Necklace and Calabash

Judge Dee (Chronological order) #12

by Robert van Gulik

A.D. 668

Due to its proximity to the Water Palace, the summer residence of the Emperor's favorite daughter, Riverton lies within a Special Area administered by the military. To Judge Dee, returning to his district of Poo-yang, the peaceful town promises a few days' fishing and relaxation. But it is not to be. A chance meeting with a Taoist recluse, a gruesome body fished out of the river, strange guests at the Kingfisher Inn, a princess in distress--before long the judge is facing one of the most intricate and baffling mysteries of his career.

Genres: Mystery, Historical Fiction, Crime, Fiction, China, Historical, Asia

144 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1967

About the author

Robert 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.

Reviews

[Henry Avila · Rating 3 out of 5]

There is something magical about visiting ancient China with all its pleasures and faults, the mists will lift for a short duration and the reader is quite safe to relish. Judge Dee (Di Renjie) is an important historical figure from the seventh century during the glorious Tang Dynasty, the magistrate in Pooyang on vacation in Rivertown. Be that as it may, no rest for the poor judge another vicious murder.. ugh two, no three transpires and The Third Princess the Emperor's favorite daughter lives nearby, in the sumptuous summer Water Palace .... being that time of year. She needs a favor no not the killings solved, you silly people, something much more significant finding her pearls which were stolen and the pretty Princess is leaving for the capital in a few days, father would be displeased. Suspects are numerous and Dee is alone with his lieutenants not present, the incognito magistrate disguised as a doctor will require every ounce of his brain power for success. Shady, miser innkeeper Wei Cheng is a possible killer, the delightful niece Fern is amiable. Others like Lei Mang the clandestine chief eunuch in the palace, a very unfriendly type why? Wen Tung the superintendent there, no barrel of laughs too, to say it kindly. Neither are the army officers Kang and Siew I won't even mention the lieutenant. Fishing a dead man's gruesome corpse from the river is no picnic, swimming at night there in the cold, murky, befouled waters to get clues quiet above duty for sure, however the judge feels obligated...yuck. This mystery has all the quality ingredients for the fans of historical sagas who desire a change from the ordinary with a little bit of the unusual, a walk in the dark can stimulate the mind. I read most of the series and have never been disappointed. Dee is a great character and having lived gives it substance, though the story is fictional we can imagine the ways a detective then would discover the remorseless, brutal criminals, no gentle souls then. As always well worth reading and thus a good writer last effort ends, and I constantly think what might have been.

[Nikoleta · Rating 4 out of 5]

Το βιβλίο «Το περιδέραιο της πριγκίπισσας» είναι ελαφρώς διαφορετικό από τα υπόλοιπα βιβλία της σειράς. Για αυτό ευθύνεται το ότι, ενώ στα υπόλοιπα βιβλία όλες τι έρευνες τις κάνουν οι γνωστοί βοηθοί του Δικαστή Τι και απλώς ο δικαστής έρχεται να εξετάσει τα στοιχειά και να δώσει την λύση, στο συγκεκριμένο βιβλίο ο μοναδικός ήρωας είναι ο Τι.
Ο δικαστής ταξιδεύει ολομόναχος και φτάνει στην Ποταμούπολη, στην οποία θα μπλεχτεί ανάμεσα σε περίεργα παιχνίδια εξουσίας.
Μου άρεσε λίγο περισσότερο από τις άλλες περιπέτειες του που έχω διαβάσει. Ξεδιπλώθηκε όλη η διάνοια του χαρακτήρα του, ενώ -σε αντίθεση με τις άλλες ιστορίες- δεν φοβήθηκε επιτέλους να λερώσει τα χέρια του.
Η ιστορία πολύ καλή. Η ατμόσφαιρα ελαφρώς σκοτεινή, κ το αίνιγμα πολύπλοκο και ενδιαφέρον!

[Jayaprakash Satyamurthy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Judge Dee goes solo and incognito, making this an especially taut and focused volume in this series. Still, a variety of settings are investigated, the requisite three mysteries are solved and there's a sprinkling of taoist philosophy to boot.

[Dora · Rating 5 out of 5]

επαναλαμβανομαι... αλλα τον αγαπω τον Τι

[Minh Hiền · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Ruột trong được khoét rỗng thì quả bầu mới trở nên hữu dụng. Vỏ ngoài có khô thì nó mới trở thành chiếc hồ lô. Chúng ta cũng vậy. Chỉ sau khi loại bỏ hết mọi ảo vọng, tất cả những mục đích nhỏ mọn và các ảo tưởng luyến ái, chúng ta mới thành người hữu ích”

Điểm sáng của cả truyện là triết lý nhân sinh, thế giới quan trong Đạo Giáo mà đoạn trích ở trên là lời nhắn nhủ tâm huyết của nhân vật Hồ Lô tiên sinh gửi gấm đến Huyện lệnh Địch Nhân Kiệt. Trong vụ án lần này, không hề có sự hỗ trợ đắc lực từ ba thuộc hạ thân tính của ông là Mã Vinh, Kiều Thái và Đào Cam, chỉ mình Địch Công đơn thương độc mã xông pha vào lòng địch điều tra phá án nên gặp không ít khó khăn trở ngại.

Khách quan thì Ngọc Xuyên Án là một bước lùi trong cả bộ truyện. Nhiều điểm mấu chốt trong vụ án chưa được tác giả giải thích một cách rốt ráo, có phần hời hợt nếu không nói thẳng là gượng gạo, chưa hợp lý. Cái kết không làm mình thỏa mãn lắm, kiểu như đầu xuôi đuôi không lọt, có ý tưởng nhưng khái thác chưa đến nơi đến chốn.

Nói đi phải nói lại, tập nào Robert Van Gulik cũng đều giới thiệu đến độc giả những nét văn hóa đặc trưng của Trung Quốc

"Từ thời cổ, chiếc hồ lô đã có vai trò quan trọng trong triết học và nghệ thuật Trung Hoa. Hồ lô rất bền do đã được làm khô, được dùng để đựng các loại thuốc do vậy hồ lô là dấu hiệu quen thuộc của người bán thuốc. Người ta cho rằng những vị hiền triết đạo gia mang theo hồ lô đựng thuốc trường sinh, do đó hồ lô trở thành biểu tượng của sự bất tử. Hồ lô cũng tượng trưng cho tính tương đối của vạn vật, như trong một câu tục ngữ cổ: Nhất hồ thiên địa ( Chiếc hồ lô chứa cả vũ trụ). Thậm chí ngày nay, các bậc cao niên ở Nhật Bản, Trung Quốc vẫn thư thái dùng lòng bàn tay đánh bóng chiếc hồ lô như một phương pháp thiền trầm mặc"

[Kostas Kanellopoulos · Rating 4 out of 5]

Σε μεγάλη φόρμα ο δικαστής Τι ε τι τι αναλαμβάνει έξτρα ρόλο μισιον ιμποσιμπλ

[Paul Cornelius · Rating 5 out of 5]

All Judge Dee wanted was to take a holiday and do a little fishing. But things just never work out so easily for Dee. Before he knows it, he's knee-deep in murders and engaged in a plot that threatens the emperor and his favorite daughter, the Third Princess. Necklace and Calabash was the next to the last Judge Dee mystery that Van Gulik published before he died. But in terms of the chronological order of the world of Dee in the seventh century, it is the twelfth book. In a word, it's superb. A rather short novel, it nevertheless combines action with mystery. In some of his later works, Van Gulik tended to make Dee a rather sedentary, overly talkative individual. With Necklace and Calabash, however, he returns to an earlier Dee, someone on the go, with a fair display of physicality about him. In this case, it means seeing Dee uncover corpses, fight off assassins in a swashbuckling sword fight, crash through a dark forest before swimming across a moat and entering the highly restricted castle palace belonging to the Third Princess, and then finishing things off with a grand summation putting all the loose ends together. A really marvelous story, replete with some of the best atmosphere of Tang China that Van Gulik ever mastered.

[Sorin Hadârcă · Rating 5 out of 5]

A palace intrigue not unlike that of the three musketeers, but have it served by the Chinese Sherlock Holmes, et voila!.. a book that one cannot put down.

[Yan · Rating 5 out of 5]

There isn't one judge dee mystery I've not enjoyed. This one includes some aspects of the imperial characters such as chief eunuch, emperor, Princess, and lady-in-waiting.
In typical Judge Dee and Robert van Gulik fashion, the story combines several seemingly unrelated crimes and links them in a way the reader could not have guessed. The enjoyment is not in discovering a twist or the suspense of the plot, but in reading how life was like in the tang Dynasty (judge dee was an actual person who lived in the tang dynasty, but this novel, and other judge Dee novels, incorporate cultural elements of a later time. The block print illustrations follow the ming dynasty style) and how law enforcement and investigation were carried out. The writing style makes for easy reading, and the illustrations give the reader a visual treat, and a look into an ancient world.
In this particular story, judge dee does not have the assistance of his trusty right and left men, Ma Joong and Chiao Tai, although they appear right at the end. The military personnel do all the leg work for him. I'm amazed at how the story comes together at the end and you realise the clues were scattered throughout the story if you flip back the pages. It takes an astute character like Dee to remember everything that was said to him!

[Joseph · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's so good to fall back into a good Judge Dee detective mystery. Unlike a Christie novel, or a Holmes' novel, or a Father Brown novel, where the complexity of the crimes bog the story down, and one can no longer be entertained by the question, "who done it?" Gulik raps his mysteries in exotic locales in the customs of an ancient time, where one is thrilled half by the mystery, but also by discovering Judge Dee's medieval Chinese world, bit by bit, with descriptions of wall paintings, costumes, customs of the powerful, and bits of Chinese philosophy and martial arts thrown in. Judge Dee is a modern detective as well--he's not so abnormal as Holmes, not as queer as Father Brown nor Christie's famous Dutch detective. He holds a position of a magistrate. He has a family (three wives!) He is neither too young to be distracted by recklessness nor too old to not be indifferent to the women around him. He is neither a poor fighter (he's displayed in this novel in several instances of martial excellence) nor is he a distractingly excellent fighter (he retains two body guards.) He seems merely very good at what he does, which is an excellent portrait. He is not too perfect nor too inhuman that one isn't able to relate to him, time after time. I'm looking forward to the next time I can read more Gulik.

[Ivonne Rovira · Rating 4 out of 5]

A so-so Judge Dee novel is better than most other historical mysteries. In Necklace and Calabash, Judge Dee goes to Rivertown for a fishing vacation. But crime doesn’t take a vacation, and it turns out Judge Dee can’t, either. Judge Dee ends up in disguise as an eminent doctor; as is usual in Chinese mysteries, Judge Dee investigates three mysteries: the murder of an inn cashier, a missing wife, and a stolen imperial pearl necklace. While not as great as some other Judge Dee novels, Necklace and Calabash still provides an exciting read.

[kostas vamvoukakis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Από τα καλύτερα του δικαστή τι. Πολύ ωραία υπ��θεση και υπεδειγματικη η διαλεύκανση του μυστηρίου

[Ad · Rating 5 out of 5]

The last Judge Dee novel published during van Gulik's lifetime (one more book, Poets and Murder was published after his death). In the fictional Judge Dee chronology, it is set in the summer of 669. Judge Dee is on his way back to Poo-yang, but stops for a few days in River City to do some relaxed fishing. This city falls under a special administration run by the military commander and contains the residence of the Third Imperial Princess.

On his arrival, Judge Dee meets with a strange Daoist hermit; he also witnesses the discovery of the body of a murdered man in the river. Then the Emperor's daughter appeals to Judge Dee for aid, involving him in her harem intrigues, which could even threaten the throne of the Tang.

As in many of Judge Dee's investigations, the sexual element is very present: we have for example a very sly young boat woman who makes frank and very direct advances to Judge Dee, while proving to be a valuable aid to his investigation; we also have on a much darker note the Emperor's incestuous attraction to the most beautiful of his daughters.

As in Poets and Murder, Judge Dee acts alone in this novel, a third type of the Judge Dee stories after five books in which Dee is shown at his post and works with all his assistants (in a novel that has many traditional Chinese characteristics) and five books in which Judge Dee is shown away from his post and only accompanied by one of his assistants (these novels have no typical Chinese characteristics). It is one of the best books in the whole series - I like the figure of the Daoist hermit, and also the immense secrecy in the palace of the imperial princess.

P.S. In this novel Van Gulik introduces the Chinese abacus (suanpan), a very sophisticated device on which advanced calculations are possible. It usually has seven or more rods, with two beads on each rod in the upper deck and five beads on each rod in the bottom deck.

[Μιχάλης Παπαχατζάκης · Rating 3 out of 5]

《Μη μιλάς με ελαφρότητα για σοβαρά θέματα, επιτιμητικά. Κανένας δεν είναι ένας. Όλοι μας είμαστε ένα σύνολο από πολλούς. Αλλά ξεχνάμε με ελαφριά καρδιά τα λιγότερο ικανοποιητικά συστατικά μας μέρη. Αν ένα από αυτά καταφέρει να σου ξεφύγει και εσύ τύχεις να το συναντήσεις, το περνάς για φάντασμα, Γιατρέ. Και μάλιστα για πολύ εχθρικό φάντασμα.》

[Erik · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best of the series, and the most like a Chandler novel. You wouldn't think one could do the scene where the detective is told to just shut up and get in the car in the 7th century, but van Gulik pulls it off.

[Lauri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lugesin nüüd kolmandat korda. Kõik need korrad sai tegelikult loetud sellist raamatut, mille pealkaant siin goodreadsis miskipärast polegi - Eesti Akadeemilise Orientaalseltsi Umara poolt 1995. aastal välja antut. Mis ta nüüd nii väga akadeemiline oli, suht korralik kohtunik Di seiklus juba kohustuslike elementidega - mitu põimunud mõistatust ja autori enese illustratsioonidega, kus ühel või kahel on kindlasti väga hõrgutavana tunduv alasti noor hiina naine peal.
Kiidame. Viis punga.

[Antoinette · Rating 4 out of 5]

Judge Dee is looking forward to fishing in the peaceful town of Riverton but instead becomes involved with a gruesome murder, a stolen pearl necklace, a Taoist recluse and a princess in distress. Set in T;and dynasty China, Judge Dee never fails to deliver on a tight plot, interesting characters and amazing historical and cultural context.

[Juraj Lks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sudca Ti je môj najobľúbenejší knižný detektív. Inteligentné prípady a priamočiary dej v kombinácii s reáliami starovekej Číny, ma zakaždým dostanú. Až ľutujem, že už mám takmer všetky diely prečítané...

[Jack Orr · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one was somewhat obvious on who the murderer is, but felt more like a treasure hunt on finding the princess’s stolen necklace. It makes me laugh at how inept the Emperor’s circle is, but then again who could outsmart the honorable Judge Dee?
Shoutout to Nanette for these three books.

[Con Bé Ki · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nội dung các vụ án trong tập này không hấp dẫn mấy. Đọc không thấy hứng thú muốn theo dõi đến cùng. Đến lúc sáng tỏ cũng không thấy sướng. Nói chung là đều đều.

[Rebecca Abuscato · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first four books in the Judge Dee series are to me, the best, because there is not a false note in any of them. The language and the attitudes of the characters were very much of the times. The later novels are not so faithful - so much so that I do wonder if van Gulike wrote them.

Case in point the "voice" of Necklace and Calabash. Captain Siew of the city guard comes across as a silly ass young British soldier, and doesn't sound Chinese at all. His way of speaking is just too modern. "Bad case, that." (A Britishism). "Fact is, I'm faced with a little problem." "Heard all about the case of the Buddhist temple." (Not using the first word in the sentence - this is done consistently.) and worst of all, "It's all set..." 1960s slang that someone in 500 AD China would never use.

Occasionally Judge Dee talks like that too - something he never did in the first four novels and something that is out of character for him.

So from that aspect Necklace and Calabash is very disappointing.

As for the plot, Judge Dee is out of his milieu - forced to pose as a doctor to solve the mystery of a necklace stolen from the third daughter of the Emperor. There's lots of intrigue, lots of mystery.

So if I accepted that Van Gulik hadn't written this, or at least hadn't taken the care that he normally does, I was able to enjoy the book for what it was. But it's not a patch on the first four books in the series.

[sabisteb aka callisto · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sprecher
Aus dem Englischen von Klaus Schomburg
Hörspielbearbeitung: Heiko Daniels
Erzähler: Ernst Jacobi
Richter Di: Hans-Michael Rehberg
Meister Kalebasse: Peter Fitz
Wei Theng: Rudolf Wessely
Prinzessin: Sascha Icks u.a.
Regie: Götz Fritsch
Produktion: hr/SWR 2008 - Ursendung

Hörspiele, welche vom SWR produziert werden sind eigentlich immer qualitätiv sehr hochwertig und wirklich gut gemacht, so auch dieses Hörbuch. Die Sprecher sind gut, wenn auch nicht die Top Sprecher, hier auch der Puntkabzug, weil es da in Nebenrollen einige gab, die ich einfach schlecht fand, und die mich genervt haben. Die Geräuschkulisse ist unterstützend aber nicht aufdringlich, keine nutzlose musikalische Untermalung, einfach stimmungsvoll und minimalistisch, so wie ich es liebe mit einem Hauptaugenmerk auf den Dialogen ohne unnötige Effekthascherei. Ich hoffe sehr, dass dieses Hörspiel irgendwann auf CD erscheinen wird, ich kann es absolut empfehlen.

[Karen GoatKeeper · Rating 5 out of 5]

Why does the local army captain want Judge Dee to pretend he is Doctor Liang? This pretense seems to only apply to the general public as the Judge's true identity is known by the Third Princess who seeks his help in recovering a stolen pearl necklace before she must go to the capital to see the Emperor.
Someone doesn't want the Judge to succeed and isn't particular how he stops progress on the case. The thief is tortured and murdered. The murderer is tortured and murdered.
And who is Master Gourd?
Judge Dee is alone and must find his own clues. He has no real authority. His life is in danger.
This entry in the series keeps twisting and turning as the Judge is blocked again and again in his investigation. This book is intriguing and keeps the reader wondering what is going on until the very end.

[Kevin · Rating 5 out of 5]

My second favorite Judge Dee mystery (so far). This is the second to last Judge Dee book that Robert van Gulick wrote. In the last books he tried to concentrate more on Judge Dee's character, so he sends him off on travels without his usual assistants. This works, for the most part, but makes the book atypical of the series, and not one that I'd recommend as a starting point to someone unfamiliar with Judge Dee. The characters Judge Dee meets -- a Taoist monk who appears to be his double, the helpful daughter of an inn owner, one of the Imperial princesses, etc. -- fit well and believably into storyline.

[margaret chalmers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Man of action.

Yes, can you believe it? Our cerebral judge in this story is carrying a sword, getting in to fights with assassins and charming beautiful young ladies. Wow! And he gets to solve a murder, stop a racketeer, unite two lovers, break up a palace intrigue and find a stolen treasure. And he does it all on his own. Double wow! This story will take your breath away. Action packed to say the least. Dee also gets to meet his doppelganger in an old Taoist monk who mistakes him for a doctor. Or does he? Hmmm. This story is outstanding. A wonderful read. Enjoy.

[Kati · Rating 4 out of 5]

Judge Dee goes undercover! Man, for a judge, Dee sure gets around, doesn't he? This time he has to find a precious necklace that was stolen from the Third Princess and that could cause dissent at the imperial court. In this book, Dee has to rely only on himself, neither his trusted bodyguards nor his secretary are there to aid him. And all he wanted was to go fishing...

I just love Robert Van Gulik's books. The characters are so alive and the settings, the atmosphere of the various places that Judge Dee visits, are so well described that they just draw you right in.

[Zuzana · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars The final surprising reveal was a little meh.

[Viva · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've owned this book for years and have re-read it many times. This may not even be the first review I've written on it but it's the first time I've read it on Kindle. Unfortunately, I still remember a lot of the key points so there wasn't much suspense for me. Spoilers ahead.

Judge Dee (JD) is the magistrate of Poo Yang and on his way back after dealing with a case. He stops at Rivertown to take 1-2 days off and is immediately embroiled on a case. I don't remember why Hoong isn't here and Ma Joong and Chiao Tai are off somewhere else and Tao Gan hasn't been encountered yet so JD deals with this case alone.

Rivertown is under Imperial jurisdiction because an Imperial Palace (Water Palace) is situated there. The 3rd Imperial Princess lives in the WP and summons Dee to her because her pearl necklace is missing. She's going back to the capital in a couple of days and the necklace must be found because it's the Emperor's personal gift to her and not having it would create an awkward situation if it was stolen.

The background is that the Princess is in love with the Colonel of the Imperial Guard at the WP. Two factions (Superintendent and Eunuch) around the Princess are jostling for influence and neither one likes the colonel because he is apolitical so they want to create a problem and take the colonel out of the picture.

Dee actually solves the theft right away. A local crime lord is staying at the same inn that Dee is in. He pretends to be an employee of a different local gang and bluffs the crime lord into admitting that he set up the theft. What is harder is which faction hired the crime lord to steal the necklace.

Dee then has 2 light bulb moments where he figures out where the stolen necklace is and solves a sideplot mystery of who killed the innkeeper's wife.

Dee finds out who's behind the plot by simply using temporary Imperial Inquisitor powers bequeathed to him by the 3rd Princess. He uses it and goes to the office of the Superintendent and Eunuch and forces them to open up their safes. But the Eunuch knows the game is up and takes poison when Dee shows up.

The book is a good one not only/just because of the intricately woven plot but because of how well written each one of the characters are. Each one is well crafted in description, action and speech and you can feel them through the pages.

[Jeanette · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a return to van Gulik and Judge Dee after some years as I saw that there were a couple more I could get easily from Interlibrary loan this month. I'm sure glad I did.

In this one Dee is journeying ALONE. Very rare. Almost to his destination he meets an old man with crutches lashed onto the donkey he is riding. Master Gourd was his name. These two meld into an enthralling tale within the little town of Riverton by the Winter Palace of the 3rd High Princess (daughter to the Emperor).

It has various levels of flunkies and straw bosses of numerous gangs and town authorities that gets confusing in the Chinese cultural matters and identification processes. But it's very much well worth the read. This is in a dynasty that is before 1000 AD (but after 630 AD)- which the author always explains in his afterwards etc.

Loved the fact that an inn employee named Fern played a large role. The individuals seemed SO real and very homo sapiens regardless of their class or lack of authority. Or the reverse.

Judge Dee is operating as a doctor undercover for most of it. I just love all the ways that these characters can hide or carry or disguise any number of things in their robes. And not just in their arm/ sleeve portions either.

One more to go and I am happily anticipating. This one was short and excellent. Description of towns, river, canals, bath facilities etc. just excellent.

[Timons Esaias · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm working my way through the whole Judge Dee series, reading one every six months, when I go to the WPF Residency. The book is, therefore, a treat I give myself.

This volume was one of the more enjoyable reads, partly because the situation is a tad more complex than most in the series, and partly because I thought I knew how the main crime was done. I was wrong.

Judge Dee is traveling without his usual escort, taking a brief vacation on the way back to his official posting, when this novel begins. He meets a somewhat mysterious Taoist pilgrim, just as he's coming into town. And when he gets into town, there's been a killing. Dee's judicial writ doesn't hold in this place, because it's in the territory of an Imperial Palace, so he chooses to adopt a false identity, and stay out of the action. Despite pretending to be a doctor, he is soon drawn into a couple of mysteries, and some life-threatening adventures. Some folks seem to know who he really is, which makes the whole situation much more complicated.

This was a pleasant little escape, and the word "grimace" appears nowhere in it.

Recommended.