Rashomon Gate

Sugawara Akitada #2

by I.J. Parker

Akitada, a minor official in the Ministry of Justice, toils at his dull career when a former professor begs him to look into a case of blackmail at the Imperial University. He is quickly drawn into a web of gossip and rivalry before being sidetracked by the murder of a young woman belonging to the lower classes and the disappearance of young student’s high-ranking grandfather. He and his faithful servant Tora pursue both cases eagerly, but the body count rises, and danger stalks them. When Akitada loses his heart to a young woman and wins her against all odds, a murderer has marked him as the next victim.

Genres: Mystery, Historical Fiction, Japan, Fiction, Historical, Crime, Historical Mystery

378 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2002

Reviews

[Murray · Rating 4 out of 5]

petals on the water

🗡️ The author writes in the fashion of a slowly moving stream. Now and then there is fast water. Then the floating sensation returns. I found the first half of the book perhaps too slow for my taste. However the second half made up for all of that. It was very exciting and it was nice to see some good love blossom like the cherry tree as well. Recommended for those who like a large pot of soothing tea to go along with their murder mysteries especially those set in medieval Japan.

[Saeed abedi · Rating 4 out of 5]

خانم اینگرید جی پارکر علاقه زیادی به دوران ژاپن باستان داشته بنابراین بستر داستانی اش را در همان دوره و زمانه آفریده است.
لرد ساگاوارا نجیب زاده ای است که کارمند جزئی وزارت دادگستری است اما از پشت میز نشینی راضی نیست به همین دلیل در کارهای جنایی و معمایی فضولی میکند
احاطه نویسنده بر آن دوران باعث شده داستان با جزییات دقیق و تاریخی روایت شود که برای خواننده داستان بسیار جذاب است. کالسکه های گاوکش ، بازارهای ابریشم ، دانشگاه و دروس ، روابط ثروتمندان و فقرا ، روابط درون خانواده همه با دقت ترسیم و تشریح شده اند و این نکته نقطه مثبت زیادی برای نویسنده و کتاب است
تا آنجا که من میدانم از مجموعه کارآگاه ساگاوارا سه کتاب به فارسی ترجمه شده که دروازه راشومون ، تصویر دوزخ و شمشیر محکوم نام دارند. دروازه راشومون را که دوست داشتم و مشتاق خواندن آن دوتای بعدی هم هستم

[Tessa Nadir · Rating 4 out of 5]

Autoarea a devenit celebra pentru seria de romane de suspans ce il are ca protagonist pe Sugawara Akitada, un functionar din epoca Heian a Japoniei Imperiale ce, fara voia lui, se implica in cazuri misterioase pe care trebuie sa le resolve ca un adevarat detectiv. Urmatoarele romane ale seriei sunt “The Hell Screen”, “Black Arrow” si “Island of Exiles”.
Cartea de fata este un roman politist de epoca inspirat din Japonia medievala ce are unele parti care au la baza povestiri din Konjaku Monogatari din secolul XI. Consider ca Este un must-read pentru pasionatii de Japonia si de povestiri medievale pentru ca reinvie cu succes aceea perioada.
In ceea ce priveste actiunea il avem in prim plan pe Sugawara, un nobil marunt care este functionar juridic al Ministerului Justitiei din Japonia secolului XI. Locuieste in orasul-capitala Heian Kyo, are 30 de ani si nu este casatorit. Este intovarasit de 2 slujitori fideli, batranul Seimei si fostul talhar Tora. In ciuda faptului ca are o functie marunta in cadrul Ministerului este foarte cunoscut si priceput in solutionarea crimelor. Fostul sau profesor de la Drept, Hirata, il roaga sa-l ajute sa rezolve un caz de santaj la Universitate. Protagonistul se intoarce astfel acolo ca asistent universitar.
Curand lucrurile se vor complica si pe langa misterul scrisorii de santaj va trebui sa investigheze si moartea unei femei strangulate. Si asta tocmai cand e atat de indragostit si preocupat s-o cucereasca pe fiica profesorului.
Romanul este foarte interesant, cititorul fiind captivat de aventurile personajului principal dar si de descrierile si obiceiurile acelei epoci care sunt foarte autentice.
Titlul "Rashomon" (de fapt Rashoo–Mon, adica Poarta Fortificata) face referire la o poarta de sud a capitalei care in acea perioada devenise un loc de rau augur unde se adunau vagabonzii si unde oamenii saraci isi abandonau mortii, astfel ca "gemea" de spirite nemultumite. Astazi poarta respectiva nu mai exista.
Cartea are un aspect impresionant de 600 de pagini insa nu trebuie sa tineti cont de asta pentru ca nici n-o sa va dati seama cand le-ati parcurs. Desi intriga politista nu este atat de complexa cititorul ii va indragi foarte mult pe cei 3 "luptatori ai dreptatii" Sugawara, Seimei si Tora.
M-a amuzat la pagina 187 felul in care se refereau cei de pe atunci la a face dragoste: "podul de bambus spre pavilion", "greieri agatati in copac", "maimuta leganandu-se pe creanga" ori "topaitul copilului".
Am selectat mai multe citate care sunt pline de invataminte si majoritatea se refera la pildele rostite de batranul Seimei:
"Calea datoriei este aproape, dar omul o cauta in ceea ce este inca departe".
"De ce iti dai atatea aere? Nu uita ca doar picatura cea mai mare de roua pica de pe frunza."
"Doar tinerii considera ca cea mai mare tragedie a vietii este sa indure o nedreptate. Exista lucruri si mai rele dar ele se intampla celor in varsta."
"Sfintii sunt educatori foarte neinspirati. Ei nu stiu ce inseamna sa lupti impotriva ispitelor."
"Vai, norocul si nenorocul sunt ca niste fire impletite ale aceleiasi funii."

[Knigoqdec · Rating 3 out of 5]

Много симпатична книга в традициите на Хюлик, само че действието се развива в Япония. Имаме за герой един младеж от богато, но западнало семейство, който тъкмо започва работа в Министерството на правосъдието и се получава така, че се замесва в разрешаването на мистериите покрай цели три убийства. Акитада води със себе си, подобно на съдията Ди, верни свои помощници, бивши бандити, и всичките им усилия са в името на справедливостта, разбира се.
За основа са използвани две класически японски легенди, като тази за портата Рашомон на мен ми е по-любима. Същата основа използва и Акутагава за едноименната си творба. Тук Ингрид Паркър насочва вниманието си към опита да представи на западния читател по-скоро тогавашното общество в Киото и неговите навици и обичаи, гледано с очи на чужденец. Може и на това да се дължи факта, че Акитада е изненадващо "достъпен" герой. Той е приятел на западния читател, има щедро описан емоционален свят. И близките му също са съобразени с една бъдеща публика от чужденци. Отделено е доста голямо внимание на любовните желания и мъки, което отговаря на представата за Хейанска Япония (края на 8-ми до 12-ти век), макар и без голяма част от трагизма. (Чудесно! Все някой трябва да представи любов, свързана с щастие, от периода Хейан, аман xD).

[امیرمحمد حیدری · Rating 1 out of 5]

پلات و ایده‌ی خیلی خوبی داشت و با توجه به زادگاه و محل تحصیل نویسنده، محتوای کتاب نشان از دانش و اطلاعات کافی وی دارند؛ اما پردازش داستان ضعیف است. آن‌قدر که این ایده‌ی طبیعی در برابر فراطبیعی را خراب می‌کند و انگار که نویسنده برای نوشتنش عجله داشته. توصیفات ایجاز زیادی داشتند و ما را با داستان همراه نمی‌کردند. گرچه تصویرسازی‌اش در بعضی فصول بدک نبود.

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

The mysteries were quite convoluted but the historical context and knowledge of the author made this a very interesting read.

[Algernon · Rating 3 out of 5]

[7/10] a good enough detective story, but with little in it to make it memorable and raise it above a bunch of similar attempts to emulate Agatha Christie.

I picked this up initially because the setting promised to be original : 11th century Japan, an exotic location that I really wanted to find out more about. The author did her homework well, and put a lot of historical details in the book, but for some reason the Kyoto painted here felt to me more like a cardboard theatrical scenery, a neutral background behind the scene where the actors played their designated roles. It was a pretty landscape but not vibrant, not lived in and with little depth. Some chapters where more convincing than others, like the actual visit to the Rashomon Gate from the title, but that is probably because I am a fan of the Kurosawa movie of the same name where said gate is featured prominently.

My next issues were with the plot. Like I mentioned above, I think the book tried to be an Agatha Christie mystery transplanted to an exotic location. Maybe I've read too many books in this genre, but the several murders investigated here were not all that mysterious, and the clues hidden in the text were kind of obvious. I think the author needs to throw better smokescreens and fish for some craftier red herrings. Also, the book is a tad too long for a murder mystery, and quite slow in development. It was only in the second half that the pace was really engaging.

Characters : Sugawara Akitada is a decent choice for an investigator, but a little bland and generic to carry the whole story on his shoulders. I liked his sidekick better, and the little prince and the romantic interest. It took me a lot of time to become interested in the secondary characters and to see them as more than chess pieces moved acround the board according to the rules set by the author. But I'm glad I stuck with the story, as the final chapters showed some promise of better writing in the next books.

A final note: I picked Rashomon Gate based on the listing from fantasticfiction.co.uk where it is featured as the first book in the series, but there were constant references here to previous events in the life of Akitada - probably from short stories or from a book published after this but set before it in the timeline. So I would recommend more research on the subject, and maybe starting the series with a different novel.

[cindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

sebenernya rada galau 3 atau 4 bintang, tp akhirnya lebih condong pd kesukaanku pada rumitnya kisah misteri yg hrs dipecahkan oleh sang tokoh Akitada, drpd ketidaksukaanku pd penuturan dan penggunaan istilah2 bahasa yg terlalu tinggi/modern settingnya, jd ttp kuberi 4*. apalagi karakterisasi akitada lebih kompleks dan lengkap, terasa lbh manusiawi dan jg di bandingkan dragon scroll (akitada #1), yg ini lbh ada sentuhan romansanya.

review lengkap ada di
http://readbetweenpages.blogspot.com/...

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Although this is set in the 11th century in Japan, it is really a cozy mystery read. It is just a fun read. Akitada is a son of a noble family fallen on hard times. He is working for the Ministry of Justice when his former teacher and foster father asks him to return to his old school to solve a blackmailing scam.

In his investigation he is drawn into solving not one, not two but three murders. He also fins love. What more can you ask for in a book?

[Ali Rasti · Rating 3 out of 5]

داستانی زیبا و روان. ساختار داستان کاملا متضاد با فضای اون هست. منظور یک داستان پلیسی به سبک غربی که در شرق رخ میده. به طور مثال پایان بندی، تنفس و آرامش آخر داستان و نحوه ی قرار گرفتن اتفاقات در روند داستان خیلی من رو به فضای غرب می برد.
برای یک زنگ تفریح و لذت بردن از خواندن یک کتاب داستانی بسیار پر کشش کتاب بسیار مناسبی است.

[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rich in details, clearly well-researched. A multi layered mystery full of historical ambience. This author and the main character, Akitada, deserve a wider audience.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

When his former professor and guardian asks for his help, Sugawara Akitada feels obligated to assist him in his investigation. To do this, Akitada must return to his former university and it reminds him of things he would rather forget. Not long after he begins teaching at the university, Akitada stumbles upon not one but three murders he hopes to solve. He is not alone. His servant, Tora is there to help with his investigation. Not only does Akitada have the task of solving three murders and protecting a young prince, he also has to deal with the most troublesome thing of all... a matter of the heart.

I have to say I was pleasantly surprised by this novel. Out of sure luck I picked this up at the library due to my fascination with the Japanese culture. Not only was this an enjoyable read on the history and culture of eleventh-century Japan, but it was a fantastic mystery. Once I started reading, I could not put the book down. Parker created a wide variety of vivid characters. The plot was also fast paced and not drawn out. Overall, this was a fantastic mystery that both historical fiction and mystery fans will enjoy.

As a side note, I discovered that I.J. Parker is a local author here in Virginia Beach.

[Amelia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this book. 4 & 1/2 stars. I felt immersed in life in the capital city of 11th c. Japan, and I really liked the main character, Sugawara Akitada. The characters seemed like living, breathing flesh-and-blood people whom I could relate to, and yet they never seemed to me like 21st c. characters plopped into 11th c. Japan. The environment, culture, and daily life all "felt right" -- although I haven't much knowledge of Japan's history, except in broad strokes. I.J. Parker's books have made me more interested in the Heian period, and I'm sure that I will read more about it -- as well as read every book that I can get at a reasonable price. (Sadly, some of the books in this series are published by Penguin and are out of my price-range at $12.99 -- but I can hope for a price drop!)

I've begun The Hell Screen, and I'm enjoying that, too.

Read on my Kindle, of course!

[Femmy]

Read the first chapter as a translation test for a local publisher. The protagonist will investigate a mysterious blackmail letter, at least that is the conflict presented in the first chapter. The setting is medieval Japan, but so far the atmosphere seems too modern for me.

[Olivermagnus · Rating 4 out of 5]

This innovative mystery is set in 11th Century Japan in Kyo (modern day Kyoto). Sugawara Akitada is a low ranking nobleman who works as a clerk in the Ministry of Justice. His mother is constantly nagging him to better himself.

Akitada receives a message from his former law professor at Imperial University who has found a note indicating someone on the faculty is being blackmailed. He doesn't want the University to suffer from this humiliation so asks Akitada to quietly investigate. It's not long before Akitada is involved in not only the blackmail, but two murders. He also becomes interested in one of his young students whose grandfather died under mysterious circumstances. Fortunately Akitada won't have to do all this investigation on his own. His servant, Tora, a former highwayman has significant role in solving these crimes. What an interesting character. Akitada is also very interesting and this book paints a wonderfully expressive picture of medieval Japan and the precise social order that governs everyday life.

This book is both a mystery and a historical novel. It encompasses Japanese culture, history, religion and superstition. Sometime the writing seems a little too modern but I appreciated that it made the story highly readable. I felt the plot developed a little slowly but once I got about a third of the way I was flying through it.

This is listed as the first of the Akitada mysteries, however there is previous one called Dragon Scroll where we are introduced to Akitada and learn how he and Tora become companions. I loved the scalawag Tora and plan to read that one sometime in the future. I don't feel I lost anything by reading out of order as Rashomon Gate can certainly stand on its own.

[Jiří Pavlovský · Rating 2 out of 5]

Možná proto, že jsem nedávno četl Gulika a pořád mě to bavilo, sáhl jsem po knize, kterou také vydalo nakladatelství Perseus, taky je to historická detektivka - jen se místo Číny odehrává v Japonsku jedenáctého století. Jo a taky se tam řeší tři případy. Vzory se nezapřou. Jen je to tedy mnohem rozvláčnější, přes tři sta padesát dost hustě popsaných stránek. Což je možná následkem toho, že tahle kniha je mnohem novější (dneska už se tenké detektivky nepíšou) a jednak toho, že je autorkou ženská. A to se projevuje i v ohledu přebujelých emocí. To mi ale tady překvapivě nevadilo, protože taková ta přecitlivělost a ustavičné propukání v záchvaty citů - tu pláče, tu smíchu, nějak k japonským historickým příběhům patří.
Když jsem to četl, tak jsem měl vážně pocit, že se autorka rozhodla obšlehnout Gulika se vším všudy, včetně pomocníků hlavního hrdiny se zločineckou minulostí. Ale samotné případy tak zajímavé zase nejsou a pachatelé jsou buď celkem jasní od začátku, nebo je to prostě někdo z mnoha postav, které se v příběhu mihnou. Rozhodně to není kniha, která by čtenáře strhla... spíš jen tak volně plyne, až pomalu dokape až do finále. Ale pro příznivce klasických historických detektivek to není zápor. Body k dobru jsou za japonské kulisy a za celkem věrohodné popisy uvažování té doby... tedy, věrohodné pro člověka, který o tom ví úplné kulové.
Čili, zajímavé kulisy, věrohodně působící vztahy a postavy... ale nepříliš strhující příběh. Kdyby to bylo tenčí, tak se třeba k Parkerové někdy vrátím, ale míra zábavnosti bohužel není úměrná počtu stránek. Tak asi zůstanu u Usagi Yojimba.

[Ad · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first Akitada novel was still heavily influenced by the Judge Dee novels of Robert van Gulik, but in this second volume I.J. Parker comes more into her own: the setting is the imperial university of 11th c. Kyoto, in a sense a familiar environment for the author who was herself employed as teacher at a university. She aptly shows the office politics, the infighting and the frustration. The mysteries and riddles the author serves up for the reader are not very difficult, but the novel is certainly entertaining. Historical/cultural mistakes occur again, but are probably difficult to evade when writing for a Western public. The biggest problem is in the relation between Akitada and Tamako, the daughter of his old professor. It is inconceivable that as guest Akitada would have dinner with professor Hirata at the latter's home with Hirata's daughter also present. I even think people didn't have any home dinners in the Heian period (apart from larger parties, but these were also only for men), but the presence of a woman, who in that period would never show herself to outsiders, is impossible, even if Akitada was something of a brother to her when they were small. Even more impossible is the fact that Akitada later on in the novel walks with Tamako from her home to the location in Kyoto where the Aoi Matsuri procession will be passing by. While still unmarried, a man and woman would never-ever walk together in the street. But I see the problem for the author: if she would keep to Heian custom, a love story that would interest Western readers would be very difficult to write.

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this historical tale and myseries set in medieval Japan. Akitada, is a very likeable character who doesn't understand women, but is none the less responsible for his mom and sisters following the death of his father. The book includes: the life of tedchers at a local university, the actions of a greedy man who was in charge of an estate, kite flying, warriors without a leaders, several professors who were part of a cheating scandal, a young Prince, trips to several temples, time in the willow quarter, poetry and romance make this a very unusual mystery. This is a fun one for those who enjoy the flavor of East Asia with puzzles to solve. I listened to it on CD's. The reader was very good in delineating different characters.

[Kathleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

As it had been awhile since I had read the first book in this series, it took about 50 pages to get up to speed on the various characters and their relationships. Once the mysteries started building I was hooked. I like the give and take between Akitada and his servant/assistant Tora and what I hope is an accurate portrayal of medieval Japan. The investigation into the disappearance of Prince Yoakira provided an inventive resolution which was counterbalanced by the relatively mundane solution to the death of the young musician. It shows that not all investigative work is complicated; sometimes it is just dogged.

[Blogul · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cartea în sine e cam de 2/5 și mult mai slabă decât prima, pt că:
1. mult prea multă lungeală; e de aceeași mărime ca prima, dar acolo paginile erau necesare, aici cred că se datorează normei stabilite de editură.
2. prea puțină detectiveală, prea multă telenoveală și eroticeală, probabil din aceleași motive (obligația de umplutură).
3. spre deosebire de prima, unde era vorba de intrigi politice și religioase, aici cazurile sunt absolut mundane și banale, deloc interesante.
totuși, adaug un punct pt scriere, la fel de clară, fluentă și concisă, fără fițe artistice. Adică exact ce vreau în cărțile pe care le citesc, în care mă interesează ideile, nu brizbrizurile.

[Dimitri · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a marked improvement from the previous one in the Akitada series. The characters are more realistic, the atmosphere more convincing, and the language a bit more enticing. The structure is reminiscent of the Judge Dee books. There are three murder mysteries that the protagonist works on, while at the same time dealing with issues in his personal life. The similarity is further accentuated by the similarities, at least according to this book, between 11th-century Japan and 7th-century China. The murder mysteries are not the most compelling in their genre, but the overall structure of the book makes for an enjoyable, lighthearted reading experience.

[Tom Bell · Rating 1 out of 5]

It's kind of shocking how bad this was. I read books 1 and 3 first and they were solid mystery adventures. Not sure if the editor was away during the writing of this one or whether it was written first and Parker wasn't up to her normal chops? The characters are about as flat as you can get. If it were a movie they would certainly be hamming it up. On every page there's face flushing, lip biting, and jaws dropping. Gone is the cool, calm and collected nobleman Akitara and in his place is a child that's quick to anger and whatever emotion he's feeling at the moment.

[Hannah and Nicholas · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is really great. There's so much going on but it didn't ever feel overwhelming. Instead it truly feels like an epic where the detective has to run a gauntlet of challenging mysteries. The subplot about Akitada's love life is actually quite good, which was surprising. The characters were definitely a highlight!! There are just some things I wish there was more of, like the relationship between Akitada and the young noble boy whose name I forget. But anyway yeah I enjoyed this a lot.

[David C Ward · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. An interesting series of historical mysteries set in 11th century Japan with the main character a young official in the justice department. This one starts as an investigation into university politics and cheating and then into a larger corruption scheme involving a prominent family. It’s very good on etiquette, between classes as well as men and women, but is a little slow to get going - the university mystery is laborious - like university politics itself!

[Quetzi Fernald · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this sleuth, Akitada is ask by an old Professor Hirata to solve a mystery of a blackmailer. You instantly step into the Eleventh Century Japan along with its customs & superstitions. I'm definitely going to read this whole series. It's the best Historical Mystery of Japan in this Century that I've read so far! I highly recommend it.

[Cheryl · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a slow read for me. I really didn’t get interested in the story until the last half of the book. I was not overly fond of the main character, Akitada, as I found him too quick to anger and treat those around him dismissively. I did particularly like his servant Tora, his student Minamto and his friend Tamako.

[Caridad · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read

Have enjoyed this series so far. Will continue reading them. The characters are well defined without becoming repetitive. The description of the town and the drawings provided enhance the story and bring you into the time period.
I recommend this to all those that enjoyed Japanese and Chinese mysteries.

[Victoria Howard · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm a great fan of the Akitada series. The books are well researched and paint a vivid picture of 11th century Japan. All books centre around a murder mystery or two, but if you are anything like me, then it is the character development over the series of books that will keep you looking out for the next release. Highly recommended

[Cindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have enjoyed very much the second in the series. I can take the Japanese names in stride as I say them phonetically as I presume one should. Again the perpetrators of the crimes were not readily apparent, but I could guess by the way in which the author portrayed each character. I appreciated the historical section in the back even though I felt that I should have read it first.

[Faezeh · Rating 3 out of 5]

اگه علاقه مند به کتاب های معمایی و جنایی هستین کتاب قشنگیه
یه کم با نوع گفتار کتاب مشکل داشتم که نمیدونم برای نوع ترجمه بود یا نویسنده خودش هم اصرار داشته تا اینجوری از کلمات استفاده کنه ولی به هرحال کشش داستان و اینکه دوست داشتی بدونی چی شده موجب میشد از خوندن کتاب لذت ببری
کتاب رو در فیدیبو با تخفیف خریدم به خاطر همین واقعا ارزششو داشت