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Judge Dee (Chronological order) #3

by Robert van Gulik

A.D. 663

Early in his career, Judge Dee visits a senior magistrate who shows him a beautiful lacquer screen on which a scene of lovers has been mysteriously altered to show the man stabbing his lover. The magistrate fears he is losing his mind and will murder his own wife. Meanwhile, a banker has inexplicably killed himself, and a lovely lady has allowed Dee's lieutenant, Chiao Tai, to believe she is a courtesan. Dee and Chiao Tai go incognito among a gang of robbers to solve this mystery, and find the leader of the robbers is more honorable than the magistrate.

"One of the most satisfyingly devious of the Judge Dee novels, with unusual historical richness in its portrayal of the China of the T'ang dynasty."-—New York Times Book Review

"Even Judge Dee is baffled by Robert van Gulik's new mysteries in The Lacquer Screen. Disguised as a petty crook, he spends a couple of precarious days in the headquarters of the underworld, hobnobbing with the robber king. Dee's lively thieving friends furnish some vital clues to this strange and fascinating jigsaw."-—The Spectator

"So scrupulously in the classic Chinese manner yet so nicely equipped with everything to satisfy the modern reader."-—New York Times

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 the popular detective novels that first appeared in the seventeenth century.

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

224 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1962

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 4 out of 5]

The time ancient China during the dynamic T'ang dynasty of the seventh century, a tired young man Judge Dee a magistrate desperately needing a vacation is traveling with only one lieutenant Chiao Tia, the former criminal a fierce highwayman reformed by the able judge, handy in a brawl which he still enjoys very much, of course I am writing about Chiao, maybe. Stopping in the small town of Wei-ping in northern China and paying a courtesy visit to fellow magistrate Teng Kan but secrets must be hidden, Dee's sojourn is strictly incognito to the surprise of the accommodating official, graciously every wish will be granted to him. But before he leaves Teng reveals a strange yet beautiful lacquer screen depicting a brutal crime...why ?Imagine a week away from crushing duty, just visit the important sights if any, relax go where they want, do anything within reason and be like others without a care in the world this is paradise...not in these books, reality sets in quickly. First case ( there are always three) a wealthy silk merchant Ko Chib-yuan apparently commits suicide by jumping in a river, the suspicious judge is unsure the old man had a pretty young wife. Not his problem though but then case number two arrives, Teng Kan's wife is cruelly murdered at home, obviously Dee must take over, his bad luck . A third case appears a thief has been embezzling the late silk merchant's funds . A stranger here, he and Chiao can infiltrate the underworld and does pretending to be tough miscreants as the two try to find the culprits, but the ease they fit in tells a lot about the tin line between good and evil. Living with the local gang in an inn, their tough boss is called the Corporal, however he doesn't act like a thug or
gives the impression of a vicious killer, an army deserter; hearing many interesting stories in The Phoenix Inn the spies, still they are petty thieves is Dee wasting his time ? Nevertheless digging up bodies is not a pleasant occupation no matter how many previously Judge Dee has done, it will never be easy...But his job is to bring the guilty to justice, and punish the wicked. An excellent murder mystery by the author who knows China he lived there being a former Dutch diplomat , the scholar loved China and it shows. For those who want something different in genre setting and also acquire knowledge these neglected jewels are for you, once popular in the past, the road less traveled gives a great view. And life is for the adventurous, no chances no gains.

[Ivonne Rovira · Rating 5 out of 5]

Even on vacation, Judge Dee doesn't take a break from crime.

In Robert van Gulik's The Lacquer Screen, Judge Dee, accompanied by his faithful lieutenant Chiao Tai, decides to take a week off from his grueling duties as the magistrate in the backwater town of Peng-lai to head for rest and relaxation in Weiping. He visits the town incognito, with only Weiping's magistrate in the know; however, Judge Dee almost immediately stumbles onto the scene of a beautiful woman's murder. With the help of Chiao Tai and some unlikely characters, Judge Dee is able to solve the woman's murder, a merchant's alleged suicide, and the hidden agenda of a disfigured thief who keeps spying on Judge Dee and Chiao Tai. The mysteries are very clever, and, just when you deem all of the loose ends neatly tied up, van Gulik introduces a jaw-dropping surprise twist in the novel's last few pages.

Van Gulik, a Dutch diplomat to China and other Asian nations, a linguist and Asian scholar, translated an 18th century Chinese novel on the exploits of a real-life Chinese magistrate during the T'ang Dynasty named Ti Jen-chieh. Simplifying the magistrate's name to Judge Dee Jen-djieh, van Gulik first introduced the West to the real-life Judge Dee in Celebrated Cases of Judge Dee, first published in 1949 (although not translated into English until 1976). Ensuing books -- including The Lacquer Screen pluck plots from original ancient Chinese cases and 18th century Chinese detective stories.

All of the Judge Dee novels provide readers with an exotic setting -- Seventh Century China; each novel also comes with three, usually intertwining, mysteries and a great glimpse of the everyday life in the T'ang Dynasty for people at every level of society. The novels are all excellent, but I believe this is the best one I've read so far.

[Jayaprakash Satyamurthy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've been finding it hard to find the time or attention to read a lot lately, but this book drew me right in. While visiting a neighbouring district, Dee and his lieutenant Chiao Tai decide to go incognito. They soon discover a web of mysteries weighting to be unravelled: the disappearance of the magistrate's wife, the weird suicide of a local merchant and the body of a lady found in a marshy area outside town. Dee and Tai fall in with a local gang of petty thieves and it's especially entertaining seeing the strait-laced Dee trying to fit in with a crew of ruffians and thugs.

The setting - Tang dynasty China - is a large part of the appeal of these books, and this volume takes us right into the sordid underbelly of that world. We visit a grimy tavern, the headquarters of the aforementioned gang as well as a hotel used by prostitutes and their clients and we enjoy the company of beggars, housebreakers and others. Despite all this, some of the most unsavoury characters turn out to be those from the right side of the tracks, often those in positions of power and authority.

A mix of the Poirot-esque process of a slow accretion of clues and the police procedural, this series also delivers in spades as mystery novels, and this volume is no exception.

This is the third book I've read in this series. They are only sporadically available in the second hand market here (I own an older edition that I could not find properly listed here). I think it's time I ordered some of the new reprints.

[Aggeliki · Rating 3 out of 5]

Το στοιχειωμένο παραβάν ή αλλιώς αν ο Σέρλοκ Χολμς ήταν Κινέζος. Ο δικαστής Τι ήταν υπαρκτό πρόσωπο αλλά μοιάζει σαν μακρινός συγγενής του προσφιλούς μας Άγγλου ντετέκτιβ. Άσχετο, αλλά ποτέ δεν θα ξεπεράσω το γεγονός ότι προτιμώ την πανέξυπνη τηλεοπτική μεταφορά του με τον Cumberbatch ως τον ασύγκριτα καλύτερο Σέρλοκ ever.
Στο θέμα μας όμως. Το βιβλίο είναι ευχάριστο και ευκολοδιάβαστο. Η γραφή απλή, τόσο που αισθάνθηκα σαν να διάβαζα εφηβική λογοτεχνία. Το οποίο φυσικά δεν είναι καθόλου κακό, ίσα ίσα. Με την ίδια απλότητα απεικονίζεται η αρχαία Κίνα δίνοντάς μας απλόχερα πληροφορίες για την κοινωνία, τη νοοτροπία και τις συνήθειες ενός λαού τόσο διαφορετικού.
Ιδανικό για θερινή, μεσημεριάτικη ραστώνη.

[Nancy Oakes · Rating 5 out of 5]

#6 in the Judge Dee series.

In this installment, Judge Dee, along with his indispensable staff, find themselves with three different crimes: the death of a merchant, that of the headless corpse, and one involving a martial-arts master. This one is little more gruesome in nature than most...the crime itself is really horrendous, but as always, after veering off on tangents and putting himself and his colleagues in danger, the great Judge comes to the rescue and solves each mystery, even though he's been told by his higher-ups to stop his investigating.



This series I cannot recommend highly enough, especially for those who enjoy historical mysteries or books set in China. Don't begin with this one, though; start with the first.

[Paul Cornelius · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun. Engrossing. Impossible to put down. This particular Judge Dee mystery is the best of the three I've so far read. Yes, somehow you mostly know who is guilty from very early on. But the joy is watching the judge work and even observe how he becomes shocked at realizations you've already come to. This like I suppose most of these Judge Dee novels is about process. But that doesn't mean the stories don't tantalize you. Not only that, but only three books in, Dee is becoming a character you're comfortable with, someone you can't wait to have over for yet another visit. One thing different I did notice this time, is that the dialogue and even narrative is much more slangy. At times, it sounds like Humphrey Bogart is talking. That separates this from the first two books I read, where Van Gulik pulls a neat trick to create a sense of distance and ancient China: he has Dee talk and think without the use of contractions--yes, this device works--and he uses older idioms instead of more modern ones. That is all out the window in Lacquer Screen. This is a novel that presents us with a Chinese Sam Spade.

[Gintautas Ivanickas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eilinis van Guliko istorinis detektyvas apie teisėją Di. Šįsyk Di nusprendžia truputį paatostogauti ir atvyksta į kitą miestą. Atvyksta inkognito, prisistato tik to miesto magistratui, kuris elgiasi kažkaip keistai. Pasirodo, Di atvyko būtent tą dieną, kai kažkas nužudė to magistrato žmoną. Na, ir kad nebūtų galvosūkių per maža, mieste ką tik nusižudė/nenusižudė (nes kūno taip ir nerado) vienas prekeivis. Tad teisėjas Di imasi darbo.
Septintojo šimtmečio Kinijos dekoracijos kokybiškos, ko nepasakysi apie personažų charakterius. Jie ryškūs, bet netoli pažengę nuo savo kaukių – Neištikima Žmona, Niekšingas Sukčius, Kilnus Vyras, Ištikimas Tarnas, etc. Tačiau skaitosi labai lengvai ir smagiai. Tyrimas, kaip ir dera, ne sykį pasuka klaidinga linkme, kol galiausiai viskas stoja į savo vietas. Teisingumas įvykdytas, kaltieji nubausti, tie, kas nusipelnė, apdovanoti, o Di gali pakuotis daiktus ir važiuoti namo.
Kažkokio „och“ nėra, bet nusivilt irgi nėra kuo – tai tebūnie keturi iš penkių.

[Dimitris Kopsidas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Πολύ ευχάριστο, έξυπνο κι ευκολοδιάβαστο βιβλίο. Πρώτη μου επαφή με τον Δικαστή Τι και ανυπομονώ να διαβάσω κι άλλες περιπέτειες του. Απλή γραφή με ενδιαφέροντα ιστορικά στοιχεία και άκρως συμπαθητικούς πρωταγωνιστές, τον δικαστή και τον ακόλουθο του. Σαν να έπαιζα, προ αμνημονεύτων ετών, το επιτραπέζιο 50 Μυστήρια στο Πεκίνο!

Βαθμολογία: 7,5/10

[Renata Dingemanse · Rating 3 out of 5]

Het plot is mooi gevonden, het verhaal is wel erg geweldadig.

[Hana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Il giudice Dee Jen-djieh è il protagonista di 16 romanzi gialli ambientati nella Cina del VIII secolo, nonché di alcuni blockbuster del cinema asiatico.

Il suo creatore è lo scrittore Robert van Gulik, rinomato sinologo, profondo conoscitore dell'Estremo Oriente.
Van Gulik si rifà ad una figura realmente esistita, il celebre magistrato Ti sen Chieng, vissuto durante la dinastia Tang, le cui gesta sono state narrate in antichi testi di criminologia, che lo studioso ha analizzato approfonditamente.
All'epoca, un giudice non era solo questo, ma anche un investigatore, un pubblico ministero e la giuria stessa chiamata a pronunciarsi sui casi presentati alla sua attenzione.

I romanzi di van Gulick si caratterizzano soprattutto per l'accurata ricostruzione storica; l'autore trasporta il lettore in un mondo ormai scomparso, tra l'eleganza e il lusso delle dimore dei ricchi funzionari, il culto delle arti, ma anche nelle bettole di criminali, prostitute e mendicanti.

Dee non esita ad utilizzare mezzi non convenzionali per raggiungere la verità: agisce sotto falso nome, ricorrendo anche a travestimenti, e ha come aiutante un ex-brigante passato dalla parte della giustizia.
Questo Sherlock Holmes cinese riesce a svelare intricati misteri con semplici dettagli, e la sua conoscenza dell'animo umano gli permette di intuire con poco la natura di chi ha di fronte.

Ne Il paravento di lacca si trova ad investigare contemporaneamente sulla morte della moglie di un giudice e su quello che con un po' troppa fretta vuole essere fatto passare per un suicidio.

La soluzione, nonostante le tante figure coinvolte, appare piuttosto semplice, una volta che Dee ricostruisce i fatti, anche se non manca una rivelazione finale che ribalta le carte in tavola.

In conclusione, un romanzo che soddisfa per l'intreccio poliziesco, ma che ha il valore aggiunto dell'attenta ricostruzione storica, che non lesina particolari circa usi, costumi e organizzazione della società cinese dell'VIII secolo.

[Μιχάλης Παπαχατζάκης · Rating 3 out of 5]

Το συγκεκριμένο βιβλίο είναι ενδιαφέρον σε σχέση με άλλα δικά του γιατί ακολουθεί έναν φρενήρη ρυθμό- όλη η εξιχνίαση σε δυο μέρες- και ο Τι συναναστρέφεται από υψηλούς κρατικούς αξιωματούχους μέχρι τον υπόκοσμο, διατρέχοντας κάθετα την κινέζικη κοινωνία. Έτσι νιώθεις σαν να μεταφέρεσαι εκεί. Η πλοκή είναι στρωτή, η υπόθεση είναι λίγο μπερδεμένη και το τέλος με την εξήγηση έρχεται κάπως λυτρωτικά.

[Ver · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this part of Di's adventures. Not only a great mystery but also a good source of information about old culture and customs. Very different world to us. I liked the way that judge Di tried to pretend to be someone else and conduct an investigation with criminals. That was quite funny. I'm looking forward to reading other parts.

[kostas vamvoukakis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Πολύ καλό...άλλο ένα πολύ δυνατό βιβλίο του δικαστή τι

[Molly Fiddler · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5

[Con Bé Ki · Rating 4 out of 5]

Đọc xong chỉ thấy tội nghiệp cho bạn Tú Tài; ông Quân Sơn thì thật thấy thương hại; còn chị Kha phu nhân chỉ muốn đem gả cho anh Đặng tri huyện :))

[Hoàng Anh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hay, hấp dẫn, ly kỳ từ đầu tới tận cuối truyện. Trinh thám viết bởi ngòi bút phương Tây lại đưa vào bối cảnh quan án phương Đông kỳ bí. Đọc tập 2 thôi đã thấy hào hứng rồi.

[Kelvin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a 1962 book by Dutch diplomat & author Robert van Gulik who, between 1957 and 1968 wrote a series of Chinese historic mystery novels featuring Judge Dee, a crime-solving magistrate in ancient imperial China during the Tang Dynasty. Van Gulik’s famous Judge Dee character is a semi-fictional character modeled after a real historic figure Di Renjie, who was a magistrate and statements in the Chinese Tang court. His exploits were featured in a 18th century Chinese crime novel. Similar to the original Chinese book, all van Gulik’s Judge Dee books contain three separate mysteries, sometimes interlinked. The Lacquer Screen is the 8th book in the Judge Dee series with a setting in Tang Dynasty in the year 668 A.D. in a fictional Chinese city called Wei-ping. I find the book very well written, fast-paced and interesting. It has quite a bit of twists and turns and its share of red herring. It also includes a few ancient Chinese style illustrations of the type seen in old Chinese books to give readers a sense of authenticity. New readers might easily believe the Judge Dee books are English translations of old Chinese mystery classics instead of original works written by a Dutch author in the 1950s and 1960s.

Spoiler Alert. The book The Lacquer Screen is about Judge Dee (Dee Jen-djieh), who just finished a conference and was travelling back to his town Peng-lai. He decided to travel incognito (using a fake name Shen Mo) and take a few days of vacation in the town of Wei-ping. When he was there, he ran into a few mysteries. Dee ended up helping the local magistrate, Teng Kan, clearing up all of them within a 3-day period. During the process, Judge Dee and his assistant Chiao Tai had to disguise themselves and joined a gang of robbers to solve the cases. The three stories in the case are called: (1) The Case of the Lacquer Screen, (2) The Case of the Credulous Merchant, and (3) The Case of the Faked Accounts.

The first case (The Case of the Lacquer Screen) involves the murder of the wife of magistrate Teng Kan. Van Gulik did a good job planting red herrings and led the readers astray. For most of the book, readers were led to believe it was the magistrate (who purportedly has a hereditary disease where he would have blackouts during which he would do things that he later has no recollection of) might be the murderer. It turns out the murderer is a very smart burglar called Kun-shan who specializes in carefully planned home burglaries and he uses a blowpipe to blow knockout gas into the victim’s room before entering the room to steal. The title of the book refers to a red lacquer screen with four pictures. One of which originally has the design of a husband and a wife drinking wine together. Somehow, the screen was altered soon before Dee’s arrival so that now it shows the husband stabbing the wife. That alteration presents an interesting plot twist which Dee ultimately saw through.

The second case (The Case of the Credulous Merchant) involves the murder of a very rich old silk merchant called Ko Chih-yuan. When, in front of witnesses, a person who looks like Ko jumped into a fast-moving river next to his house, people thought Ko has committed suicide even though his body has not been recovered. It took some luck, and shrewd deduction and bluffing from Dee, to uncover the plot. It turns out Ko’s young wife was having an adulterous relationship with a young man Hsia Liang. The two plotted to murder Ko and take his fortune. They did so by doing it during a party at their house, hide Ko’s body under his room and fake his suicide by having the lover to dress like Ko and jump into the river to disappear.

The third case (The Case of the Faked Accounts) is intertwined with the second case. The story concerns the theft of 1000 gold pieces from the rich silk merchant Ko by a banker called Leng Chien. Leng is an associate and financial adviser to Ko). Recently, Leng has stolen 1000 gold pieces from Ko and Ko was just about to find out. Leng played a not unimportant role in the second case. Finally, Dee solved his fraud case easily and Leng was arrested and convicted for fraud.

[KIRIAKI(Dominica Amat) · Rating 4 out of 5]

https://dominicamat.blogspot.com/2020...

Βαθμολογία 3.5/5

Τα οφέλη του διαβάσματος στην ζωή μας είναι πολλά καί γνωστά λίγο-πολύ σε όλους/όλες καί δεν χρειάζεται να τα επαναλάβω. Υπάρχουν,βέβαια,κάποιες κατηγορίες βιβλίων που βοηθούν να αναπτύξουμε ακόμη περισσότερο την κριτική μας ικανότητα καί σκέψη καί να κάνουν το μυαλό μας να δουλεύει πιο περίπλοκα. Αυτά δεν είναι άλλα από τα μυθιστορήματα που ανήκουν στην αστυνομική λογοτεχνία. Γι'αυτό σήμερα σας έχω δύο ιδιαίτερες προτάσεις βιβλίων,που πιστεύω ότι θα ικανοποιήσουν αρκετά τα αναγνωστικά σας γούστα.
Έχοντας διαβάσει καί μου αρέσει αρκετά το αστυνομικό μυθιστόρημα του συγγραφέα κυρίου Ρόμπερτ βαν Γκούλικ που σχετιζόταν με την τρίτη υπόθεση/περιπέτεια του Δικαστή Τι,αποφάσισα να διαβάσω καί να σας παρουσίασω τα δύο πρώτα βιβλία της σειράς ''Οι έρευνες του Δικαστή Τι'' με τίτλο ''Φόνοι στον δρόμο του μεταξιού'' καί ''Το στοιχειωμένο παραβάν'' ώστε να δώ πως ξεκίνησε η ιστορία του Δικαστή Τι,μιας καί πρόκειται για ένα πραγματικό πρόσωπο.
Ο συγγραφέας συνδυάζει το προσωπικό μοτίβο γραφής με το δικαστικό σύστημα δικαιοσύνης που εφαρμοζόταν εκείνα τα χρόνια στην αρχαία Κίνα καί δίνει δύο πολυπρόσωπες καί ευρηματικές ιστορίες που τις διακρίνουν οι συνεχόμενες ανατροπές,η αγωνία,το μυστήριο καί το σασπένς. Κρατούν αμείωτο το ενδιαφέρον καί την προσοχή των αναγνωστών από την αρχή έως καί το τέλος. Βρήκα,επίσης,έξυπνο το γεγονός ότι ο συγγραφέας μέσα στα βιβλία περιπλέκει διάφορες υποθέσεις που αν καί φαίνονται αντίθετες μεταξύ τους,τις ενώνουν περισσότερα από όσα νομίζουμε.
Ο λόγος του συγγραφέα είναι απλός,καθημερινός με αποτέλεσμα τα βιβλία να μην είναι βαρετά καί να διαβάζονται γρήγορα. Τα κεφάλαια είναι μικρά καί μεστά. Μοιάζουν να είναι καθένα από αυτά σαν μία σκηνή ταινίας που μας οδηγεί πιο κοντά στην λύση του μυστηρίου. Κοινά χαρακτηριστικά,επίσης,στα βιβλία είναι η τοποθέτηση ασπρόμαυρων εικόνων σε διάφορα σημεία,οι οποίες έχουν φιλοτεχνηθεί από τον ίδιο τον συγγραφέα με βάση την κινέζικη τεχνοτροπία,καθώς καί οι κατάλογοι με τα ονόματα καί τις ιδιότητες των προσώπων που θα συναντήσουμε μέσα σε αυτά,ώστε να μην υπάρχει πρόβλημα σύγχυσης,ή,μη κατανόησης επαρκώς της υπόθεσης. Μία διαφορά που παρατηρούμε ανάμεσα στα δύο πρώτα βιβλία είναι πως στο πρώτο υπάρχουν,πρίν την έναρξη του κάθε κεφαλαίου,δύο μικροί υπότιτλοι που μπορούν να θεωρηθούν,σε μία ελεύθερη εκδοχή,ως μία περίληψη αυτού,ενώ στο δεύτερο βιβλίο παραλείπονται. Όχι,πως παίζει τόσο σημαντικό ρόλο στο κείμενο καί στην εξέλιξη της ιστορίας.
Ο τόπος διεξαγωγής των γεγονότων προσαρμόζεται κάθε φορά,ανάλογα με το που έπρεπε να παρευρεθεί ο Δικαστής Τι. Από την στιγμή που έχουμε να κάνουμε με ένα αληθινό πρόσωπο καί επιθυμούμε να είμαστε ακριβείς στην ιστορία,κάτι τέτοιο είναι αναμενόμενο. Γι΄αυτό,άλλωστε,ο συγγραφέας στο τέλος του πρώτου βιβλίου δίνει στο υστερόγραφό του χρήσιμες πληροφορίες για το αρχαίο κινεζικό δικαστικό σύστημα καί κάνει αναφορά στις κινεζικές πηγές που χρησιμοποιήθηκαν για να βρεί τις πληροφορίες που χρειαζότ��ν.
Εμένα τα βιβλία μου άφησαν αρκετά καλές εντυπώσεις καί ανυπομονώ να πιάσω στα χέρια μου τα επόμενα βιβλία με τις περιπέτειες του Δικαστή Τι που πρόκειται να κυκλοφορήσουν από τις εκδόσεις Μίνωας. Εάν έχετε κουραστεί από τα ίδια καί τα ίδια,γιατί να μην επιλέξετε να ξεκινήσετε να διαβάζετε τα συγκεκριμένα βιβλία; Εγώ απλά σας προτρέπω να τα αρχίσετε με την σειρά την οποία έχουν εκδοθεί.
Καλά σας αναγνώσματα!

[Bev · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Lacquer Screen by Robert Van Gulik was published in 1962, but is set in the China of about the 7th century. Van Gulik was not only a Dutch diplomat, but also a well-known authority on Chinese history and culture. He drew his background from Chinese literature of the period and used the actual historical figure of Judge Dee (Ti Jen-chieh or Di Renjie), a magistrate of the Tang court. This particular book finds his protagonist, Judge Dee, and his right-hand man Chiao Tai taking a break from magisterial duties and arriving incognito in the small town of Peng-lai. He pays a courtesy call on the senior magistrate of the town who is feeling quite unwell. Teng Kan, the magistrate, shows Judge Dee a beautiful lacquer screen that originally portrayed two lovers. Now it has been changed to show one lover stabbing the other. Teng Kan fears that he is going insane and is doomed to murder his wife as depicted on the screen. It seems he is right when Silver Lotus, the wife, is found murdered in the marshes. Judge Dee is determined to discover the truth of this murder and also finds himself involved in the death of a local banker. He continues to act undercover--even to the extent of insinuating himself into a gang of robbers--in order to get to the bottom of it all.

I have to admit that Van Gulik obviously knows his stuff. He produces the China of the period with great detail and flair and I fel as though I were really visiting a small town of the time period. He gets full marks for historical detail and atmosphere. He is also very adept at writing in what purports to be the style of the period. However, as I mentioned in my first review of his work, I just don't think the style of the period is for me. It's not that it's bad; it's just not that gripping and the method of building the story isn't quite to my liking. It's certainly not in the classic detective style where clues are paraded before the reader and misdirection is employed to lead us up the garden path. It's pretty obvious who killed Silver Lotus--but it's not quite so obvious what the motive is. But Judge Dee (who is perceptive enough to see all) will explain it to us. A middle-of-of the road read.

First posted on my blog My Reader's Block.

[Alfredo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Novela negra hay de todos colores y de todos sabores. Desde la novela negra más ortodoxa, esa en la que los personajes se desenvuelven en ambientes sórdidos entre sangre y cadáveres, hasta aquella en la que a los autores todo se les va en soltar críticas sociales sin gusto ni sustento y en las que, de paso, aparecen muertos solo por no dejar.

Las novelas de Van Gulik, en este sentido, siempre serán una buena opción de lectura. A través de los casos que resuelve el juez Di, el autor lo lleva a uno a la China imperial del siglo VII, le muestra el entorno y las costumbres, lo empapa más o menos de la cotidianidad y, de paso, le pone frente a los ojos unos cuantos enigmas de mucho interés, en los que el juez Di no deja de lucirse.

Sin embargo, debo decir que El biombo lacado no es la mejor de las obras de Van Gulik que he leído. La descripción del lugar, como de costumbre, es impecable, como corresponde a un texto escrito por un orientalista serio y no por cualquier aventurero. Los personajes, igual. Lo malo son los casos. O, mejor dicho, la resolución de los casos. Parecería que al autor se le acabaron los recursos y, aunque la explicación es interesante y la intriga es potente, el modo en el que se llega al desenlace parece un tanto fortuito y poco claro. Incluso la confrontación montada al final —un recurso tradicional en las novelas del juez Di— tiene poca fuerza: el juez simplemente le dice al otro qué tan canalla es y este, el canalla, se ofende. Y ya. No más. No hay nada que se asemeje a la escena final de El monasterio encantado, por ejemplo, en la que el lector queda completamenmte atrapado. Aquí simplemente se enfrentan dos personajes y después se separan.

A pesar de lo mencionado, la novela es más que recomendable. Al menos, abre un poco el panorama actual, en el que los detectives gringos, nórdicos y europeos meridionales se suceden unos a otros sin parar. Poner pausa a la vorágine y leer casos policiacos situados en la China de la dinastía Tang es vivificante. E instructivo, por supuesto.

[Ανδρέας Μιχαηλίδης · Rating 4 out of 5]

Αναζητώντας το χρονολόγιο των ιστοριών του Δικαστή Τι, ανακάλυψα τι μπέρδεμα και μπάχαλο είναι η αρίθμηση. Το παρόν βιβλίο είναι το δεύτερο και τελευταίο, μεγάλου μήκους, μυστήριο στο πρώτο πόστο του Δικαστή, το όγδοο που έγγραψε κατά σειρά ο van Gulik και το #9 με την αρίθμηση των Goodreads. Ο van Gulik δεν κρατούσε καθόλου σταθερή διαδοχή στις ημερομηνίες των μυστηρίων, όμως η ουσία είναι ότι το παρόν βιβλίο γράφτηκε τρία χρόνια μετά το Δολοφόνοι και Χρυσάφι (1959) και είναι φανερό πως ο συγγραφέας έχει πλέον κατασταλάξει αρκετά στο συγγραφικό του στυλ, ενώ τα πολλαπλά μυστήρια που αποτελούν το σήμα κατατεθέν του είναι σαφώς πιο καθαρά.

Εδώ πλέον έχουμε χαρακτηριστικές ομοιότητες με ορισμένες μεθοδολογίες του Σέρλοκ Χολμς, όπως ένας εκπρόσωπος του νόμου να κινείται ινκόγκνιτο ανάμεσα σε κακοποιούς, προσποιούμενος τον όμοιό τους. Είναι βέβαια ενδιαφέρον το γεγονός πως η "μεταμφίεση" είναι κυρίως συμπεριφοριστική και υποβοηθείται από την παρουσία του βοηθού του Δικαστή και πρώην ληστή οδοιπόρων, Τσιάο Τάι. Περαιτέρω, παρατηρούμε το "σερλοκικό τρικ" της συναγωγής από την εμφάνιση και τη συμπεριφορά να χρησιμοποιείται εύστοχα πλην λανθασμένα από έναν εγκληματία και επιτυχώς από μία πόρνη.

Το μεγάλο ενδαιφέρον αυτού του τόμου είναι η ψυχολογία των χαρακτήρων και του κινεζικού λαού ευρύτερα, καθώς και τα ποικίλα έθιμα και νομικές διαδικασίες, για τα οποία είχε βαθιά γνώση ο van Gulik. Αντί να μας τα κοπανήσει όμως με exposition, τα ενσωματώνει στους διαλόγους και τις σκηνές πυ εκτυλίσσονται με τους αντίστοιχους, ταιριαστούς χαρακτήρες, δείχνοντας παραδείγματος χάρη πως πράγματα όπως βασανιστήρια, θανατικές ποινές και οι αντιλήψεις περί της εκπόρνευσης αποτελούν κομμάτι της γνωστής, αποδεκτής καθημερινότητας της μεσαιωνικής Κίνας και μάλιστα παρουσιάζονται με μεγάλη τυπικότητα.

Είναι επίσης πολύ ενδιαφέρουσα η ερμηνεία του φόνου ή του θανάτου στα πλάισια της ευρέως αποδεκτής δεισιδαιμονίας και των αντιλήψεων περί πνευματικών ασθενειών.

[Lauri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Siis kui see kohtunik Di uurimiste kronoloogiliselt 2. osa 1987. aastal eesti keeles topeltpaketi "Kummitused kloostris/Lakksirm" tagumise poolena ilmus, meeldis ta mulle hoopis vähem kui esimene pool, kummitav klooster (kronoloogiliselt 4. osa, seega pandi omal ajal eesti keeles miskipärast varasem seiklus taha ja hilisem ette). Nüüd üle lugedes selgus aga et tegu on päris kobeda Di looga. Nagu ikka, 3 eraldi mõistatust, mis võivad aga ei pruugi üldse seguneda. See tähendab, lahendused ei pruugi üksteisega üldse seotud olla, lugejal aga kes seda toredat nippi ei tunne ajab kolme erineva mõistatuse fragmendihaaval uurimine kõik mõnusalt segi. Sest kogenud lugeja juba teab, et kui aknast ronib välja verine mees, nuga peos, linna peal on kadunud pankur ja keegi on maha löönud kaupmehe, siis need asjad võivad, aga ei pruugi üksteisega seotud olla. Kirjanik aga jätab alguses mulje, et tegu on ühe, kompleksse, geniaalse salaplaaniga. See selleks. 3 erinevat kuritegu mis kõik lõpus lahenduse leiavad on kõigi kohtunik Di raamatute sisuks, ja eks see ole ühtlasi kõige suurem pluss kui ka kõige suurem miinus - suht õhukese mahu juures ei jõua kõigi nende mõistatustes osalejate isikuid õieti avada, enamjaolt jäävad nad ainult õhukesteks nimedeks ja põhjust miks oli vaja vana pankur maha lüüa puudutakse alles lõpus lahenduse käigus paari lausega.
Tegelikult on kõige suuremaks plussiks samuti igat Di lugu illustreerivad vana-hiina stiilis joonistused ja tegevuspaikade skeemid.

[Marjolein · Rating 3 out of 5]

---ENGLISH REVIEW BELOW---

Ik vond de historische plaatsing van het boek leuk. Het taalgebruik voelt soms wat ouderwets, maar het voegt wat toe aan de atmosfeer naar mijn mening. Het voelt echt als een Chinese Sherlock Holmes, inclusief de grote onthulling aan het einde. Ik betwijfel sterk of ik zelf de puzzelstukjes bij elkaar had kunnen leggen. Hoe vrouwen behandeld worden is verschrikkelijk, maar ik neem aan dat het past bij de tijdsgeest. Het was een interessant verhaal en het voelt alsof het goed onderzocht is. Een leuk boek!

---ENGLISH REVIEW---

I liked the historical setting of this book. The language feels outdated at times, but it adds to the atmosphere in my opinion. It really does feel like the Chinese Sherlock Holmes, including the big reveal at the end. I strongly doubt if I could have put the puzzle pieces together myself. The treatment of women is terrible, but I assume that it's fitting with the time period. It was an interesting story, and it feels like it was well researched. Quite a nice book!

[Đức Khoa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tập thứ 2 của series Định Công Kỳ Án. Tập truyện kể về chuyến đi tham quan của Định Công sang huyện khác.
Mình để ý thấy, tác giả đã đưa ra rất nhiều đầu mối để cho đọc giả cùng suy đoán và nghĩ ra hung thủ và chân tướng của sự việc. Lúc mới vào truyện, mình cũng lờ mờ đoán ra Đặng phu nhân - vợ huyện lệnh không phải do chính chồng sát hại. Càng đọc về sau, càng có nhiều manh mối hơn.
Truyện có tiết tấu nhanh, các sự kiện xảy ra liên tục, không có sự nghỉ ngơi, ngắt quãng nào cả. Định Công lại được thể hiện một cách hoàn hảo, ông luôn để ý đến từng chi tiết dù là nhỏ nhất, như là khi nghe nhắc tới, chân của quan huyện bị trẹo. Đọc đến cuối truyện mới thấy có một plot twist nho nhỏ, làm người đọc là mình giật mình bất thình lình :)))
Qua tập thứ 2, lại thấy được tính cách của Định Công luôn anh minh, sáng suốt, phân xử hợp lẽ hợp tình, đối nhân xử thế tuyệt vời.

[Karen GoatKeeper · Rating 4 out of 5]

Judge Dee stops in a town for a week's vacation before returning to his duties as a magistrate. He first meets with the local magistrate who is very upset, but will say nothing. He is accosted by a badly scarred man who believes him to be a thief to help with a scheme. A beggar sells him some jewelry and tells him about the body of a murdered woman. The scheme takes Dee into the underworld of the town seeking the murderer as well as a blackmailer and the truth about a suicide.
As are the other Judge Dee mysteries, this one is very steeped in the Tang dynasty setting. Criminal justice at the time could use torture on witnesses and gruesome capital punishment. The book deals frankly with the sexual attitudes of the times including prostitution. It is fast, easy reading. The mystery is interwoven with many threads to unravel to get to the solution.

[Tyzzy · Rating 5 out of 5]

To moja pierwsza styczność z serią o sędzim Di autorstwa Roberta van Gulika i myślę, że nie ostatnia. Intrygująca zagadka kryminalna rozgrywa się w starożytnych Chinach, a sam główny bohater, sędzia Di, był postacią historyczną, co świadczy o szerokiej wiedzy autora zarówno o nim, jak i o realiach epoki, historii oraz dominujących w owym czasie nurtach kulturowych i filozoficznych. Akcja została spójnie i logicznie przedstawiona, do samego końca trzymała w niepewności, znakomicie ukazując detektywistyczne umiejętności sędziego Di, jego przebiegłe myślenie oraz świetną znajomość obowiązującego wówczas prawa. Oczywiście nie zabrakło humorystycznych momentów, a całą książkę czytało się płynnie, przyjemnie i z satysfakcją, jaką daje dobrze napisany kryminał.

[Dru Pagliassotti · Rating 3 out of 5]

After watching the two Detective Dee movies, I wanted to find out where it all came from, and started here since the first novel isn't on Kindle. It's definitely not the cinematic Dee, but as a historical Chinese mystery, the book stands up just fine. The biggest difference it might have from contemporary historical-Chinese mysteries is likely its treatment of women. This novel had a paucity of strong female roles, which I haven't found to be the case in similar historical mysteries written today, although there may be an author-gender bias at work, as well. At any rate, I found the book interesting enough, although don't expect any movie monsters and wuxia!

[Fenia Vazaka · Rating 4 out of 5]

Μου άρεσε περισσότερο από το προηγούμενο. Δεν ακολουθεί την τροπή των 2 προηγούμενων βιβλίων και κρατάει τον αναγνώστη σε εγρήγορση. Υπάρχουν εκπλήξεις και η αγωνία κρατάει μέχρι το τέλος.
Ο συγγραφέας καταφέρνει να μεταφέρει τον αναγνώστη στην αρχαία Κίνα και δίνει μια πολύ ωραία απεικόνιση της κοινωνίας και λεπτομέρειες για τα ήθη και έθιμα της εποχής εκείνης.

[Memnoch d devil · Rating 3 out of 5]

Surprised me who killed the lady never thought it'd be his husband, shoulda guessed though all the clues were there.. Unlike Sherlock our Magistrate never encountered danger his assistants would do all the dangerous parts i think. Overall this books a good read, i enjoyed it.

[Anna Baboura · Rating 3 out of 5]

Βιβλίο που διαβάζεται ευχάριστα και γρήγορα. Η πλοκή δεν είναι κάτι το ιδιαίτερο, αλλά η ασιατική κουλτούρα, τόσο διαφορετική από την δίκη μας, πάντα μου προκαλούσε ενδιαφέρον.
Για απόγευμα καλοκαιριού κάτω από την σκιά του δέντρου είναι ό,τι πρέπει.