enjoyed this, and will continue with van Gulik's self-penned sequels.
Judge Dee is insightful, ethically scrupulous and morally strict,
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slightly softened by compassion. However, in the context of his culture, the use of torture, graphically described, is a legitimate judicial tool. I found these sections uncomfortable reading, but I guess that readers who enjoy "torture porn" movies might get a kick from these sections.The current (2024) Netflix series excludes torture, but includes a few fight scenes, which I had thought was pandering to the modern vogue for adding martial arts to spice up the action, and was pleasantly surprised to read a few examples of Judge Dee's lieutenants exhibiting their "Chinese boxing and wrestling".
I really enjoyed this, and will continue with van Gulik's self-penned sequels.
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Language
Original publication date
18th century
1949 (English ∙ Van Gulik)
Physical description
237 p.; 8.48 inches
ISBN
0486233375 / 9780486233376
DDC/MDS
| Fic Mystery van Gulik |