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Judge Dee (Chronological order) #16
The Willow Pattern : A Chinese Detective Story
A.D. 677
As Judge Dee copes with the administration of the plague-ridden Imperial Capital, he must also bring his skills to bear on the mystery of two seemingly unconnected murders that could mean the extinction of the city's oldest, most aristocratic families.
"All the charm, cruelty and fragile magic of China in the Tang Dynasty."—Chicago Sun-Times
"A tense and exotic mystery."—Publishers Weekly
Robert van Gulik (1910-67) was a Dutch diplomat and an authority on Chinese history and culture. He drew his plots from the whole body of Chinese literature, especially from popular detective novels that appeared in the seventeenth century.
As Judge Dee copes with the administration of the plague-ridden Imperial Capital, he must also bring his skills to bear on the mystery of two seemingly unconnected murders that could mean the extinction of the city's oldest, most aristocratic families.
"All the charm, cruelty and fragile magic of China in the Tang Dynasty."—Chicago Sun-Times
"A tense and exotic mystery."—Publishers Weekly
Robert van Gulik (1910-67) was a Dutch diplomat and an authority on Chinese history and culture. He drew his plots from the whole body of Chinese literature, especially from popular detective novels that appeared in the seventeenth century.
183 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1965
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461 people want to read
About the author
Robert van Gulik
162 books298 followersRobert Hans van Gulik was a Dutch diplomat best known for his Judge Dee stories. His first published book, The Celebrated Cases of Judge Dee, was a translation of an eighteenth-century Chinese murder mystery by an unknown author; he went on to write new mysteries for Judge Dee, a character based on a historical figure from the seventh century. He also wrote academic books, mostly on Chinese history.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 68 reviews
August 12, 2024
Yes such a longtime ago the 7th century after Christ, how we today would seem to lack any common thread or basic understanding of them, these ancient people of quite different culture in China and murder mysteries added to the confusion inside the novels however great writing will never let readers down. To learn is to live, we the left behind must continue, though only 5% of the population inhabit now this twisting sphere of rock in a remote part of the galaxy of many similar in looks through an ever expanding Universe. Nevertheless the unknown aspects will be pealed away like an onion with a much less thick odor to avoid. But people are just people and the gravity will compel them to clarity though it will not be that bright, the ultimate truth can't ever be gathered in a single place. The world of ours is to complicated and the Earth much too rambunctious. So life continues for transients and the nobles...may this course never be interrupted. Yet our situations occur much lower in elevation closer to the ground so we can breath a little air quite well, indeed to resolve the glitches. These will be completely eliminated the world is too big however the good try and the evil ones flee their crimes but as long as we have magistrates like judge Dee there is hope. Those unfamiliar with the great man will discover his honesty, modesty and his unbelievable intelligence, admirers are always telling the public his brain has no equal. As unfortunates victims die , never to rise again, still murders are dealt with harshly back when criminals were shown no mercy and expected none. If caught they knew justice would be swift as the flying sword would not stop until the target had been hit squarely as the Chinese peasants, prosperous merchants and the upper class watched in terror. Since they too could quickly and easily succumb to negative effects which robs the breath of needful oxygen yet the guilty are always bold and the unlucky quite dead. Those who go for the gold sometime miss and the eras of different periods crush the life of any bad characters as the world turns, whoops an absorbing narrative, tales of the no mercy policy in a society which believed that to be weak against lawbreakers gives those people the encouragement to strike much harder and destruction still heavier continues... in rather new civilizations afraid in the consequences of lacking strength, enemies domestic or foreign their evil can end the good.
June 18, 2013
The Willow Pattern takes placed in A.D. 677, when Judge Dee’s official magisterial career has ended and he’s been elevated to Lord Chief Justice of the Imperial capital, Chang-An (modern day Xi'an). (His faithful sergeants, Ma Joong and Chao Tai, have been promoted to colonels of the guards.) The entire city has been thrust into an uproar by a plague and the ensuing flights of the well-to-do and the corpses of the stricken.
In this confusion, Judge Dee must solve the murders of the heads of two of the three wealthiest and oldest families in Chang-An. He and his lieutenants also help put down several riots and a rebellion stirred up by plague, hunger, and fear.
Author Robert van Gulik, a Dutch diplomat, linguist and Asian scholar, relied on a real-life Chinese magistrate during the T’ang Dynasty named Ti Jen-chieh for his Judge Dee novels. Simplifying the magistrate’s name to Judge Dee Jen-djieh, van Gulik first introduced the West to Judge Dee in Celebrated Cases of Judge Dee, first published in 1949 (although not translated into English until 1976). And, yes, van Gulik advises us, Judge Dee really did serve for a year as President of the Metropolitan Court. In that same postscript to The Willow Pattern, van Gulik also provides some interesting history on the well-known blue-on-white Willow Pattern china.
While The Willow Pattern, like all Judge Dee books, does stand alone, I would recommend beginning the series with one of the novels in which Judge Dee still serves as a magistrate, particularly The Chinese Gold Murders, where a young Judge Dee first meets his future sergeants, Ma Joong and Chao Tai, while they’re still “brothers of the green wood,” or what we would call highwaymen.
In this confusion, Judge Dee must solve the murders of the heads of two of the three wealthiest and oldest families in Chang-An. He and his lieutenants also help put down several riots and a rebellion stirred up by plague, hunger, and fear.
Author Robert van Gulik, a Dutch diplomat, linguist and Asian scholar, relied on a real-life Chinese magistrate during the T’ang Dynasty named Ti Jen-chieh for his Judge Dee novels. Simplifying the magistrate’s name to Judge Dee Jen-djieh, van Gulik first introduced the West to Judge Dee in Celebrated Cases of Judge Dee, first published in 1949 (although not translated into English until 1976). And, yes, van Gulik advises us, Judge Dee really did serve for a year as President of the Metropolitan Court. In that same postscript to The Willow Pattern, van Gulik also provides some interesting history on the well-known blue-on-white Willow Pattern china.
While The Willow Pattern, like all Judge Dee books, does stand alone, I would recommend beginning the series with one of the novels in which Judge Dee still serves as a magistrate, particularly The Chinese Gold Murders, where a young Judge Dee first meets his future sergeants, Ma Joong and Chao Tai, while they’re still “brothers of the green wood,” or what we would call highwaymen.
April 27, 2022
The Black Death oozes from one neighborhood to another of seventh century Tang China's capital. The emperor, his court, and most of the administrators have fled to a temporary mountain redoubt. Left in charge of the city is Judge Dee, who at this stage of the chronology of Dee's world, is the chief justice of the imperial court. At his side stand his ever loyal lieutenants, Ma Joong, Chiao Tai, and Tao Gan. The atmosphere of the setting overwhelms the plot. All throughout the sultry miasma that accompanies the plague seems to hover over all, holding the populace, high and low, in its grip. Against this background takes place the murders of remnants of the capital city's old nobility, all of whom have decayed into sex criminals of the lowest moral order.
It seems like such a promising plot. But something goes wrong in this story. Instead of all the clues flowing into one current, they become choppy and contradictory pieces of evidence. As a result, at the end, Judge Dee gives an overly long explanation of who did what to whom. Everything seems forced. Even the judge seems to realize it. Because he is satisfied with letting one of the crimes go down in the records as unsolved. Dee is an old man in this novel. He seems tired. And so does the author.
One important discovery for me, however. I found out what a Chinese moon door is. Or more properly a "moongate," as it appears in the references I checked out. All this time, I thought this had been an element of Art Deco styling that was merged into traditional Chinese architecture. Thanks, van Gulik! The novel failed to reach the heights of your previous work, but I still learned something valuable.
It seems like such a promising plot. But something goes wrong in this story. Instead of all the clues flowing into one current, they become choppy and contradictory pieces of evidence. As a result, at the end, Judge Dee gives an overly long explanation of who did what to whom. Everything seems forced. Even the judge seems to realize it. Because he is satisfied with letting one of the crimes go down in the records as unsolved. Dee is an old man in this novel. He seems tired. And so does the author.
One important discovery for me, however. I found out what a Chinese moon door is. Or more properly a "moongate," as it appears in the references I checked out. All this time, I thought this had been an element of Art Deco styling that was merged into traditional Chinese architecture. Thanks, van Gulik! The novel failed to reach the heights of your previous work, but I still learned something valuable.
September 28, 2020
Vị quan tài trí khôn ngoan Địch Nhân Kiệt tiếp tục phá được một vụ án liên quan đến ba gia tộc tiếng tăm, bề thế ở thành Trường An trong tình cảnh dịch bệnh đang hoành hành.
Điểm mình thích nhất ở tập này là chuyện tình giữa anh chàng trợ thủ thân tính của Địch Công là Mã Vinh và Bạch Lam cô nương . Nàng thân nữ nhi nhưng không phải loại người yếu đuối, thích dựa dẫm mà trái lại rất khí khái, bộc trực, võ nghệ lại cao cường.Màn đối khẩu của hai người rất thú vị, hài hước.
Đọc xong mới biết một điều rất thú vị là các họa tiết, hoa văn cây liễu trên nhiều mẩu gốm sứ thịnh hành ở châu Âu thế kỷ XVIII không phải được chếtác bởi các nghệ nhân Trung Quốc mà từ bàn tay khéo léo của một người Anh tên là Thomas Turner.
Điểm mình thích nhất ở tập này là chuyện tình giữa anh chàng trợ thủ thân tính của Địch Công là Mã Vinh và Bạch Lam cô nương . Nàng thân nữ nhi nhưng không phải loại người yếu đuối, thích dựa dẫm mà trái lại rất khí khái, bộc trực, võ nghệ lại cao cường.Màn đối khẩu của hai người rất thú vị, hài hước.
Đọc xong mới biết một điều rất thú vị là các họa tiết, hoa văn cây liễu trên nhiều mẩu gốm sứ thịnh hành ở châu Âu thế kỷ XVIII không phải được chếtác bởi các nghệ nhân Trung Quốc mà từ bàn tay khéo léo của một người Anh tên là Thomas Turner.
September 9, 2013
This wasn't my favorite Judge Deebook. I usually don't figure the mysteries out before the judge does, but I had this one pegged early on. There were several murders that needed solving this time, so it should have been difficult to figure these mysteries out. It really wasn't.
I also thought this book had a much heavier element of sexuality than many of the other Judge Dee books. There is often some sexual component to a Judge Dee novel, but I've not noticed such a heavy use of sex in the books up to this point. These books aren't typically odes to feminism, but this time every woman in the story was being used sexually. It just kind of got to the point where I wondered what was going on with Robert van Gulik at the time he wrote this novel.
I did find the atmosphere to be darker and heavier this time around because Judge Dee's town was suffering from a Black Death epidemic. Van Gulik's decision to set this story against such dark times helped give this series a feeling of the passage of time. Public officials often have careers that span across good times and bad times, and choosing to have Judge Dee presiding at this time emphasized, I thought, the longevity of his career.
I also thought this book had a much heavier element of sexuality than many of the other Judge Dee books. There is often some sexual component to a Judge Dee novel, but I've not noticed such a heavy use of sex in the books up to this point. These books aren't typically odes to feminism, but this time every woman in the story was being used sexually. It just kind of got to the point where I wondered what was going on with Robert van Gulik at the time he wrote this novel.
I did find the atmosphere to be darker and heavier this time around because Judge Dee's town was suffering from a Black Death epidemic. Van Gulik's decision to set this story against such dark times helped give this series a feeling of the passage of time. Public officials often have careers that span across good times and bad times, and choosing to have Judge Dee presiding at this time emphasized, I thought, the longevity of his career.
Read
November 17, 2020A fairly taut and interesting mystery, very neat. Easy to see whence the comparisons to Sherlock Holmes originate, however I would offer a commendation based on the fact that there was not an info dump at the end, as Holmesian mysteries sometimes run into at closing. All players in this story were visible from the start, and the suspicions of our detective(s) were aroused accordingly, but happenings still played out with plenty of interest. As I think it's easy for mysteries to fall to one side or the other, I appreciated that the story and writing were neither overly-wrought/sensationalized nor bleak.
I did not realize this book was so far into the series timeline until after I finished reading (the volume was picked up secondhand); it read quite well as a standalone volume. Based on this episode alone, I wouldn't say I expect much from the series in terms of gritty or stirring character development, but I was almost surprised to realize that I am interested in reading more-- even if for little more reason than the very modest time commitment.
I did not realize this book was so far into the series timeline until after I finished reading (the volume was picked up secondhand); it read quite well as a standalone volume. Based on this episode alone, I wouldn't say I expect much from the series in terms of gritty or stirring character development, but I was almost surprised to realize that I am interested in reading more-- even if for little more reason than the very modest time commitment.
February 12, 2008
#10 in the Judge Dee series. In this episode, Magistrate Dee is in the capital of the Empire where the plague has broken out. Not only that, but while there, he has to get to the root of 2 murders. As always, each subplot ties together, and it is fun watching Judge Dee figure it all out and unravel the case. This series is one of my absolute favorites in my library.
Highly recommended; if you haven't tried this series yet you may not wish to start here, but rather with the first. If you like historical mysteries, you may wish to give Van Gulik's work a try.
Highly recommended; if you haven't tried this series yet you may not wish to start here, but rather with the first. If you like historical mysteries, you may wish to give Van Gulik's work a try.
May 19, 2021
Three murders in a plague-ridden city, what else is there to want during pandemic? I was looking forward to reading the post-scriptum: the historical details are as captivating as fiction. The only trouble, I didn't get information about the so-called "old people", at least nothing beyond the fact that those were feudals and townsfolk from the divided kingdoms, before the T'ang Empire. Will have to do some research this subject elsewhere.
Read
February 14, 2025almost a cozy mystery even though it is set in the midst of a plague-ridden town. i liked the afterword where van gulik just is super apologetic about the fact that the titular willow pattern is anachronistic and the very conceit of the mystery therefore unwound; wish more historical mysteries would try that approach
July 23, 2025
Moc se mi to líbilo. ❤️ Četla jsem to v češtině. I kdyz mě bylo jasné že modrobula zabila pana I, celou zahadu kolem pana Meje jsem nečekala. Byla jsem stejně tak šokovaná jako plukovnici Má a Ťiao.
Nejradši jsem měla jako postaví modrobilou a Tao kana.
Jsem ráda že asi Ma (teď jsem si všimla že jsem si nezapamatovala jeho křestní jméno) a Modrobílá dobře dopadnou.
Jediná postava co byl vysloveně díbák byl pan I. Popravdě je to podivné že o smrti paní I se moc nemluvilo. Taky samozřejmě Doktor Liou byl hrozný.
Bylo to rozhodně dost bolestivé číst o tom, jak jsem kdysi dávno v Číně chovali k ženám, ale asi je to dost realistický. I tak jsem ráda že tam byli silný ženský postavy, ne jen perfektní ženy.
Popravdě jsem byla velmi překvapená když jsem zjistila že soudce Ti má tři ženy.
Rozhodně chci číst i další knihy v této sérii, například před tím než soudce Ti měl takovou moc.
Nejradši jsem měla jako postaví modrobilou a Tao kana.
Jsem ráda že asi Ma (teď jsem si všimla že jsem si nezapamatovala jeho křestní jméno) a Modrobílá dobře dopadnou.
Jediná postava co byl vysloveně díbák byl pan I. Popravdě je to podivné že o smrti paní I se moc nemluvilo. Taky samozřejmě Doktor Liou byl hrozný.
Bylo to rozhodně dost bolestivé číst o tom, jak jsem kdysi dávno v Číně chovali k ženám, ale asi je to dost realistický. I tak jsem ráda že tam byli silný ženský postavy, ne jen perfektní ženy.
Popravdě jsem byla velmi překvapená když jsem zjistila že soudce Ti má tři ženy.
Rozhodně chci číst i další knihy v této sérii, například před tím než soudce Ti měl takovou moc.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 13, 2012
China im 7. Jahrhundert: Richter Di vertritt den Abwesenden Kaiser in der Hauptstadt in einer Hitze- und Pestperiode in Doppelfunktion als Präsident des obersten Gerichts und Gouverneur. Straßenkehrer ziehen vermummt in ihre Pestgewänder randalierend und plündernd durch die Straßen. Sie stehlen und plündern und wiegeln das Volk auf. Als wäre das nicht genug, ereignen sich drei Mordfällen im Kreise dreier alter, verfeindeter adeligen Familien: Mei, Hu und Yi. Der Kaufmann Mei, stürzt in seinem Haus die Treppe hinab. Der edle Herr Yi, wird mit zerschmettertem Gesichts aufgefunden. Und Hu scheint auch irgendwie in die Angelegenheit verwickelt zu sein.
Di ermittelt auf seine akribische Art, bis das Schattenspiel eines alten Puppenspielers Licht ins Dunkel bringt.
Richter Di ist eine tatsächliche historische Figur des alten China, deren Fälle Robert van Gulik als Vorlage für seine Kriminalromane nahm. Mord nach Muster (The Willow Pattern) erschien 1963 als elfter Roman der Reihe und ist nach „Halskette und Kalebasse“ das zweite Hörspiel um den Chinesischen Sherlock Holmes. Die ermittelt logisch, sammelt Hinweise und Indizien, die er oft leider seinem Leser und Zuhörer nicht mitteilt und das ist einfach schlechter Stil. Es wird keine wirkliche Ermittlung geleistet. Die zieht seine Schlüsse und die Fakten kommen letztendlich alle erst in der Gerichtsverhandlung auf den Tisch, wobei einige der Schlüsse durchaus durchs Knie ins Auge sind (ähnlich wie man das teilweise auch von Sherlock Holmes kennt).
Die Sprecher sind sehr gut. Die Stimmen sind so unterschiedlich gewählt, dass man den verschiedenen Rollen problemlos folgen kann. Die Vertonung ist sparsam, dialogbasiert und mit wenig Hintergrundgeräuschen, ein klassisches Radiohörspiel des SWR/HR aus dem Jahr 2011.
Auch wenn es sich um den elften Band der Buchreihe handelt, sind die Fälle jeweils in sich abgeschlossen und man braucht keine Vorkenntnisse, um der Handlung folgen zu können.
Das Hörspiel läuft immer wieder mal im Radio, bisher ist es leider nicht käuflich zu erwerben.
Erzähler: Ernst Jacobi
Richter Di: Dieter Mann
Koralle: Jule Böwe
Frau Mei: Stephanie Schönfeld
Tao Gan: Walter Renneisen
Qiao Tai: Thorsten Merten
Ma Rong: Wolfram Berger
Doktor Lu: Matthias Brandt
Yuan: Vadim Glowna
Hu-Pen: Christian Redl
Herr Fang: Werner Wölbern
Bibiana Beglau, Horst Hildebrand, Willi Schneider, Andreas Szerda, Bernd Tauber, u.a.
Regisseur(e): Götz Fritsch
Di ermittelt auf seine akribische Art, bis das Schattenspiel eines alten Puppenspielers Licht ins Dunkel bringt.
Richter Di ist eine tatsächliche historische Figur des alten China, deren Fälle Robert van Gulik als Vorlage für seine Kriminalromane nahm. Mord nach Muster (The Willow Pattern) erschien 1963 als elfter Roman der Reihe und ist nach „Halskette und Kalebasse“ das zweite Hörspiel um den Chinesischen Sherlock Holmes. Die ermittelt logisch, sammelt Hinweise und Indizien, die er oft leider seinem Leser und Zuhörer nicht mitteilt und das ist einfach schlechter Stil. Es wird keine wirkliche Ermittlung geleistet. Die zieht seine Schlüsse und die Fakten kommen letztendlich alle erst in der Gerichtsverhandlung auf den Tisch, wobei einige der Schlüsse durchaus durchs Knie ins Auge sind (ähnlich wie man das teilweise auch von Sherlock Holmes kennt).
Die Sprecher sind sehr gut. Die Stimmen sind so unterschiedlich gewählt, dass man den verschiedenen Rollen problemlos folgen kann. Die Vertonung ist sparsam, dialogbasiert und mit wenig Hintergrundgeräuschen, ein klassisches Radiohörspiel des SWR/HR aus dem Jahr 2011.
Auch wenn es sich um den elften Band der Buchreihe handelt, sind die Fälle jeweils in sich abgeschlossen und man braucht keine Vorkenntnisse, um der Handlung folgen zu können.
Das Hörspiel läuft immer wieder mal im Radio, bisher ist es leider nicht käuflich zu erwerben.
Erzähler: Ernst Jacobi
Richter Di: Dieter Mann
Koralle: Jule Böwe
Frau Mei: Stephanie Schönfeld
Tao Gan: Walter Renneisen
Qiao Tai: Thorsten Merten
Ma Rong: Wolfram Berger
Doktor Lu: Matthias Brandt
Yuan: Vadim Glowna
Hu-Pen: Christian Redl
Herr Fang: Werner Wölbern
Bibiana Beglau, Horst Hildebrand, Willi Schneider, Andreas Szerda, Bernd Tauber, u.a.
Regisseur(e): Götz Fritsch
June 1, 2020
I had read the first four or five Judge Dee books many years ago. I decided to get back into them just a couple of weeks ago and ordered The Willow Pattern from eBay. It's quite ironic that the setting of this book is the Imperial City at the time of the plague - reminding me of what we're going through now with the Covid-19 shutdown.
I enjoyed the book, but I don't think it's as carefully written as Van Gulik's early works. In those, when the characters spoke you got a real sense that they were living in 500-700 AD - whenever! - in China. They spoke to Dee referring to themselves in the third person, and the phrasings and descriptions brought ancient China to life
This book, on the other hand, doesn't succeed in the same way. I actually wondered if someone else had written it from an outline by Van Gulik.
Having said that, it is a fun read, and while I wasn't 'immersed' in the past, as was usual with the early books, I did get a sense of the exotic
I enjoyed the book, but I don't think it's as carefully written as Van Gulik's early works. In those, when the characters spoke you got a real sense that they were living in 500-700 AD - whenever! - in China. They spoke to Dee referring to themselves in the third person, and the phrasings and descriptions brought ancient China to life
This book, on the other hand, doesn't succeed in the same way. I actually wondered if someone else had written it from an outline by Van Gulik.
Having said that, it is a fun read, and while I wasn't 'immersed' in the past, as was usual with the early books, I did get a sense of the exotic
March 30, 2020
This one was a bit... different. First of all we have the shadow of the plague hanging over the city. Secondly, Di has a much higher position than in the other stories I've read. As usual the setting is described beautifully and the relations between the "old guard" houses are presented in a very interesting way. The riddles are also really good, though I preferred the stories in which Di slowly put all the pieces together instead of surprising us with a sudden revelation at the end - maybe this story is a bit different in that regard since A LOT of it is presented from the perspective of the members of Di's retinue, instead of the judge himself.
Still a great entry in this great series.
Still a great entry in this great series.
August 3, 2011
Solid Judge Dee mystery about three cases in the plague-stricken imperial capital. I think he solves one of the mysteries too easily, but there are cool things such as the art of "loaded sleeves."
June 14, 2017
For my full review click the link below:
https://crossexaminingcrime.wordpress...
https://crossexaminingcrime.wordpress...
August 23, 2021
Judge Dee is now a senior member of the Chinese government and has been appointed the Chief Judge in the Tang capital of Chang-An (although Van Gulik doesn't mention the name of the Chinese capital). The capital is in the grip of a fatal epidemic of the plague, and the emperor and his court have taken refuge in the mountains. Judge Dee has remained behind to act as governor of the beleaguered city. Three of the city's oldest, and most important aristocratic families become the subject of investigation. Three murders have been committed and Judge Dee must find the connection between these despicable crimes in the plague-stricken, half-deserted city. It is interesting to read this book in the present time of the corona pandemic!
Van Gulik wrote The Willow Pattern in The Hague in 1963, after his appointment in Kuala Lumpur where he had been Dutch ambassador to Malaysia from 1959 to 1962. As is still usual at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, one or two overseas postings (usually lasting three years, like the term of a Chinese magistrate) were followed by a period of a few years in one of the departments of the Ministry in The Hague (not very popular among diplomats, who usually preferred to serve at posts in foreign countries).
In his postscript to the novel, Van Gulik explains that the popular decorative motif of the willow pattern used on ceramic kitchen ware in Europe did not originate in China, but was invented in England in the eighteenth century by adapting motifs found on hand-painted blue-and-white ware imported from China. Its creation occurred at a time when English mass-production of decorative tableware was already making use of printed glaze transfers, rather than hand-painting. Among several motives used, the Willow Pattern became the most popular and has in fact remained in production onto the present day. It shows a country villa on a riverside planted with willows; figures of a young man and woman are running away from the house over a bridge and persecuted by a man brandishing a stick. These are supposedly a daughter from a wealthy home and a poor student who worked there as secretary. They fell in love and the daughter refused to marry the elderly man selected by her father as her husband. When they fled from the house, they were persecuted by the angry father. This is of course pure chinoiserie, but Van Gulik employed it deliberately.
Van Gulik wrote The Willow Pattern in The Hague in 1963, after his appointment in Kuala Lumpur where he had been Dutch ambassador to Malaysia from 1959 to 1962. As is still usual at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, one or two overseas postings (usually lasting three years, like the term of a Chinese magistrate) were followed by a period of a few years in one of the departments of the Ministry in The Hague (not very popular among diplomats, who usually preferred to serve at posts in foreign countries).
In his postscript to the novel, Van Gulik explains that the popular decorative motif of the willow pattern used on ceramic kitchen ware in Europe did not originate in China, but was invented in England in the eighteenth century by adapting motifs found on hand-painted blue-and-white ware imported from China. Its creation occurred at a time when English mass-production of decorative tableware was already making use of printed glaze transfers, rather than hand-painting. Among several motives used, the Willow Pattern became the most popular and has in fact remained in production onto the present day. It shows a country villa on a riverside planted with willows; figures of a young man and woman are running away from the house over a bridge and persecuted by a man brandishing a stick. These are supposedly a daughter from a wealthy home and a poor student who worked there as secretary. They fell in love and the daughter refused to marry the elderly man selected by her father as her husband. When they fled from the house, they were persecuted by the angry father. This is of course pure chinoiserie, but Van Gulik employed it deliberately.
March 6, 2024
Κριτική στα Ελληνικά πιο κάτω...
I've read several other books by this author now and I found them all fine as light entertainment. That said, the characters are cliche, the plots are kind of "naive" and it's not that hard to guess some developments. The Willow Pattern is not an exception. Due to era and place, there are some violent practices and the different way they treated women and people on the lower layers of social scale, but other than that, I think you could call it a light, cosy mystery. A genre that usually doesn't suit me much to be honest, but I find the Judge Dee ones alright.
The most interesting trait of this series, at least to me, is the "exotic" setting. The sleuth is a 7th century official, based on a real historical person, who became legendary in China during the centuries and starred on various Chinese detective stories during the years.
The author lived an interesting life his self and had a deep interest and knowledge of the Far East, its history, arts, earlier literature works and culture. Based on this feedback, he created his own amagalm of stories, starring Dee, taking place on the 7th century, but featuring a setting with elements of many different eras in Chinese history and occasionally twisting the Chinese tradition to suit a Western audience. Bearing in mind the fact that he wrote on the 1950s, his texts might be influenced a bit of the ideas of this time period too.
Αν και νομίζω ότι ο συγγραφέας έχει έναν ανεδαφικό θαυμασμό για την Κινέζικη ιστορία, τέχνη και πολιτισμό και συχνά "φοράει ροζ γυαλιά" όταν ακουμπάει διάφορες εκφάνσεις της Κινέζικης κουλτούρας, η σειρά βιβλίων με πρωταγωνιστή τον Δικαστή Ντι ή Τι είναι ενδιαφέρουσα, ακριβώς λόγω του "εξωτικού" περιβάλλοντος.
Η πλοκή και σε αυτό εδώ είναι κάπως αφελής και οι χαρακτήρες κλισέ, κάποιες εξελίξεις είναι εύκολο να τις μαντέψει ο αναγνώστης και θα ήθελα κάπως λιγότερο μονοδιάστατη ματιά στους ήρωες και στα τεκταινόμενα.
Ωστόσο είναι μία καλή επιλογή σαν ένα εύκολο, διασκεδαστικό ανάγνωσμα όταν κάποιος δεν έχει υπερβολικές απαιτήσεις.
I've read several other books by this author now and I found them all fine as light entertainment. That said, the characters are cliche, the plots are kind of "naive" and it's not that hard to guess some developments. The Willow Pattern is not an exception. Due to era and place, there are some violent practices and the different way they treated women and people on the lower layers of social scale, but other than that, I think you could call it a light, cosy mystery. A genre that usually doesn't suit me much to be honest, but I find the Judge Dee ones alright.
The most interesting trait of this series, at least to me, is the "exotic" setting. The sleuth is a 7th century official, based on a real historical person, who became legendary in China during the centuries and starred on various Chinese detective stories during the years.
The author lived an interesting life his self and had a deep interest and knowledge of the Far East, its history, arts, earlier literature works and culture. Based on this feedback, he created his own amagalm of stories, starring Dee, taking place on the 7th century, but featuring a setting with elements of many different eras in Chinese history and occasionally twisting the Chinese tradition to suit a Western audience. Bearing in mind the fact that he wrote on the 1950s, his texts might be influenced a bit of the ideas of this time period too.
Αν και νομίζω ότι ο συγγραφέας έχει έναν ανεδαφικό θαυμασμό για την Κινέζικη ιστορία, τέχνη και πολιτισμό και συχνά "φοράει ροζ γυαλιά" όταν ακουμπάει διάφορες εκφάνσεις της Κινέζικης κουλτούρας, η σειρά βιβλίων με πρωταγωνιστή τον Δικαστή Ντι ή Τι είναι ενδιαφέρουσα, ακριβώς λόγω του "εξωτικού" περιβάλλοντος.
Η πλοκή και σε αυτό εδώ είναι κάπως αφελής και οι χαρακτήρες κλισέ, κάποιες εξελίξεις είναι εύκολο να τις μαντέψει ο αναγνώστης και θα ήθελα κάπως λιγότερο μονοδιάστατη ματιά στους ήρωες και στα τεκταινόμενα.
Ωστόσο είναι μία καλή επιλογή σαν ένα εύκολο, διασκεδαστικό ανάγνωσμα όταν κάποιος δεν έχει υπερβολικές απαιτήσεις.
August 28, 2021
With the Imperial Capital largely evacuated due to an outbreak of (presumably, based on the details given) bubonic plague, and Judge serving as temporary emergency governor, the judge receives news of two deaths, one apparently accidental and the other clearly a murder. The dead men are among the last of the old aristocracy from before the current dynasty. Amid the crisis gripping the city, Judge Dee and his trusted lieutenants are left to unravel a tangled web of ancient grudges and rivalries.
As with the other Judge Dee mystery that I read recently, the interlinked crimes that Dee solves are full of twists and turns, and populated by an intriguing cast of characters. The subplot of Dee trying to manage the plague crisis adds some interesting tension to the story, and provides a unique setting with the gloomy and mostly deserted capital city.
What really stands out here, though, are the characters of Ma Joong and Chiao Tai, the two military officers who serve as close confidantes to Judge Dee, along with his usual assistant, Tao Gan.
The two soldiers get into their share of adventures, and there is even a budding romance, involving Bluewhite, an absolutely fierce woman who is trained in fighting with egg-sized lead weights concealed in the sleeves of her robes. The romantic subplot pretty much steals the show, and the interplay between Bluewhite and Ma Joong is lively and fun.
This was not as graphic a story as The Haunted Monastery, although there are still a lot of violent scenes.
The ending featured a fair amount of Judge Dee simply telling the audience (through the mechanism of a tribunal) the solutions to the mysteries, but there were enough surprises revealed that this didn't hurt the pacing. As with the other books in this series, the Tang Dynasty details are thoroughly researched, and there is an interesting note at the end regarding an intentional anachronism by the author, and the true origins of the willow pottery pattern referenced in the title.
As with the other Judge Dee mystery that I read recently, the interlinked crimes that Dee solves are full of twists and turns, and populated by an intriguing cast of characters. The subplot of Dee trying to manage the plague crisis adds some interesting tension to the story, and provides a unique setting with the gloomy and mostly deserted capital city.
What really stands out here, though, are the characters of Ma Joong and Chiao Tai, the two military officers who serve as close confidantes to Judge Dee, along with his usual assistant, Tao Gan.
The two soldiers get into their share of adventures, and there is even a budding romance, involving Bluewhite, an absolutely fierce woman who is trained in fighting with egg-sized lead weights concealed in the sleeves of her robes. The romantic subplot pretty much steals the show, and the interplay between Bluewhite and Ma Joong is lively and fun.
This was not as graphic a story as The Haunted Monastery, although there are still a lot of violent scenes.
The ending featured a fair amount of Judge Dee simply telling the audience (through the mechanism of a tribunal) the solutions to the mysteries, but there were enough surprises revealed that this didn't hurt the pacing. As with the other books in this series, the Tang Dynasty details are thoroughly researched, and there is an interesting note at the end regarding an intentional anachronism by the author, and the true origins of the willow pottery pattern referenced in the title.
January 31, 2023
Judge Dee is at least 15 years older here than in the first books of the series. And his job has progressed to a year in the CAPITOL as magistrate/judge for more than a district. And the city / district is in summer stale heat within a period of plague. People are gone / escaped (at least 1/3rd) and the rest are cowering in fear within their homes. Food distribution and sales are entirely upset and he needs to survey riots at the food depositories. Sound familiar?
Well, it's good. Again there are more than just a couple of cases and his two lieutenants have more in hand than usual. If that is possible.
Robert van Gulik must have been a genius beyond being a diplomat. Here he also weaves the European Dreft Willow pattern (blue/white plates/ porcelain ware and many here know just what I mean) into the motif for this week or two period. And the twin young women characters are Coral and Bluewhite (willow pattern again). Not only his prose and pace are balanced and of a piece.
Bad people in the big city. And our poor coroner has the Black Death going on beyond the justice system work. We also have a duplicitous doctor. Hmmm! Sounds familiar again.
This series is one you can leave and come back too also. Easily. Its entire world, characters, and modes of language/address with the graphics of drawing are all 5 star. In this one every young woman drawn is naked. Acrobats and other good reasons!
Well, it's good. Again there are more than just a couple of cases and his two lieutenants have more in hand than usual. If that is possible.
Robert van Gulik must have been a genius beyond being a diplomat. Here he also weaves the European Dreft Willow pattern (blue/white plates/ porcelain ware and many here know just what I mean) into the motif for this week or two period. And the twin young women characters are Coral and Bluewhite (willow pattern again). Not only his prose and pace are balanced and of a piece.
Bad people in the big city. And our poor coroner has the Black Death going on beyond the justice system work. We also have a duplicitous doctor. Hmmm! Sounds familiar again.
This series is one you can leave and come back too also. Easily. Its entire world, characters, and modes of language/address with the graphics of drawing are all 5 star. In this one every young woman drawn is naked. Acrobats and other good reasons!
June 20, 2024
Spoilers ahead. The penultimate book in the Judge Dee series chronologically.
Judge Dee is a high ranking official in the capital. It doesn't say in the book but I think it's Chang'an. There is an epidemic going on, the Black Death, and most of the citizens of the city have left for the mountains and some are dead. Van Gulik does a great job of the setting and you can almost feel you're there in the ghostly creepy city where a few brave souls haven't left.
The book mainly deals with 3 old families. These 3 old families were the ruling families before the Li family became the rulers of China in the Tang Dynasty. They are the Wei, Yee and Hoo families. The book starts off with the patriarch Wei being killed by presumably his wife and his death staged as an accident. Next the patriarch Yee is found murdered in his palatial home.
I have no idea if any of those 3 families actually existed as told in the book but it made for interesting reading. That and also how the city dealt with an epidemic, which was pretty much the same way Western cities dealt with the Black Death.
As usual, the characters are what make the book interesting and in this book Ma Joong (Dee's lieutenant) also meets his two wives.
As usual, the mysteries with its twists and turns are not the highlight of the book for me. Rather it's the setting and background and the characters who do it.
Judge Dee is a high ranking official in the capital. It doesn't say in the book but I think it's Chang'an. There is an epidemic going on, the Black Death, and most of the citizens of the city have left for the mountains and some are dead. Van Gulik does a great job of the setting and you can almost feel you're there in the ghostly creepy city where a few brave souls haven't left.
The book mainly deals with 3 old families. These 3 old families were the ruling families before the Li family became the rulers of China in the Tang Dynasty. They are the Wei, Yee and Hoo families. The book starts off with the patriarch Wei being killed by presumably his wife and his death staged as an accident. Next the patriarch Yee is found murdered in his palatial home.
I have no idea if any of those 3 families actually existed as told in the book but it made for interesting reading. That and also how the city dealt with an epidemic, which was pretty much the same way Western cities dealt with the Black Death.
As usual, the characters are what make the book interesting and in this book Ma Joong (Dee's lieutenant) also meets his two wives.
As usual, the mysteries with its twists and turns are not the highlight of the book for me. Rather it's the setting and background and the characters who do it.
August 9, 2019
Στην Κίνα της Δυναστείας των Τανγκ και ενώ η πανώλη αποδεκατίζει τον πληθυσμό ο Δικαστής Τι αναλαμβάνει να λύσει για άλλη μια φορά το γρίφο που του παρουσιάζεται. Δύο από τους τρεις άρχοντες "του παλαιού κόσμου" δολοφονούνται και τα διαθέσιμα στοιχεία για την αποκάλυψη των δραστών είναι ελάχιστα. Ανάμεσά τους ένα σπασμένα βάζο από πορσελάνη που απεικονίζει το σχέδιο με τις ιτιές. Δεν είναι μόνο η πλοκή, που κρατάει το ενδιαφέρον του αναγνώστη ζωντανό σε κάθε σελίδα, μέχρι το τέλος. Είναι και η υπέροχη ατμόσφαιρα που δημιουργούν τα βιβλία αυτής της σειράς που μεταφέρουν τον αναγνώστη έντονα στην περιγραφόμενη εποχή. Η Κίνα είναι ούτως ή άλλως μια χώρα που συναρπάζει, ειδικά όταν μιλάμε για το 650 μΧ. Το βιβλίο δίνει την ευκαιρία να ανακαλύψουμε και την πραγματική ιστορία πίσω από το πολυθρύλητο αυτό σχέδιο που έχουμε ταυτίσει με την κινέζικη κουλτούρα. Διαβάζεται πολύ ευχάριστα, είναι ό,τι πρέπει για καλοκαιρινό ανάγνωσμα και προσωπικά έχω συνδέσει τη συγκεκριμένη σειρά ιστοριών με πολύ έντονες στιγμές και αναμνήσεις. Και ύστερα από πολλά χρόνια χάρηκα ιδιαίτερα που ξανασυναντήθηκα με τον Δικαστή Τι...
October 3, 2023
Another excellent entry in Robert van Gulik's Judge Dee series, set in 7th Century China. This time, Judge Dee and his loyal assistants are trying to maintain order in the Imperial Capital, which is suffering from a drought and the Plague. In the midst of this, two prominent members of society are found dead. The Judge unravels the various threads, Ma Joong and Chiao Tai face-off against black-garbed ruffians, and old scores are settled. Also of note is the formidable Bluewhite and her unusual way of fighting.
There is a strong theme of class in this novel. The most privileged- the Emperor, the court, and most the wealthy- have fled the city before the book begins. The poor, the desperate, and the corrupt remain behind. As the book unfolds, the secrets of the elite are revealed along with their cruel abuse of those beneath them in the social hierarchy. Judge Dee's cool declaration that "there is impartial justice in the empire" at first seems naïve, considering the many obvious injustices behind the mystery. However, the Judge is determined and in his genuinely honest investigation, the truth wins out, as does justice.
There is a strong theme of class in this novel. The most privileged- the Emperor, the court, and most the wealthy- have fled the city before the book begins. The poor, the desperate, and the corrupt remain behind. As the book unfolds, the secrets of the elite are revealed along with their cruel abuse of those beneath them in the social hierarchy. Judge Dee's cool declaration that "there is impartial justice in the empire" at first seems naïve, considering the many obvious injustices behind the mystery. However, the Judge is determined and in his genuinely honest investigation, the truth wins out, as does justice.
June 8, 2021
Judge Dee is now administrator of the capital. Drought has triggered plague and government officials along with anyone rich enough has fled the city leaving him in charge with martial law powers. People are dying throughout the city.
However Mr. Mei was given as an accident. He fell down the stairs hitting his head. Or did he?
Mr. Yee was definitely murdered.
Their deaths end the lines of two of the oldest families in the capital. Only Mr. Hoo is left.
A third murder occurs. Judge Dee is searching for clues, trying to solve these even as the so-called scavengers who pick up the dead bodies and take them to the funeral pyres are organizing themselves into an outlaw gang.
This book has Judge Dee trying to adjust to being an official instead of a magistrate. The rules and responsibilities are frustrating not only to him, but to his faithful lieutenants Ma Joong, Chiao Tai and Tao Gan.
The book is a fast paced, easy read giving a glimpse into Tang Dynasty government. The willow pattern is an English pottery pattern van Gulik adapted for the novel. The Afterword explains this.
However Mr. Mei was given as an accident. He fell down the stairs hitting his head. Or did he?
Mr. Yee was definitely murdered.
Their deaths end the lines of two of the oldest families in the capital. Only Mr. Hoo is left.
A third murder occurs. Judge Dee is searching for clues, trying to solve these even as the so-called scavengers who pick up the dead bodies and take them to the funeral pyres are organizing themselves into an outlaw gang.
This book has Judge Dee trying to adjust to being an official instead of a magistrate. The rules and responsibilities are frustrating not only to him, but to his faithful lieutenants Ma Joong, Chiao Tai and Tao Gan.
The book is a fast paced, easy read giving a glimpse into Tang Dynasty government. The willow pattern is an English pottery pattern van Gulik adapted for the novel. The Afterword explains this.
July 12, 2023
Kinh thành nơi Địch công đang làm quan đang trải qua một trận dịch hạch kinh khủng, người chết như rạ. Vua, các quan viên cao cấp cùng dân chúng đã đi lánh nạn ở các nơi khác, để lại Địch công trông coi kinh thành. Lúc này lần lượt 2 người đứng đầu của 2 gia tộc lâu đời tiền triều đột nhiên bị sát hại, gia chủ của gia tộc thứ 3 cũng rất lo sợ sẽ đến lượt mình. Lần theo các dấu vết tìm được, hóa ra người thứ nhất thì bị vợ và tình nhân sát hại, người thứ 2 thì bị giết trong lúc định giết một kĩ nữ khác. Cuối cùng những kẻ giết người đã phải trả giá, còn một thủ hạ của Địch Công lại kiếm được thêm hai người vợ.
June 17, 2019
Kohtunik Di uurimuste eelviimane osa. Seda sarjasisese kronoloogia järgi, aga ka kirjutamise järjekorras on "Remmelgamuster" suht lõpus.
Eks ta käib kah aga järjest rohkem tundub et kõik on juba olnud, kõik kuritööd on eelmiste kuritööde lahjad kordused ja ka kohtunik Di hakkab väsima. Veel üks abiline - Ma Rong - lahkub ta juurest, sedapuhku küll pere luues. Eks tegevuspaik ja sisu olid ka sarja algusotsa "õdusatest kuritöödest" kaugel, taudist ja näljast puretud Impeeriumi pealinn, mis on täis kerjuseid ja laibakandjaid.
Järgmine osa "Mõrv Kantonis" on viimane ja lõpetab kogu sarja.
Eks ta käib kah aga järjest rohkem tundub et kõik on juba olnud, kõik kuritööd on eelmiste kuritööde lahjad kordused ja ka kohtunik Di hakkab väsima. Veel üks abiline - Ma Rong - lahkub ta juurest, sedapuhku küll pere luues. Eks tegevuspaik ja sisu olid ka sarja algusotsa "õdusatest kuritöödest" kaugel, taudist ja näljast puretud Impeeriumi pealinn, mis on täis kerjuseid ja laibakandjaid.
Järgmine osa "Mõrv Kantonis" on viimane ja lõpetab kogu sarja.
May 8, 2025
Vier sterren, is dat niet een beetje veel voor een detective? Zeker. Tegelijk, van Gulik schreef ze in het Engels, vertaalde de eerste van de serie uit het Chinees, maakte zelf de sfeervolle tekeningen en schreef interessante plots in een ver land in een verre tijd. En hij was ene ongeneeslijke romanticus, ook in dit verhaal over rechter Tie weer: onbereikbare geliefden, tragische geschiedenissen, moord en doodslag, en een huwelijk met ene tweeling. Dimag op de NJerderlandse canonieke lijst, ergens achteraan, maar toch.
July 23, 2021
2,75 làm tròn 3
Một kiểu trinh thám mình…không quen được. Bối cảnh Trung Quốc, nhưng lời thoại và văn phong thì lại hơi hướm Tây Âu. Nó kì cục dã man, mình vừa đọc mà vừa nhớ tới mấy bộ đam xong nghĩ “chà chỗ này nên xưng là y, rồi hắn, gọi là cô nương, bla bla..” Chính cái sự trái khoáy này làm trải nghiệm đọc của mình đi xuống.
Nội hàm vụ án chẳng có gì đặc sắc tới mức oh my god, nên…có lẽ mình sẽ không đọc thêm cuốn nào về Địch Công nữa.
Một kiểu trinh thám mình…không quen được. Bối cảnh Trung Quốc, nhưng lời thoại và văn phong thì lại hơi hướm Tây Âu. Nó kì cục dã man, mình vừa đọc mà vừa nhớ tới mấy bộ đam xong nghĩ “chà chỗ này nên xưng là y, rồi hắn, gọi là cô nương, bla bla..” Chính cái sự trái khoáy này làm trải nghiệm đọc của mình đi xuống.
Nội hàm vụ án chẳng có gì đặc sắc tới mức oh my god, nên…có lẽ mình sẽ không đọc thêm cuốn nào về Địch Công nữa.
June 27, 2025
Robert van Gulik fu un diplomatico olandese diventato famoso per i suoi gialli “cinesi” del giudice Dee. Il suo primo libro "I celebri casi del Giudice Dee" in realtà era la traduzione di un giallo cinese del 18° secolo scritto da un autore sconosciuto. Van Gulik poi scrisse nuove storie con protagonista il giudice Dee, personaggio basato su una figura storica del 7° secolo come scrive l’autore nel Postscriptum:
Il giudice Dee fu un personaggio storico vissuto dal 630 al 700 d.C. Nei primi anni della sua lunga carriera di funzionario si guadagnò grande fama come investigatore di delitti e in seguito alla nomina a un’alta carica nella Capitale Imperiale divenne, grazie alla sua sagacia e al suo spirito di iniziativa, uno dei più brillanti statisti del periodo T’ang.
In questo romanzo la capitale è sconvolta dalla “Morte Nera”, la peste. L’imperatore e la sua cerchia hanno abbandonato la città per rifugiarsi in luoghi più salubri e il giudice Dee deve mantenere l’ordine, cercando di arginare il dilagare del contagio. Ma le morti misteriose di due eminenti personaggi della vecchia aristocrazia, il mercante Mei prima e il ricco Yee poi, impegnano Dee e i suoi aiutanti in un caso difficile da risolvere. Come negli antichi racconti polizieschi cinesi dove il magistrato doveva risolvere tre casi contemporaneamente, anche nei suoi gialli Van Gulik pone il giudice di fronte a tre casi che alla fine andranno a comporre un’unica trama. Qui abbiamo il “caso del motivo del salice”, il “caso della scalinata ripida” e il “caso della schiava assassinata”. Sarà il “Motivo del Salice”, un disegno ornamentale per porcellane legato alla leggenda di due sfortunati amanti, a portare Dee alla soluzione delle morti misteriose. E, dopo il ristabilimento della verità, forse arriverà anche la tanto sospirata pioggia a fermare la “Morte Nera” che ha devastato la Città Imperiale.
I casi del giudice Dee sono sempre piacevoli da leggere perché ci immergono in una Cina antica e misteriosa, ricca di tradizioni, di leggende e di culture a noi lontane ma che l’autore illustra egregiamente non solo con le sue descrizioni, ma anche coi disegni fatti da lui che corredano ogni libro.
Il giudice Dee fu un personaggio storico vissuto dal 630 al 700 d.C. Nei primi anni della sua lunga carriera di funzionario si guadagnò grande fama come investigatore di delitti e in seguito alla nomina a un’alta carica nella Capitale Imperiale divenne, grazie alla sua sagacia e al suo spirito di iniziativa, uno dei più brillanti statisti del periodo T’ang.
In questo romanzo la capitale è sconvolta dalla “Morte Nera”, la peste. L’imperatore e la sua cerchia hanno abbandonato la città per rifugiarsi in luoghi più salubri e il giudice Dee deve mantenere l’ordine, cercando di arginare il dilagare del contagio. Ma le morti misteriose di due eminenti personaggi della vecchia aristocrazia, il mercante Mei prima e il ricco Yee poi, impegnano Dee e i suoi aiutanti in un caso difficile da risolvere. Come negli antichi racconti polizieschi cinesi dove il magistrato doveva risolvere tre casi contemporaneamente, anche nei suoi gialli Van Gulik pone il giudice di fronte a tre casi che alla fine andranno a comporre un’unica trama. Qui abbiamo il “caso del motivo del salice”, il “caso della scalinata ripida” e il “caso della schiava assassinata”. Sarà il “Motivo del Salice”, un disegno ornamentale per porcellane legato alla leggenda di due sfortunati amanti, a portare Dee alla soluzione delle morti misteriose. E, dopo il ristabilimento della verità, forse arriverà anche la tanto sospirata pioggia a fermare la “Morte Nera” che ha devastato la Città Imperiale.
I casi del giudice Dee sono sempre piacevoli da leggere perché ci immergono in una Cina antica e misteriosa, ricca di tradizioni, di leggende e di culture a noi lontane ma che l’autore illustra egregiamente non solo con le sue descrizioni, ma anche coi disegni fatti da lui che corredano ogni libro.
November 29, 2023
A relatively short book that translated well from Chinese to English with the featured love story typical of a Chinese novel. Reasonably fast-paced and easy to follow although it was felt the ending was slightly anti-climatic.
Average score of 6.3
Average score of 6.3
July 5, 2024
Με μπέρδεψε λίγο η περιγραφή της πόλης και των ιδιαίτερα ασυνήθιστων για μένα κινέζικων σπιτιών,παρ΄όλα αυτά το ενδιαφέρων μου και η αγωνία μου για το τέλος δεν μειώθηκαν αν και δεν ξέρω γιατί το τέλος δεν με ικανοποίησε πλήρως.
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