Dutch Mandarin: The Life and Work of Robert Hans van Gulik

by C.D. Barkman, H. de Vries-van der Hoeven, Rosemary Robson (Translator)

Diplomat, Asian scholar, author, calligrapher, polyglot, polymath, passionate lover of life in all its forms, Robert van Gulik researched and wrote prolifically on a diverse range of Asian subects, such as—but certainly not limited to—Chinese scroll mounting, sexual life in ancient China and the Chinese lute—an instrument that he also mastered as a musician. In addition to his more esoteric writings, van Gulik achieved world-wide popular fame as the author of a series of mystery novels based on the life of semi-fictional Judge Dee in ancient China.
Two former colleagues and close acquaintances of Dr van Gulik have combined their own experiences with recollections of family and other contemporaries, as well as detailed entries in the diaries of the man himself, to provide us with an entertaining and highly readable portrait of a remarkable life.

‘This biography is as exciting and abundant as the life of its subject.’ Christine Nguyen Thi, Revue Bibliographique de Sinologie, Vol. 15, 1997 (reviewing the French edition).

Genres: Biography, China, Asia

322 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1989

About the author

Carl Dietrich Barkman was a Dutch diplomat and writer. He is best known for his 1989 biography of fellow diplomat and writer Robert van Gulik, originally titled Een man van drie levens.

Reviews

[Phoebe · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Fascinating Life

This biography reads like an engaging work of fiction. Van Gulik’s life is so filled with colorful episodes, and the author so adept at relating them, that I hardly could put the book down. I only wished there were more details, and more stories to tell, so that I could go on reading.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fantastisch boek over een wereldberoemde Nederlander die vrij onbekend is gebleven in zijn eigen vaderland. Mijn insteek was een onderzoek naar zijn periode als ambassadeur in China, dat gaf bepaalde inzichten en details maar geen overzicht. Het boek beschrijft daarbij wel dat hij altijd bepaalde mysterieuze contacten onderhield ter verdediging van de weinige informatie.
Gezien hij zo een niche reputatie heeft in NL moet dat maar vergeven worden en dit boek vooral gelezen vanwege de informatie die het daadwerkelijk bied.

[Agnes · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very interesting book to read about an interesting man in an interesting time. It has also given me more insight into Japanese and Chinese cultures and I have read two of his Judge Tie detective novels already as a result of having read this biography.