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Judge Dee (Chronological order) #9
The Red Pavilion
A.D. 668
A chance encounter with Autumn Moon, the most powerful courtesan on Paradise Island, leads Judge Dee to investigate three deaths. Although he finally teases the true story from a tangled history of passion and betrayal, Dee is saddened by the perversion, corruption, and waste of the world "of flowers and willows" that thrives on prostitution.
175 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1961
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628 people want to read
About the author
Robert van Gulik
160 books300 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 105 reviews
October 26, 2023
As the old saying goes..."A friend in need is a friend indeed". The honorable Judge Dee will learn this out very quickly to his great regret, when passing through the resort of Paradise Island from unpleasant duties in the Imperial Capital, Chang'an ( now Xi'an) ...no Disneyland but notorious in seventh century China during the Tang Dynasty, A.D. 668. Calling this an island is stretching it, mostly surrounded by a river though, an adult area for gambling houses, imbibing and brothels quite prosperous, everyone is making money, well most are, the magistrate here is the obese, fun loving, lethargic Lo Kwan-choong. Finding himself in a bit of a pickle, making a promise he can't keep, to Autumn Moon the exquisite courtesan, and flees hastily, after begging the good Dee for help to take over while attending "vital business" faraway, he should have kept on the road not stopping to see Lo. The unenthusiastic able man has no choice, one little case his friend said pending , a routine suicide becomes a triple mystery going back thirty years, but are they murders or just more suicides this is the puzzle; how badly the uncomfortable Judge Dee desires to get home to Poo-yang, and the peaceful atmosphere there. Plots for power, ambushes from vicious gangs, boats colliding in the dark river, attempted seductions, an old lethal plague absolutely important in discovering the truth, all add to the unreal turmoil in the island. With the assistance of trusted lieutenant Ma Loong, a lusty man also, he too gets involved... what else a girl working in a house of ill repute Silver Fairy. She's from his own village and extremely beautiful , he falls in love. Even contemplates buying and marrying her, risking his friends teasing but not caring. The boisterous festival of the Dead weeks long, is crowding the streets in Paradise Island, the people are joyful and drinking rather...
heavily while the celebrations continue the unhappy Dee is working . The academic Lee Lien's death was it really by his own hand, suspects are plentiful and the beautiful Autumn Moon pays an unexpected visit to the Red Pavilion, the scene in the exact room of the hostel, where the blood occurred. Only a man with the fortitude of the judge could remain unemotional looking at the semi-nude woman. Still he is not afraid of ghosts or sleeping there, and what about Feng Dai the warden here , is he a respectable person or another criminal. A neglected crime novel which is more than this, for people who like a good mystery and gain knowledge about a different culture. You are immersed in the day to day living from an ancient era and still feel how civilization continues its progress or lack of, the climb up above the clouds to a better world, is not always in a straight line.
heavily while the celebrations continue the unhappy Dee is working . The academic Lee Lien's death was it really by his own hand, suspects are plentiful and the beautiful Autumn Moon pays an unexpected visit to the Red Pavilion, the scene in the exact room of the hostel, where the blood occurred. Only a man with the fortitude of the judge could remain unemotional looking at the semi-nude woman. Still he is not afraid of ghosts or sleeping there, and what about Feng Dai the warden here , is he a respectable person or another criminal. A neglected crime novel which is more than this, for people who like a good mystery and gain knowledge about a different culture. You are immersed in the day to day living from an ancient era and still feel how civilization continues its progress or lack of, the climb up above the clouds to a better world, is not always in a straight line.
November 18, 2016
Λατρεύω τις ιστορίες του δικαστή Τι. Ευκολοδιάβαστα αινίγματα, καλογραμμένες πολύπλοκες υποθέσεις, με υπέροχη μυστηριακή ατμόσφαιρα. Ας μπω στο συγκεκριμένο κείμενο που διάβασα, «Το Κόκκινο Περίπτερο». Χμ… να πω για να μεταδώσω την διάθεση που μου άφησε; Όπως φαίνεται το καλύτερο που έχω να κάνω είναι να κλείσω με το κατάλληλο απόσπασμα.
«Ναι», είπε, «οι Πύλες του Άλλου Κόσμου έκλεισαν». Έκλεισαν, σκέφτηκε, στα φαντάσματα του παρελθόντος. Για τριάντα χρόνια, οι σκιές εκείνης της νύχτας στο Κόκκινο Περίπτερο πλανιόνταν και σκοτείνιαζαν τη ζωή των ζωντανών. Και τώρα, επιτέλους, μετά από τριάντα χρόνια, αυτές οι σκιές είχαν γλιστρήσει σ’ εκείνο το υγρό, δύσοσμο παράπηγμα. Τώρα κατακάθονταν εκεί, μ’ έναν άντρα που είχε πεθάνει και μια γυναίκα που πέθαινε.
σελ. 223-224.
«Ναι», είπε, «οι Πύλες του Άλλου Κόσμου έκλεισαν». Έκλεισαν, σκέφτηκε, στα φαντάσματα του παρελθόντος. Για τριάντα χρόνια, οι σκιές εκείνης της νύχτας στο Κόκκινο Περίπτερο πλανιόνταν και σκοτείνιαζαν τη ζωή των ζωντανών. Και τώρα, επιτέλους, μετά από τριάντα χρόνια, αυτές οι σκιές είχαν γλιστρήσει σ’ εκείνο το υγρό, δύσοσμο παράπηγμα. Τώρα κατακάθονταν εκεί, μ’ έναν άντρα που είχε πεθάνει και μια γυναίκα που πέθαινε.
σελ. 223-224.
December 15, 2016
Πολύ ωραίο βιβλίο που διαβάζεται ευχάριστα, με κεντρικό ήρωα τον δικαστή “Tι”.
Στο «Νησί του Παραδείσου» (ένα μέρος που θυμίζει Las Vegas, πριν το Las Vegas) έλαβαν χώρα τρείς περίεργοι θάνατοι. Ο “Tι” (ο οποίος είναι πρόγονος του « Πες Τι, Τι Τι Τι έ Τι Τι» του Αλκαίου) αναλαμβάνει να διαλευκάνει την υπόθεση, ανακρίνοντας τύπους και τύπισσες με ακόμα πιο περίεργα ονόματα όπως Γαρίδας, Κάβουρας και Δαχτυλίδι από Νεφρίτη (???). Μάλλον τους βάφτισε ο Σεφερλής, δεν εξηγείται αλλιώς.
Πολύ διασκεδαστικό και ανάλαφρο. Καλογραμμένο και χιουμοριστικό σε σημεία, αξίζει να του αφιερώσετε τον χρόνο σας.
Στο «Νησί του Παραδείσου» (ένα μέρος που θυμίζει Las Vegas, πριν το Las Vegas) έλαβαν χώρα τρείς περίεργοι θάνατοι. Ο “Tι” (ο οποίος είναι πρόγονος του « Πες Τι, Τι Τι Τι έ Τι Τι» του Αλκαίου) αναλαμβάνει να διαλευκάνει την υπόθεση, ανακρίνοντας τύπους και τύπισσες με ακόμα πιο περίεργα ονόματα όπως Γαρίδας, Κάβουρας και Δαχτυλίδι από Νεφρίτη (???). Μάλλον τους βάφτισε ο Σεφερλής, δεν εξηγείται αλλιώς.
Πολύ διασκεδαστικό και ανάλαφρο. Καλογραμμένο και χιουμοριστικό σε σημεία, αξίζει να του αφιερώσετε τον χρόνο σας.
Read
March 4, 2014After the Dutch diplomat, orientalist and author Robert van Gulik (1910-1967) translated the Ming dynasty mystery novel Dee Goong An (Celebrated Cases of Judge Dee)
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
into English and had it published in Tokyo in 1949, it seems he was then on a mission - he wanted to convince the Chinese that their mystery tradition was strong enough to stand against that of the Occident and to convince the West that it was overlooking a good thing. It appears that he made at least some publicity for his view, since his Judge Dee series was quite successful both in the West and the East. (He translated some of the books into Chinese himself and arranged for them to be translated into Japanese, as well.)
In carrying out his mission, van Gulik did more than write his detective series with Judge Dee (who is the investigating magistrate in many of the Chinese novels, irrespective of author) as primary protagonist and with T'ang dynasty China as the setting; he also mined the Chinese literature for stories to tell and even adopted the structure of Dee Goong An by having three separate incidents of murder to solve, at least in this The Red Pavilion (1961). He was counting on his Chinese audience to recognize the stories and to see in the stories' success in the West that they could be proud of their literature.(*)
I don't ordinarily review popular fiction when I read it, but the circumstances surrounding this series are sufficiently unusual to write a few paragraphs. It would appear that others share this opinion, for The Red Pavilion and further volumes of the series are published by no less than the University of Chicago Press. Not to fear - these are not dusty academic tomes.
Circumstances, not careful planning, saw to it that I read this book first. It may or may not be representative of the series. Frankly, Dee Goong An had a great deal more flavor than this book does. The characters in the former were much more boldly drawn, and the marked distance in time, culture and attitude of Dee Goong An was foreshortened in this book. In the original, Judge Dee was more adventuresome, cantankerous and arrogant (and worried about his neck) than in van Gulik's book. And the quotidian torture and executions of the Chinese tradition are suppressed here. The drama of contention, of struggle, is largely absent, whereas it was central in Dee Goong An. What saves this book from itself are three of the secondary characters, Ma Joong, the Shrimp and the Crab, who wryly and amusingly comment on their "betters" and their doings from the peanut gallery. As a mystery story, this one is not bad, but I think that a pure genre reader would be disappointed.
I acquired a few more books from this series, but I'll only report on them if they have more to offer than does The Red Pavilion.
(*) Recall that China was at another of its historical low points, having emerged from under the Japanese boot heel to be torn again by civil war. And the ultimate winners of that civil war did not have a picnic in mind when they finally got the reins of power in their hands.
Rating
http://leopard.booklikes.com/post/811...
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
into English and had it published in Tokyo in 1949, it seems he was then on a mission - he wanted to convince the Chinese that their mystery tradition was strong enough to stand against that of the Occident and to convince the West that it was overlooking a good thing. It appears that he made at least some publicity for his view, since his Judge Dee series was quite successful both in the West and the East. (He translated some of the books into Chinese himself and arranged for them to be translated into Japanese, as well.)
In carrying out his mission, van Gulik did more than write his detective series with Judge Dee (who is the investigating magistrate in many of the Chinese novels, irrespective of author) as primary protagonist and with T'ang dynasty China as the setting; he also mined the Chinese literature for stories to tell and even adopted the structure of Dee Goong An by having three separate incidents of murder to solve, at least in this The Red Pavilion (1961). He was counting on his Chinese audience to recognize the stories and to see in the stories' success in the West that they could be proud of their literature.(*)
I don't ordinarily review popular fiction when I read it, but the circumstances surrounding this series are sufficiently unusual to write a few paragraphs. It would appear that others share this opinion, for The Red Pavilion and further volumes of the series are published by no less than the University of Chicago Press. Not to fear - these are not dusty academic tomes.
Circumstances, not careful planning, saw to it that I read this book first. It may or may not be representative of the series. Frankly, Dee Goong An had a great deal more flavor than this book does. The characters in the former were much more boldly drawn, and the marked distance in time, culture and attitude of Dee Goong An was foreshortened in this book. In the original, Judge Dee was more adventuresome, cantankerous and arrogant (and worried about his neck) than in van Gulik's book. And the quotidian torture and executions of the Chinese tradition are suppressed here. The drama of contention, of struggle, is largely absent, whereas it was central in Dee Goong An. What saves this book from itself are three of the secondary characters, Ma Joong, the Shrimp and the Crab, who wryly and amusingly comment on their "betters" and their doings from the peanut gallery. As a mystery story, this one is not bad, but I think that a pure genre reader would be disappointed.
I acquired a few more books from this series, but I'll only report on them if they have more to offer than does The Red Pavilion.
(*) Recall that China was at another of its historical low points, having emerged from under the Japanese boot heel to be torn again by civil war. And the ultimate winners of that civil war did not have a picnic in mind when they finally got the reins of power in their hands.
Rating
http://leopard.booklikes.com/post/811...
March 14, 2018
αξιαγαπητος παντα ο Δικαστης
May 24, 2013
Judge Dee, magistrate of Poo-yang, eagerly heads home after an unpleasant hearing in the capital surrounding some chicanery and illicit sex at a Buddhist monastery in the earlier The Chinese Bell Murders. Dee finds himself unexpectedly thrust into the role of investigator into an alleged suicide in the pleasure district of Paradise Island in the neighboring district. Paradise Island served as the Las Vegas of its day, with plenty of gambling, drinking and prostitution. The contrast between the “anything-goes” attitude of the denizens of Paradise Island and the moralizing, strait-laced Judge Dee sets up quite a few amusing scenes.
Judge Lo Kwan-Choong, the magistrate of the neighboring district of Chin-hwa, returns to add comic spice to The Red Pavilion. He also provides the reason for Dee’s need to investigate in the first place. The womanizing sybarite Magistrate Lo first appeared in The Chinese Bell Murders, the second Judge Dee novel released in the United States (although not the second chronologically). As befits the irresponsible and careless Lo, he dashes off from Pleasure Island to the city of Chin-hwa to avoid some unpleasantness, and Lo asks Judge Dee to finish off the investigation into the suicide of a brilliant young scholar named Lee Lien, who had just been appointed a member of the Imperial Academy and had everything to live for. Author Robert van Gulik crafts The Red Pavilion as a locked-door mystery, which, at first, throws Judge Dee off the scent. It’s only after yet another murder that Dee realizes that Lee’s death was no suicide.
Although resentful at Lo’s fecklessness, the long-suffering, meticulous Dee ignores Lo’s suggestion that he just sign off on the suicide and looks into that matter. During the several days that Judge Dee and his trusty lieutenant Ma Joong investigate, they not only learn the truth about Lee’s death but also resolve the murder of the beautiful but cruel courtesan Autumn Moon and yet another murder committed 30 years earlier. In those two cases, the victims, like Lee, died behind locked doors inside the self-same Red Pavilion. Readers won’t guess the murderer until the penultimate chapter.
The Red Pavilion also shows a sweet side to the normally devil-may-care Ma Joong. To say anything more would spoil the novel.
For those new to the series, 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).
Judge Lo Kwan-Choong, the magistrate of the neighboring district of Chin-hwa, returns to add comic spice to The Red Pavilion. He also provides the reason for Dee’s need to investigate in the first place. The womanizing sybarite Magistrate Lo first appeared in The Chinese Bell Murders, the second Judge Dee novel released in the United States (although not the second chronologically). As befits the irresponsible and careless Lo, he dashes off from Pleasure Island to the city of Chin-hwa to avoid some unpleasantness, and Lo asks Judge Dee to finish off the investigation into the suicide of a brilliant young scholar named Lee Lien, who had just been appointed a member of the Imperial Academy and had everything to live for. Author Robert van Gulik crafts The Red Pavilion as a locked-door mystery, which, at first, throws Judge Dee off the scent. It’s only after yet another murder that Dee realizes that Lee’s death was no suicide.
Although resentful at Lo’s fecklessness, the long-suffering, meticulous Dee ignores Lo’s suggestion that he just sign off on the suicide and looks into that matter. During the several days that Judge Dee and his trusty lieutenant Ma Joong investigate, they not only learn the truth about Lee’s death but also resolve the murder of the beautiful but cruel courtesan Autumn Moon and yet another murder committed 30 years earlier. In those two cases, the victims, like Lee, died behind locked doors inside the self-same Red Pavilion. Readers won’t guess the murderer until the penultimate chapter.
The Red Pavilion also shows a sweet side to the normally devil-may-care Ma Joong. To say anything more would spoil the novel.
For those new to the series, 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).
February 12, 2008
After The Haunted Monastery, this one is quite possibly my favorite.
We find our hero, Tang-dynasty magistrate Dee on the pleasure capital called Paradise Island, where, as usual, he must deal with murder & mayhem. As usual, one crime leads to the uncovering of others, and I love to watch the magistrate pick up and unravel every strand of mystery. It is also cool to read these stories & begin to get a bit of a feel for everyday life in ancient China.
#9 in the series, so don't start with this one. Start with the first one. Recommended for people who want something different in their mystery reading; also, I think anyone who likes historical mystery should enjoy this series as well.
We find our hero, Tang-dynasty magistrate Dee on the pleasure capital called Paradise Island, where, as usual, he must deal with murder & mayhem. As usual, one crime leads to the uncovering of others, and I love to watch the magistrate pick up and unravel every strand of mystery. It is also cool to read these stories & begin to get a bit of a feel for everyday life in ancient China.
#9 in the series, so don't start with this one. Start with the first one. Recommended for people who want something different in their mystery reading; also, I think anyone who likes historical mystery should enjoy this series as well.
April 13, 2022
Finally! A Judge Dee mystery whose conclusion and revelation surprised me. But did it come with a cost? Perhaps. For The Red Pavilion seems just a bit below the usual standard of one of Dee's tales. Most of the book seems to plod along a bit mechanically. It is a nice touch to allow the bridge between two of the murders cross the span of 30 years. And it's very interesting to see Van Gulik work more cultural history into Red Pavilion than is his usual wont. The fusing of the Festival of the Dead into the plot and detailing the festival's practices, yes, that works to save things. So does the much better than average melancholy ending of the story. So, in the end, yet another satisfying escape into Tang China and the determined detective work of Judge Dee.
December 19, 2020
Nổi bật trong Hồng Lâu Án là những mối tình tay ba tay tư, từ đời cha ông đến tận đời con cháu, oán oán thù thù dường như không có lối thoát. Điều mình lưu tâm sau khi đọc là có thể hiểu rõ hơn về số phận của những người kỹ nữ chốn lầu xanh, những cô gái buôn hoa bán phấn mua vui cho phường háo sắc.
"Trong Trung Hoa Toàn Quốc Phong Tục Chí của Hồ Phác An từng ghi chép rằng: ngày xưa ở Trung Hoa, vì mục đích kinh doanh nên các tú bà đã tuyển mua các bé gái xinh đẹp về dạy đàn hát và các kỹ xảo để phục vụ nhằm moi tiền của khách làng chơi. Họ sẽ bắt đầu chiến dịch đào tạo các cô gái ấy thành các kỹ nữ thanh lâu tuyệt đỉnh, trở thành cây hái tiền cho họ.
Các ma ma sẽ đầu tư vào các cô gái bằng việc cho ăn ngon, mặc đẹp, được chăm sóc kỹ càng. Các cô gái được học chữ, đọc sách, làm thơ, học hát, thổi sáo chơi đàn, cầm kỳ thi họa đủ cả. Cứ như thế, khí chất dần dần được bồi đắp và trở thành “món hàng” rất có giá trị của các kỹ viện.
Kỹ nữ chính là các cây tiền của các ma ma, vì thế đương nhiên họ phải trả công bằng cách "tiếp khách". Trước khi tiếp khách, các ma ma đều cho họ uống một loại thuốc có tên “Đoạn Cân Thang” để cả đời không thể sinh nở.
Những cô gái có nhan sắc bình thường sống trong kỹ viện, khi còn nhỏ sẽ làm a hoàn cho các kỹ nữ đã thành niên. Họ phải quét nhà, bê nước, bưng cơm canh đến tận giường cho các kỹ nữ trưởng thành. Những a hoàn này thường xuyên bị đánh, bị mắng chửi thậm tệ. Các kỹ nữ không được phép cáu gắt trước mặt khách. Vì thế, bao nhiêu ấm ức bực bội đều trút lên đầu đám a hoàn này.
Khi đánh đám a hoàn, bất kể là gậy hay cán chổi, vớ được cái gì dùng cái đấy, cũng chả kiêng nể là mặt hay bộ phận nào trên thân thể họ. Vì thế, đám a hoàn này thật sự rất đáng thương. Nếu chẳng may chọc tức một kỹ nữ xinh đẹp nào thì không chỉ có kỹ nữ đó trừng phạt, mà còn phải chịu thêm cơn thịnh nộ của ma ma.
Cuối triều Thanh ở chốn lầu xanh còn lưu hành một trò tiêu khiển vô cùng rợn người đó chính là “kỹ nữ mù”. Bọn chúng bỏ tiền mua những cô bé có nhan sắc. Đến khi trở thánh thiếu nữ 14, 15 tuổi, tú bà dùng độc thủ làm mù mắt họ sau đó lắp mắt giả. Đôi mắt đã mù không còn khả năng kháng cự, không phân biệt được đẹp xấu, già trẻ, cũng không có khả năng chạy trốn, cả đời vận mệnh do tú bà nắm giữ, cứ như thế họ đành chấp nhận ở lại chốn nhơ nhớp này bán ngón đàn lời ca, bán thân làm nghiệp. Chính nhu cầu quái đản của đám khách làng chơi vô tri và thủ đoạn biến thái của đám tú bà độc ác đã gây ra vô số những mảnh đời thê lương có các thiếu nữ."
"Trong Trung Hoa Toàn Quốc Phong Tục Chí của Hồ Phác An từng ghi chép rằng: ngày xưa ở Trung Hoa, vì mục đích kinh doanh nên các tú bà đã tuyển mua các bé gái xinh đẹp về dạy đàn hát và các kỹ xảo để phục vụ nhằm moi tiền của khách làng chơi. Họ sẽ bắt đầu chiến dịch đào tạo các cô gái ấy thành các kỹ nữ thanh lâu tuyệt đỉnh, trở thành cây hái tiền cho họ.
Các ma ma sẽ đầu tư vào các cô gái bằng việc cho ăn ngon, mặc đẹp, được chăm sóc kỹ càng. Các cô gái được học chữ, đọc sách, làm thơ, học hát, thổi sáo chơi đàn, cầm kỳ thi họa đủ cả. Cứ như thế, khí chất dần dần được bồi đắp và trở thành “món hàng” rất có giá trị của các kỹ viện.
Kỹ nữ chính là các cây tiền của các ma ma, vì thế đương nhiên họ phải trả công bằng cách "tiếp khách". Trước khi tiếp khách, các ma ma đều cho họ uống một loại thuốc có tên “Đoạn Cân Thang” để cả đời không thể sinh nở.
Những cô gái có nhan sắc bình thường sống trong kỹ viện, khi còn nhỏ sẽ làm a hoàn cho các kỹ nữ đã thành niên. Họ phải quét nhà, bê nước, bưng cơm canh đến tận giường cho các kỹ nữ trưởng thành. Những a hoàn này thường xuyên bị đánh, bị mắng chửi thậm tệ. Các kỹ nữ không được phép cáu gắt trước mặt khách. Vì thế, bao nhiêu ấm ức bực bội đều trút lên đầu đám a hoàn này.
Khi đánh đám a hoàn, bất kể là gậy hay cán chổi, vớ được cái gì dùng cái đấy, cũng chả kiêng nể là mặt hay bộ phận nào trên thân thể họ. Vì thế, đám a hoàn này thật sự rất đáng thương. Nếu chẳng may chọc tức một kỹ nữ xinh đẹp nào thì không chỉ có kỹ nữ đó trừng phạt, mà còn phải chịu thêm cơn thịnh nộ của ma ma.
Cuối triều Thanh ở chốn lầu xanh còn lưu hành một trò tiêu khiển vô cùng rợn người đó chính là “kỹ nữ mù”. Bọn chúng bỏ tiền mua những cô bé có nhan sắc. Đến khi trở thánh thiếu nữ 14, 15 tuổi, tú bà dùng độc thủ làm mù mắt họ sau đó lắp mắt giả. Đôi mắt đã mù không còn khả năng kháng cự, không phân biệt được đẹp xấu, già trẻ, cũng không có khả năng chạy trốn, cả đời vận mệnh do tú bà nắm giữ, cứ như thế họ đành chấp nhận ở lại chốn nhơ nhớp này bán ngón đàn lời ca, bán thân làm nghiệp. Chính nhu cầu quái đản của đám khách làng chơi vô tri và thủ đoạn biến thái của đám tú bà độc ác đã gây ra vô số những mảnh đời thê lương có các thiếu nữ."
April 3, 2019
Un giorno, mentre controllavo le offerte del mese su un noto portale dove si possono scaricare eBook, noto tra i titoli in promozione una serie di titoli di Robert van Gulik. Ora, a costo di sembrarvi un po’ barbona (come diciamo dalle mie parti), devo dire che quando vedo a 1,99€ dei romanzi dei quali non so nulla ma che potrebbero interessarmi, vengo su Goodreads a fare un controllo delle recensioni e, se sono positive, decido di dare loro una possibilità. Questo romanzo aveva recensioni molto positive (una media superiore a 4 su un migliaio di voti non è un campione di poco conto).
Così, mi sono ritrovata nel Kindle questo giallo scritto da un diplomatico olandese che, a quanto pare, ha iniziato la sua carriera letteraria traducendo un testo del diciassettesimo secolo dal mandarino all’olandese, nel quale si faceva menzione di un delitto risolto da questo leggendario giudice Dee (o forse sarebbe stato meglio Di), personaggio storico effettivamente vissuto da qualche parte durante la dinastia Tang. Questo Dee diventa il protagonista di tutta una serie di gialli ambientati nello Xiang imperiale, con tanto di disegni a corredo del testo, ispirati però alle illustrazioni che circolavano durante la dinastia Ming (in essi non sono presenti Gesuiti euclidei vestiti da bonzi, però).
Del tutto ignara di quel che avrei trovato, devo ammettere che invece sono stata presa tantissimo dal giallo, che è un po’ Agatha Christie un po’ Kill Bill, un po’ Philo Vance e parecchio wuxia con un tocco di ironia parecchio moderna. Anzi: è proprio il tono piuttosto moderno che mi ha colpito. Per assurdo, andando a raccontare le vicende di questi personaggi vissuti in una Cina passata e lontana, è un po’ come averli messi in un pezzo d’ambra: restano lì belli vivi, non soffrono nemmeno molto del passare del tempo (van Gulik è morto a fine anni ’60). Il giallo in sé non è nemmeno male. Ho capito chi era il colpevole a metà del tutto, ma questo è colpa del fatto che all’ora di pranzo guardo la Signora in Giallo da quando avevo 8 anni. Sono cose che segnano. Ormai, anzi, ci rinuncio proprio: arrivo prima al colpevole in quasi qualunque giallo tradizionale. Al prossimo inizierò direttamente dalla fine, giusto per vedere l’effetto che fa.
Così, mi sono ritrovata nel Kindle questo giallo scritto da un diplomatico olandese che, a quanto pare, ha iniziato la sua carriera letteraria traducendo un testo del diciassettesimo secolo dal mandarino all’olandese, nel quale si faceva menzione di un delitto risolto da questo leggendario giudice Dee (o forse sarebbe stato meglio Di), personaggio storico effettivamente vissuto da qualche parte durante la dinastia Tang. Questo Dee diventa il protagonista di tutta una serie di gialli ambientati nello Xiang imperiale, con tanto di disegni a corredo del testo, ispirati però alle illustrazioni che circolavano durante la dinastia Ming (in essi non sono presenti Gesuiti euclidei vestiti da bonzi, però).
Del tutto ignara di quel che avrei trovato, devo ammettere che invece sono stata presa tantissimo dal giallo, che è un po’ Agatha Christie un po’ Kill Bill, un po’ Philo Vance e parecchio wuxia con un tocco di ironia parecchio moderna. Anzi: è proprio il tono piuttosto moderno che mi ha colpito. Per assurdo, andando a raccontare le vicende di questi personaggi vissuti in una Cina passata e lontana, è un po’ come averli messi in un pezzo d’ambra: restano lì belli vivi, non soffrono nemmeno molto del passare del tempo (van Gulik è morto a fine anni ’60). Il giallo in sé non è nemmeno male. Ho capito chi era il colpevole a metà del tutto, ma questo è colpa del fatto che all’ora di pranzo guardo la Signora in Giallo da quando avevo 8 anni. Sono cose che segnano. Ormai, anzi, ci rinuncio proprio: arrivo prima al colpevole in quasi qualunque giallo tradizionale. Al prossimo inizierò direttamente dalla fine, giusto per vedere l’effetto che fa.
April 5, 2016
πρώτη επαφή με τον δικαστή τι και οι εντυπώσεις πολύ πολύ θετικές. θα συνεχίσω και με άλλα δύο μέλλον
January 14, 2024
I'm giving this piece one more star for the amount of humor in the book. I don't think the other parts I've read were so funny. The mystery was connected with brothels - not my favourite type of places an it turned out it went back many years. It had a very melodramatic ending and maybe it wasn't all that great but other side stories were really entertaining, probably more than the main mystery. As usual, I'm a fan of judge Di and going to read the whole series.
June 26, 2019
Il giudice Dee deve vedersela con ben 3 casi di suicidio sospetto avvenuti tutti in una stanza chiamata "Il Padiglione Scarlatto", all'interno di un'isola famosa per i suoi divertimenti e le sue cortigiane. Ennesimo romanzo di alta classe per Van Gulik, dove le riflessioni acute del giudice riusciranno a trovare il bandolo della matassa in mezzo a false testimonianze e mezze verità.
April 30, 2013
Robert van Gulik's Judge Dee mysteries are always a pleasant undertaking as anachronistic as they may be.
I tend to liken them to the works of Rex Stout's Nero Wolfe stories where the character of the Judge and his assistants is just as important to the enjoyment of the stories as the mysteries.
In 'The Red Pavilion' there is the usual caveat of Judge Dee having to deal with more than one mystery at a time though in this instance they are all tied together by the titular Red Pavilion. A feature I've always enjoyed about the Dee mysteries is that as might be expected for an official of his type the Judge has more than one case occur concurrently.
This particular novel is rather short, and a quick read, but I still rather enjoyed it. van Gulik had a knack for keeping things simple that I definitely appreciate.
I tend to liken them to the works of Rex Stout's Nero Wolfe stories where the character of the Judge and his assistants is just as important to the enjoyment of the stories as the mysteries.
In 'The Red Pavilion' there is the usual caveat of Judge Dee having to deal with more than one mystery at a time though in this instance they are all tied together by the titular Red Pavilion. A feature I've always enjoyed about the Dee mysteries is that as might be expected for an official of his type the Judge has more than one case occur concurrently.
This particular novel is rather short, and a quick read, but I still rather enjoyed it. van Gulik had a knack for keeping things simple that I definitely appreciate.
July 6, 2018
Ma Joong is the man. I thought the solution was a bit too neat, but otherwise I liked Dee & Ma Joong in Vegas. Also loved the crustacean bros.
April 18, 2022
Có cặp đôi tôm - cua Hà Tử - Giải Tử là dễ thương đáng yêu mà thôi. Chỉ là còn thiếu Muối hihi.
May 16, 2025
Another interesting Judge Dee book, but I hate when murder mysteries introduce a new character at the end to solve things, it feels lazy. The real 🐐 of this story is Ma-Joong, Dee’s trusty sidekick.
October 6, 2025
Loằng ngoằng.
March 27, 2021
La rencontre sur une île isolée dédiée aux plaisirs mondains, tout aussi similaire au monde actuel de célébrités, se passe de manière à lancer le trouble dans l'esprit du juge, cependant il retrouve tout son calme et équanimité après certaines révélation sur le passé des personnages.
Ce que je trouve moins appréciable est le fait qu'en sachant que certaines maladies excluaient en Chine (et excluent encore aujourd'hui) totalement la possibilité du mariage, même avec les courtisanes rachetées, une partie de l'intrigue tomberait à l'eau. Étrange erreur, et connaissant l'expertise de Van Gulik pas ses ouvrages de recherche.
Ce que je trouve moins appréciable est le fait qu'en sachant que certaines maladies excluaient en Chine (et excluent encore aujourd'hui) totalement la possibilité du mariage, même avec les courtisanes rachetées, une partie de l'intrigue tomberait à l'eau. Étrange erreur, et connaissant l'expertise de Van Gulik pas ses ouvrages de recherche.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 24, 2017
A fast read. Nice variation on the locked room mystery
his is a fairly good selection in the Judge Dee series.
The judge finds himself in a capital of the Ukiyo (floating world or pleasure district), in particular the aptly named Pleasure Island. Think Las Vegas, with Fewer (!) vice laws. The island is in the midst of the Festival for the Dead and rooms are scarce. No manger for him, the room at the Inn he checks into is the Red Pavilion.
Its most recent inhabitant apparently committed suicide for love of the Island's most desired courtesan, the crowned "Flower Queen". More than this the suite was host to another apparent suicide 30 years before. Within hours it will be home to yet another suspicious death, this time aforesaid Flower Queen. At least three dead in one room - one of them during the Judge's watch. The game is afoot.
(Repeated from my review of The Emperor's Pearl The Emperor's Pearl (Judge Dee Mystery Series)) The author, a diplomat, scholar, musician, artist and mystery novel writer has much to recommend him. Many of his scholarly publications are or were considered definitive studies.
His scholarly works included topics from The Chinese lute, to Chinese sexual practices to Chinese art. He was a linguist and enough of an artist to illustrate his Judge Dee Books.
Judge Dee, was an actual Judge or to quote the sources: Ti Jen-chieh (c. 630-c. 700), magistrate and statesman of the T'ang court. Van Guik came to know of him via a second hand book relating later stories that had grown up around the market place story - teller tales that had collected in the name of Judge Dee.
In most of the Van Gulik mysteries, he will mix in Chinese crime solving traditions (Ghosts and spirit world connections) with the more prosaic western style. This is lacking in this selection. Lacking but not necessarily missed. Also typical in Judge Dee stories is descriptions of life in Japan. Here we are exposed to, but never lectured on, period Japanese attitudes and customs in the world of gambling and courtesans.
It may be a weakness to this story, but the various murders, suicides and complex human dramas are almost secondary to the casual exploration of the "Floating World" that is the setting for The Red Pavilion.
My e copy was a few dollars in cost and was just under 180 pages. Invest this small change and a few hours for a nicely written mystery. The clues are there, although it will help if you have some familiarity with Van Gulick's style. Altogether a satisfying read.
his is a fairly good selection in the Judge Dee series.
The judge finds himself in a capital of the Ukiyo (floating world or pleasure district), in particular the aptly named Pleasure Island. Think Las Vegas, with Fewer (!) vice laws. The island is in the midst of the Festival for the Dead and rooms are scarce. No manger for him, the room at the Inn he checks into is the Red Pavilion.
Its most recent inhabitant apparently committed suicide for love of the Island's most desired courtesan, the crowned "Flower Queen". More than this the suite was host to another apparent suicide 30 years before. Within hours it will be home to yet another suspicious death, this time aforesaid Flower Queen. At least three dead in one room - one of them during the Judge's watch. The game is afoot.
(Repeated from my review of The Emperor's Pearl The Emperor's Pearl (Judge Dee Mystery Series)) The author, a diplomat, scholar, musician, artist and mystery novel writer has much to recommend him. Many of his scholarly publications are or were considered definitive studies.
His scholarly works included topics from The Chinese lute, to Chinese sexual practices to Chinese art. He was a linguist and enough of an artist to illustrate his Judge Dee Books.
Judge Dee, was an actual Judge or to quote the sources: Ti Jen-chieh (c. 630-c. 700), magistrate and statesman of the T'ang court. Van Guik came to know of him via a second hand book relating later stories that had grown up around the market place story - teller tales that had collected in the name of Judge Dee.
In most of the Van Gulik mysteries, he will mix in Chinese crime solving traditions (Ghosts and spirit world connections) with the more prosaic western style. This is lacking in this selection. Lacking but not necessarily missed. Also typical in Judge Dee stories is descriptions of life in Japan. Here we are exposed to, but never lectured on, period Japanese attitudes and customs in the world of gambling and courtesans.
It may be a weakness to this story, but the various murders, suicides and complex human dramas are almost secondary to the casual exploration of the "Floating World" that is the setting for The Red Pavilion.
My e copy was a few dollars in cost and was just under 180 pages. Invest this small change and a few hours for a nicely written mystery. The clues are there, although it will help if you have some familiarity with Van Gulick's style. Altogether a satisfying read.
June 17, 2022
The first book by van Gulik I read.
If I didn't know that he had worked as a diplomat in Asian countries and that he was considered an authority on their literature and way of life, I would say that he wrote the whole book using Western world stereotypes towards China in order to create a "Chinese atmosphere". For instance, the expressions "he had his morning / afternoon / evening rice" or "how do you earn your daily rice" (instead of ours "to earn one's bread") seemed funny at first reading, but when I saw them reappear regularly , did not just become tedious, but gave me the impression that van Gulik built a caricature of ancient China rather than a respectable representation - as one would expect from an expert. The various anachronisms are not missing, but I will respect that as a writing choice and it was not strong enough to bother.
The same (but more noisy) applies to the representation of women. Most of the women mentioned in the book are concubins, and shallow ones too, while the author devotes ten times more space to describe their appearance and clothes than their behavior or personality. Also here are to be found plenty of stereotypes about women. Of course I realize that it is not necessary for a writer to force female protagonists into his work, but at least it would be nice to ommit the sexist references (some so-called "jokes"), which were so many, that make me believe they were not introduced as necessary elements of the spirit of their time, but because van Gulik felt they had something to offer to the work. Also, it was somewhat embarrassing that the names of the women were not left untranslated like the men, a choice of the author that I did not understand at all.
In any case, the book is one of the typical "easy" of its kind. They are the ones you will read in three to four hours and you will not pick them up never again nor will you probably have a single thought about them. The plot is quite simple: Judge Dee, returning home from another trip, is forced to make a two-day stop at the ancient Chinese counterpart of Vegas, where an irresponsible colleague puts him in charge of investigating a case that at first glance looks like a suicide. During the investigation, another crime is committed, while another, older one is discovered, which are loosely connected to each other, and everything has happened in the famous red pavilion. Eventually the solution is given in a fairly obvious way, with the discovery of a document that was the key to the whole case, and that if the Judge had thought to seek earlier (as in a classic crime investigation, in which the personal documents of those involved are taken as evidence) , would have saved at least some fifty pages of pointless spinning, with the interrogated keep lying and Dee keeps exposing them - only for them to lie again and start from the beginning ...
Admittedly, however, I did not get bored in its short reading since the flow of action is continuous and comfortable without being too fast.
I believe the above justifies the two stars I gave, and I also think I was quite generous with it.
Το πρώτο βιβλίο του van Gulik που διαβάζω.
Αν δεν ήξερα ότι είχε εργασθεί ως διπλωμάτης σε ασιατικές χώρες και ότι θεωρούνταν αυθεντία στη λογοτεχνία και τον τρόπο ζωής τους, θα έλεγα ότι έγραψε όλο το βιβλίο χρησιμοποιώντας στερεότυπα του δυτικού κόσμου προς την Κίνα, προκειμένου να δημιουργήσει "κινέζικη ατμόσφαιρα". Χαρακτηριστικά, οι εκφράσεις "έφαγε το πρωινό/απογευματινό/βραδινό του ρύζι" ή "πώς κερδίζεις το καθημερινό σου ρύζι" (αντί του "δικού μας" πως κερδίζεις το ψωμί σου) μου φάνηκαν στην πρώτη ανάγνωση αστείες, αλλά όταν έβλεπα να ξαναεμφανίζονται τακτικά, δεν έγιναν απλά κουραστικές, αλλά μου έδωσαν την εντύπωση ότι ο van Gulik οικοδόμησε μια καρικατούρα της αρχαίας Κίνας παρά μια σεβαστή αναπαράσταση - όπως θα περίμενε κανείς από έναν ειδήμονα. Δεν λείπουν και οι διάφοροι αναχρονισμοί, αλλά αυτό θα το σεβαστώ ως συγγραφική επιλογή και δεν ήταν άλλωστε αρκετά ισχυρό ώστε να ενοχλήσει.
Το ίδιο (αλλά πιο θορυβώδες) ισχύει και για την αναπαράσταση των γυναικών. Το 90% των γυναικών που αναφέρονται στο βιβλίο είναι παλλακίδες, και χαρακτήρες χωρίς ουσία, ενώ ο συγγραφέας αφιερώνει δεκαπλάσιο χώρο στο να περιγράφει την εμφάνιση και τα ρούχα τους από ότι τη συμπεριφορά τους ή την προσωπικότητά τους . Επίσης και εδώ όλα τα στερεότυπα για το γυναικείο φύλο έχουν την τιμητική τους. Βέβαια αντιλαμβάνομαι ότι δεν είναι απαραίτητο για έναν συγγραφέα να βάλει με το ζόρι γυναίκες πρωταγωνίστριες στο έργο του, αλλά τουλάχιστον ευχάριστο θα ήταν να λείπουν οι σεξιστικές αναφορές (κάποιες δήθεν "αστείες"), οι οποίες ήταν τόσο πολλές, που με κάνουν να πιστεύω ότι δεν εισήχθηκαν ως στοιχεία του πνεύματος της εποχής, αλλά επειδή ο van Gulik ένιωθε ότι είχαν να προσφέρουν κάτι στο έργο. Ακόμη, κάπως ενοχλητικό ήταν ότι τα ονόματα των γυναικών δεν έμειναν αμετάφραστα όπως των ανδρών, μια επιλογή του συγγραφέα που καθόλου δεν κατανόησα.(π.χ. η κόρη του Φενγκ ονομάζεται Δαχτυλίδι από Νεφρίτη)
Εν πάση περιπτώσει, το βιβλίο είναι από τα τυπικά "εύκολα" του είδους του. Είναι από αυτά που θα τα διαβάσεις σε τρεις - τέσσερις ώρες και δεν θα τα ξαναπιάσεις ούτε πιθανότατα θα τα ξανασκεφτείς. Η πλοκή είναι αρκετά απλή: ο Δικαστής Τι, επιστρέφοντας στο σπίτι του από κάποιο άλλο ταξίδι, αναγκάζεται να κάνει μια διήμερη στάση στο αρχαίο κινεζικό αντίστοιχο του Βέγκας, όπου ένας ανεύθυνος συνάδελφός του τον επιφορτίζει με την διερεύνηση μιας υπόθεσης που εκ πρώτης όψεως μοιάζει με αυτοκτονία. Κατά την έρευνα, πραγματοποιείται ένα ακόμα έγκλημα, ενώ ανακαλύπτεται και ένα ακόμα, παλαιότερο, τα οποία συνδέονται χαλαρά μεταξύ τους, και όλα έχουν συμβεί στο πείφημο κόκκινο περίπτερο. Τελικά η λύση δίνεται με έναν αρκετά προφανή τρόπο, με την ανακάλυψη ενός εγγράφου που ήταν το κλειδί της όλης υπόθεσης, και που αν ο Δικαστής είχε σκεφτεί να αναζητήσει νωρίτερα (όπως σε μια κλασσική εξιχνίαση εγκλήματος, στην οποία ερευνώνται τα προσωπικά έγγραφα των εμπλεκόμενων), θα είχε γλιτώσει τουλάχιστον καμιά πενηνταριά σελίδες άσκοπου κλωθογυρίσματος, με τους ανακριθέντες να ψεύδονται και τον Τι να τους ξεσκεπάζει - και αυτοί να ξαναψεύδονται και φτου κι απ'την αρχή...
Ομολογουμένως πάντως, δεν βαρέθηκα στο σύντομο διάβασμά του αφού η ροή της δράσης είναι συνεχής και άνετη χωρίς όμως και να "τρέχει".
Νομίζω τα παραπάνω δικαιολογούν τα δύο αστέρια που έδωσα, και θεωρώ υπήρξα και αρκετά γενναιόδωρος.
If I didn't know that he had worked as a diplomat in Asian countries and that he was considered an authority on their literature and way of life, I would say that he wrote the whole book using Western world stereotypes towards China in order to create a "Chinese atmosphere". For instance, the expressions "he had his morning / afternoon / evening rice" or "how do you earn your daily rice" (instead of ours "to earn one's bread") seemed funny at first reading, but when I saw them reappear regularly , did not just become tedious, but gave me the impression that van Gulik built a caricature of ancient China rather than a respectable representation - as one would expect from an expert. The various anachronisms are not missing, but I will respect that as a writing choice and it was not strong enough to bother.
The same (but more noisy) applies to the representation of women. Most of the women mentioned in the book are concubins, and shallow ones too, while the author devotes ten times more space to describe their appearance and clothes than their behavior or personality. Also here are to be found plenty of stereotypes about women. Of course I realize that it is not necessary for a writer to force female protagonists into his work, but at least it would be nice to ommit the sexist references (some so-called "jokes"), which were so many, that make me believe they were not introduced as necessary elements of the spirit of their time, but because van Gulik felt they had something to offer to the work. Also, it was somewhat embarrassing that the names of the women were not left untranslated like the men, a choice of the author that I did not understand at all.
In any case, the book is one of the typical "easy" of its kind. They are the ones you will read in three to four hours and you will not pick them up never again nor will you probably have a single thought about them. The plot is quite simple: Judge Dee, returning home from another trip, is forced to make a two-day stop at the ancient Chinese counterpart of Vegas, where an irresponsible colleague puts him in charge of investigating a case that at first glance looks like a suicide. During the investigation, another crime is committed, while another, older one is discovered, which are loosely connected to each other, and everything has happened in the famous red pavilion. Eventually the solution is given in a fairly obvious way, with the discovery of a document that was the key to the whole case, and that if the Judge had thought to seek earlier (as in a classic crime investigation, in which the personal documents of those involved are taken as evidence) , would have saved at least some fifty pages of pointless spinning, with the interrogated keep lying and Dee keeps exposing them - only for them to lie again and start from the beginning ...
Admittedly, however, I did not get bored in its short reading since the flow of action is continuous and comfortable without being too fast.
I believe the above justifies the two stars I gave, and I also think I was quite generous with it.
Το πρώτο βιβλίο του van Gulik που διαβάζω.
Αν δεν ήξερα ότι είχε εργασθεί ως διπλωμάτης σε ασιατικές χώρες και ότι θεωρούνταν αυθεντία στη λογοτεχνία και τον τρόπο ζωής τους, θα έλεγα ότι έγραψε όλο το βιβλίο χρησιμοποιώντας στερεότυπα του δυτικού κόσμου προς την Κίνα, προκειμένου να δημιουργήσει "κινέζικη ατμόσφαιρα". Χαρακτηριστικά, οι εκφράσεις "έφαγε το πρωινό/απογευματινό/βραδινό του ρύζι" ή "πώς κερδίζεις το καθημερινό σου ρύζι" (αντί του "δικού μας" πως κερδίζεις το ψωμί σου) μου φάνηκαν στην πρώτη ανάγνωση αστείες, αλλά όταν έβλεπα να ξαναεμφανίζονται τακτικά, δεν έγιναν απλά κουραστικές, αλλά μου έδωσαν την εντύπωση ότι ο van Gulik οικοδόμησε μια καρικατούρα της αρχαίας Κίνας παρά μια σεβαστή αναπαράσταση - όπως θα περίμενε κανείς από έναν ειδήμονα. Δεν λείπουν και οι διάφοροι αναχρονισμοί, αλλά αυτό θα το σεβαστώ ως συγγραφική επιλογή και δεν ήταν άλλωστε αρκετά ισχυρό ώστε να ενοχλήσει.
Το ίδιο (αλλά πιο θορυβώδες) ισχύει και για την αναπαράσταση των γυναικών. Το 90% των γυναικών που αναφέρονται στο βιβλίο είναι παλλακίδες, και χαρακτήρες χωρίς ουσία, ενώ ο συγγραφέας αφιερώνει δεκαπλάσιο χώρο στο να περιγράφει την εμφάνιση και τα ρούχα τους από ότι τη συμπεριφορά τους ή την προσωπικότητά τους . Επίσης και εδώ όλα τα στερεότυπα για το γυναικείο φύλο έχουν την τιμητική τους. Βέβαια αντιλαμβάνομαι ότι δεν είναι απαραίτητο για έναν συγγραφέα να βάλει με το ζόρι γυναίκες πρωταγωνίστριες στο έργο του, αλλά τουλάχιστον ευχάριστο θα ήταν να λείπουν οι σεξιστικές αναφορές (κάποιες δήθεν "αστείες"), οι οποίες ήταν τόσο πολλές, που με κάνουν να πιστεύω ότι δεν εισήχθηκαν ως στοιχεία του πνεύματος της εποχής, αλλά επειδή ο van Gulik ένιωθε ότι είχαν να προσφέρουν κάτι στο έργο. Ακόμη, κάπως ενοχλητικό ήταν ότι τα ονόματα των γυναικών δεν έμειναν αμετάφραστα όπως των ανδρών, μια επιλογή του συγγραφέα που καθόλου δεν κατανόησα.(π.χ. η κόρη του Φενγκ ονομάζεται Δαχτυλίδι από Νεφρίτη)
Εν πάση περιπτώσει, το βιβλίο είναι από τα τυπικά "εύκολα" του είδους του. Είναι από αυτά που θα τα διαβάσεις σε τρεις - τέσσερις ώρες και δεν θα τα ξαναπιάσεις ούτε πιθανότατα θα τα ξανασκεφτείς. Η πλοκή είναι αρκετά απλή: ο Δικαστής Τι, επιστρέφοντας στο σπίτι του από κάποιο άλλο ταξίδι, αναγκάζεται να κάνει μια διήμερη στάση στο αρχαίο κινεζικό αντίστοιχο του Βέγκας, όπου ένας ανεύθυνος συνάδελφός του τον επιφορτίζει με την διερεύνηση μιας υπόθεσης που εκ πρώτης όψεως μοιάζει με αυτοκτονία. Κατά την έρευνα, πραγματοποιείται ένα ακόμα έγκλημα, ενώ ανακαλύπτεται και ένα ακόμα, παλαιότερο, τα οποία συνδέονται χαλαρά μεταξύ τους, και όλα έχουν συμβεί στο πείφημο κόκκινο περίπτερο. Τελικά η λύση δίνεται με έναν αρκετά προφανή τρόπο, με την ανακάλυψη ενός εγγράφου που ήταν το κλειδί της όλης υπόθεσης, και που αν ο Δικαστής είχε σκεφτεί να αναζητήσει νωρίτερα (όπως σε μια κλασσική εξιχνίαση εγκλήματος, στην οποία ερευνώνται τα προσωπικά έγγραφα των εμπλεκόμενων), θα είχε γλιτώσει τουλάχιστον καμιά πενηνταριά σελίδες άσκοπου κλωθογυρίσματος, με τους ανακριθέντες να ψεύδονται και τον Τι να τους ξεσκεπάζει - και αυτοί να ξαναψεύδονται και φτου κι απ'την αρχή...
Ομολογουμένως πάντως, δεν βαρέθηκα στο σύντομο διάβασμά του αφού η ροή της δράσης είναι συνεχής και άνετη χωρίς όμως και να "τρέχει".
Νομίζω τα παραπάνω δικαιολογούν τα δύο αστέρια που έδωσα, και θεωρώ υπήρξα και αρκετά γενναιόδωρος.
March 4, 2013
Judge Dee is traveling through a neighboring district and has to spend the spend the night on a resort island noted for its gambling, prostitution and shopping. The local magistrate begs Dee to stay on for a couple of days to cover for him while he makes a sudden and unexpected trip. While there Dee is faced with three deaths that have occurred in the same (locked) room over the course of thirty years and appear to be suicides ... with just a few loose ends.
This story really belongs to Judge Dee's long time assistant, and reformed highwayman, Ma Joong. Judge Dee uncharacteristically dismisses information that Ma Joong provides early in the investigation, and seriously underestimates Ma Joong's character -- especially at the close of the book.
Otherwise, this is a good, quick read. Not the best of the Judge Dee stories, but not the worst, either.
This story really belongs to Judge Dee's long time assistant, and reformed highwayman, Ma Joong. Judge Dee uncharacteristically dismisses information that Ma Joong provides early in the investigation, and seriously underestimates Ma Joong's character -- especially at the close of the book.
Otherwise, this is a good, quick read. Not the best of the Judge Dee stories, but not the worst, either.
February 5, 2014
I find that the story was a big dissappointing.
here Judge Dee was asked by his colleague to help "closed" a simple case of suicide. However the case did not turn out as simple as it looked.
a courtesan died and it was in the Red Pavilion. the same goes for the suicide case and another suicide case 30 years ago.
What I like about this book was Ma Joong, Crab and Shrimp. These three saves the story. Otherwise it would have been pale.
what I don't like about this story was the explanation of each crime. it was revealed in quite a dry way. the ending should have been tear jerking but I found myself nonchalant about it.
overall it had been good but not one of his best
here Judge Dee was asked by his colleague to help "closed" a simple case of suicide. However the case did not turn out as simple as it looked.
a courtesan died and it was in the Red Pavilion. the same goes for the suicide case and another suicide case 30 years ago.
What I like about this book was Ma Joong, Crab and Shrimp. These three saves the story. Otherwise it would have been pale.
what I don't like about this story was the explanation of each crime. it was revealed in quite a dry way. the ending should have been tear jerking but I found myself nonchalant about it.
overall it had been good but not one of his best
February 8, 2021
This might be my favourite Judge Dee novel (yes, I realize I have been saying this about each of the last two Dee books I've read). A very intriguing setting, a plot that isn't a political conspiracy (I tend to dislike those) and that reaches far into the fast - an interesting cast of characters and a really good riddle. The solution comes a bit out of the left field and I don't know how anyone could guess it (even though that I admit that some of the clues were there) and it's a pity only Ma Joong accompanies the Judge in this novel, but I still enjoyed it immensely. Now to get my hands on more of these novels...
August 16, 2008
The Judge Dee novels are purely brilliant. Robert Van Gulik was a true Sinophile, weaving carefully studied bits of Chinese culture into his mystery novels to draw foreign crowds into an extravagantly exotic setting. Unfortunately, the Red Pavilion pales in comparison to Van Gulik's other novels. The conclusion lacks the punch many of his other novels, though two of the most interesting characters anywhere in the series make their appearance in this volume. Still, a must read for any Judge Dee fans.
January 19, 2021
Not my favorite one of these.
May 14, 2024
Κριτική στα Ελληνικά πιο κάτω...
The Read Pavillion isn't the first Judge Dee book I read. I found it a brisk story comparing to others, having a decent pace and interesting themes. Of course the characters are one dimentional while some plot elements are predictable or ridiculous, but the "detection" part of the story isn't what wins me over in these Judge Dee stories, as much as the completely "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 Judge Dee,. They take place on the 7th century, but feature a setting with elements of many different eras in Chinese history and occasionally twist the Chinese tradition to suit a Western audience. Bearing in mind the fact that Van Gulik wrote on the 1950s, his texts might be influenced a bit of the ideas of this time period too.
I feel that the author over-idealizes ancient China and the way its state worked, etc, but it's still interesting to take a look at a completely different society, a different era, a people with different mentality and ethics. And to do so from a safe distance, of course, because it's not an environment I'd ever really want to live in.
This is a busy time of the year for me with various stuff, so I'm not in a mood for "heavy" reading. I can't stand much silliness on my books either thought. Excepting some too sugary scenes towards the end, the kind that always irk me, The Read Pavilion was a naive but pleasant book, exactly what I needed right now.
Το Read Pavillion δεν είναι το πρώτο βιβλίο του Judge Dee που διάβασα. Το βρήκα μια ζωηρή ιστορία σε σύγκριση με άλλες, με καλό ρυθμό και ενδιαφέροντα θέματα. Φυσικά, οι χαρακτήρες είναι μονοδιάστατοι και ορισμένα στοιχεία της πλοκής είναι προβλέψιμα ή γελοία, αλλά το στοιχείο του μυστηρίου και της λύσης του, δεν είναι τόσο αυτό που με κερδίζει στις ιστορίες του Judge Dee, όσο το εντελώς «εξωτικό» σκηνικό.
Ο "Δικαστής" Ντι ή Τι είναι ένας αξιωματούχος του 7ου αιώνα, βασισμένος σε ένα πραγματικό ιστορικό πρόσωπο, το οποίο έγινε "θρύλος" στην Κίνα κατά τη διάρκεια των αιώνων και πρωταγωνίστησε σε διάφορες κινεζικές αστυνομικές ιστορίες κατά τη διάρκεια των ετών.
Ο ίδιος ο Robert van Gulik έζησε μια ενδιαφέρουσα ζωή και είχε ένα βαθύ ενδιαφέρον και γνώση για την Άπω Ανατολή, την ιστορία, τις τέχνες, τα παλαιότερα λογοτεχνικά έργα και τον πολιτισμό της. Βασισμένος σε αυτό το υπόβαθρο, δημιούργησε το δικό του άμαγαλμα ιστοριών, με πρωταγωνιστή τον Judge Dee. Διαδραματίζονται τον 7ο αιώνα, αλλά παρουσιάζουν ένα σκηνικό με στοιχεία πολλών διαφορετικών εποχών της κινεζικής ιστορίας και περιστασιακά αλλοιώνουν την κινεζική παράδοση για να ταιριάζουν στο δυτικό κοινό. Έχοντας κατά νου το γεγονός ότι ο Van Gulik έγραψε τη δεκαετία του 1950, τα κείμενά του ενδέχεται να έχουν επηρεαστεί και από τις ιδέες αυτής της χρονικής περιόδου.
Νομίζω ότι ο συγγραφέας εξιδανικεύει υπερβολικά την αρχαία Κίνα και τον τρόπο που λειτουργούσε το κράτος της κ.λπ., αλλά και πάλι είναι ενδιαφέρουσα η ευκαιρία που προσφέρει, να ρίξουμε μια ματιά σε μια εντελώς διαφορετική κοινωνία, μια διαφορετική εποχή, έναν λαό με διαφορετική νοοτροπία και ηθική. Και να το κάνουμε από ασφαλή απόσταση, φυσικά, γιατί δεν είναι ένα περιβάλλον στο οποίο θα ήθελα ποτέ πραγματικά να ζήσω.
Αυτή είναι μια πολυάσχολη εποχή του χρόνου για μένα με διάφορα, οπότε δεν έχω διάθεση για «βαρύ» διάβασμα. Δεν αντέχω και πολλή βλακεία στα βιβλία μου. Εκτός από μερικές πολύ "γλυκανάλατες" σκηνές προς το τέλος, από αυτές που πάντα με εκνευρίζουν, το The Read Pavilion ήταν ένα αφελές αλλά ευχάριστο βιβλίο, ακριβώς αυτό που χρειαζόμουν αυτή τη στιγμή. Το ευχαριστήθηκα.
The Read Pavillion isn't the first Judge Dee book I read. I found it a brisk story comparing to others, having a decent pace and interesting themes. Of course the characters are one dimentional while some plot elements are predictable or ridiculous, but the "detection" part of the story isn't what wins me over in these Judge Dee stories, as much as the completely "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 Judge Dee,. They take place on the 7th century, but feature a setting with elements of many different eras in Chinese history and occasionally twist the Chinese tradition to suit a Western audience. Bearing in mind the fact that Van Gulik wrote on the 1950s, his texts might be influenced a bit of the ideas of this time period too.
I feel that the author over-idealizes ancient China and the way its state worked, etc, but it's still interesting to take a look at a completely different society, a different era, a people with different mentality and ethics. And to do so from a safe distance, of course, because it's not an environment I'd ever really want to live in.
This is a busy time of the year for me with various stuff, so I'm not in a mood for "heavy" reading. I can't stand much silliness on my books either thought. Excepting some too sugary scenes towards the end, the kind that always irk me, The Read Pavilion was a naive but pleasant book, exactly what I needed right now.
Το Read Pavillion δεν είναι το πρώτο βιβλίο του Judge Dee που διάβασα. Το βρήκα μια ζωηρή ιστορία σε σύγκριση με άλλες, με καλό ρυθμό και ενδιαφέροντα θέματα. Φυσικά, οι χαρακτήρες είναι μονοδιάστατοι και ορισμένα στοιχεία της πλοκής είναι προβλέψιμα ή γελοία, αλλά το στοιχείο του μυστηρίου και της λύσης του, δεν είναι τόσο αυτό που με κερδίζει στις ιστορίες του Judge Dee, όσο το εντελώς «εξωτικό» σκηνικό.
Ο "Δικαστής" Ντι ή Τι είναι ένας αξιωματούχος του 7ου αιώνα, βασισμένος σε ένα πραγματικό ιστορικό πρόσωπο, το οποίο έγινε "θρύλος" στην Κίνα κατά τη διάρκεια των αιώνων και πρωταγωνίστησε σε διάφορες κινεζικές αστυνομικές ιστορίες κατά τη διάρκεια των ετών.
Ο ίδιος ο Robert van Gulik έζησε μια ενδιαφέρουσα ζωή και είχε ένα βαθύ ενδιαφέρον και γνώση για την Άπω Ανατολή, την ιστορία, τις τέχνες, τα παλαιότερα λογοτεχνικά έργα και τον πολιτισμό της. Βασισμένος σε αυτό το υπόβαθρο, δημιούργησε το δικό του άμαγαλμα ιστοριών, με πρωταγωνιστή τον Judge Dee. Διαδραματίζονται τον 7ο αιώνα, αλλά παρουσιάζουν ένα σκηνικό με στοιχεία πολλών διαφορετικών εποχών της κινεζικής ιστορίας και περιστασιακά αλλοιώνουν την κινεζική παράδοση για να ταιριάζουν στο δυτικό κοινό. Έχοντας κατά νου το γεγονός ότι ο Van Gulik έγραψε τη δεκαετία του 1950, τα κείμενά του ενδέχεται να έχουν επηρεαστεί και από τις ιδέες αυτής της χρονικής περιόδου.
Νομίζω ότι ο συγγραφέας εξιδανικεύει υπερβολικά την αρχαία Κίνα και τον τρόπο που λειτουργούσε το κράτος της κ.λπ., αλλά και πάλι είναι ενδιαφέρουσα η ευκαιρία που προσφέρει, να ρίξουμε μια ματιά σε μια εντελώς διαφορετική κοινωνία, μια διαφορετική εποχή, έναν λαό με διαφορετική νοοτροπία και ηθική. Και να το κάνουμε από ασφαλή απόσταση, φυσικά, γιατί δεν είναι ένα περιβάλλον στο οποίο θα ήθελα ποτέ πραγματικά να ζήσω.
Αυτή είναι μια πολυάσχολη εποχή του χρόνου για μένα με διάφορα, οπότε δεν έχω διάθεση για «βαρύ» διάβασμα. Δεν αντέχω και πολλή βλακεία στα βιβλία μου. Εκτός από μερικές πολύ "γλυκανάλατες" σκηνές προς το τέλος, από αυτές που πάντα με εκνευρίζουν, το The Read Pavilion ήταν ένα αφελές αλλά ευχάριστο βιβλίο, ακριβώς αυτό που χρειαζόμουν αυτή τη στιγμή. Το ευχαριστήθηκα.
February 28, 2018
V tomto roku po 17 rokoch vyšla reedícia vynikajúcej detektívky Roberta van Gulika, ktorého diela sa jednoznačne vyrovnajú románom so Sherlockom Holmesom či Herculom Poirotom a slečnou Marplovou. Robert van Gulik totiž zvolil rovnaký spôsob písania. Dej odsýpa a čitateľ pátra po náznakoch, ktoré by ho mohli priviesť k vyriešeniu prípadu. Alebo sa len tak nechá unášať atmosférou čínskej kultúry, ktorá z jeho kníh srší...
Robert van Gulik bol totiž orientalista, ktorý vyrástol v Indonézii, vedel po čínsky a dlhé roky pôsobil ako diplomat nielen v Číne, ale aj v Indii, Japonsku a Libanone. Čo v tých krajinách spoznal, zažil, čo sa naučil, to všetko zužitkoval v románoch, v ktorých sa snúbi znalosť s talentom. A keďže van Gulik sa okrem štátnej činnosti venoval aj súdnym sporom, inšpirácie mal na rozdávanie.
Červený pavilón je jeden z románov, kde hlavnú úlohu zohráva sudca Ti. Sudca, ktorý je skutočnou historickou osobnosťou. Sudca Ti Žen-ťie totiž žil v časoch rozkvetu čínskeho cisárstva za vlády Tchangov (618 – 719).
Pre našinca môže byť trochu zložité orientovať s v čínskych menách, často dokonca s netypickými prezývkami kurtizán, vo svete ktorých sa v tomto románe ocitneme. No van Gulik na začiatku príbehu uvádza ako pomôcku zoznam postáv aj s popisom, kto je kto.
Sudca Ti prichádza do hostinca pochybnej povesti s názvom U večnej blaženosti, pretože všetky izby všade naokolo sú beznádejne obsadené. Aj v tomto hostinci je dostupný jedine tzv. Červený pavilón, o ktorom Ti netuší, že sa v ňom stala vražda.
Sudca sa nachádza v Rajskom ostrove, ostrove vášní a nespútanej zábavy, plnom kurtizán rozličných tried. Ti však nedbá, potrebuje si aj so svojím pobočníkom Ma Žungom odpočinúť. A hneď na úvod stretne kráľovnú kurtizán, Jesenný kvet.
Tá vzápätí zomiera. A len chvíľu pred ňou zomrel akýsi akademik, ktorý spáchal samovraždu práve v Červenom pavilóne – a spáchal ju údajne kvôli nej. Sudca Ti sa ujíma vyšetrovania a spustí tým smršť udalostí. Zistia, že pred tridsiatimi rokmi v tom istom pavilóne spáchal úplne rovnakú samovraždu ešte jeden muž.
Kurtizány sú posiate sinkami, umierajú, správca ostrova čosi tají, majiteľ starožitníctva má zrejme na svedomí čosi nepekné, Ma Žung sa zamiluje do kurtizány Strieborná víla, ostrov obchádza malomocný a kdesi žije bývalá krásna kurtizána, ktorej vek a choroba vzali pôvab. Zostal jej len zamatový hlas, ktorým každého dokázala omámiť. A ktosi chce zabiť i samotného sudcu Ti. A akademik namiesto listu na rozlúčku nakreslil záhadný symbol:
Sudca Ti má nad čím premýšľať. Ale podobne ako ostatným slávnym literárnym detektívom, aj jemu to skvelo myslí.
Doteraz som van Gulika nepoznala a ako fanúšičku Agathy Christie ma rozhodne oslovil.
Robert van Gulik bol totiž orientalista, ktorý vyrástol v Indonézii, vedel po čínsky a dlhé roky pôsobil ako diplomat nielen v Číne, ale aj v Indii, Japonsku a Libanone. Čo v tých krajinách spoznal, zažil, čo sa naučil, to všetko zužitkoval v románoch, v ktorých sa snúbi znalosť s talentom. A keďže van Gulik sa okrem štátnej činnosti venoval aj súdnym sporom, inšpirácie mal na rozdávanie.
Červený pavilón je jeden z románov, kde hlavnú úlohu zohráva sudca Ti. Sudca, ktorý je skutočnou historickou osobnosťou. Sudca Ti Žen-ťie totiž žil v časoch rozkvetu čínskeho cisárstva za vlády Tchangov (618 – 719).
„Aké hlúpe! Ten chlap je známy všadenos. Dúfam, že nezistí...“ Znepokojene potriasol hlavou.
Pre našinca môže byť trochu zložité orientovať s v čínskych menách, často dokonca s netypickými prezývkami kurtizán, vo svete ktorých sa v tomto románe ocitneme. No van Gulik na začiatku príbehu uvádza ako pomôcku zoznam postáv aj s popisom, kto je kto.
Sudca Ti prichádza do hostinca pochybnej povesti s názvom U večnej blaženosti, pretože všetky izby všade naokolo sú beznádejne obsadené. Aj v tomto hostinci je dostupný jedine tzv. Červený pavilón, o ktorom Ti netuší, že sa v ňom stala vražda.
Pavilón stál v úzadí rozsiahlej kvetinovej záhrady, spola ukrytý za vysokými krami oleandrov, vysadenými naokolo. Sudca Ti sedel v kresle pred vysokou zástenou, pomaľovanou rozkvitnutými slivkovými halúzkami... Bolo tam veľmi ticho, ozýval sa iba bzukot včiel, lenivo poletujúcich medzi bielymi kvetmi oleandrov.
Sudca sa nachádza v Rajskom ostrove, ostrove vášní a nespútanej zábavy, plnom kurtizán rozličných tried. Ti však nedbá, potrebuje si aj so svojím pobočníkom Ma Žungom odpočinúť. A hneď na úvod stretne kráľovnú kurtizán, Jesenný kvet.
Tá vzápätí zomiera. A len chvíľu pred ňou zomrel akýsi akademik, ktorý spáchal samovraždu práve v Červenom pavilóne – a spáchal ju údajne kvôli nej. Sudca Ti sa ujíma vyšetrovania a spustí tým smršť udalostí. Zistia, že pred tridsiatimi rokmi v tom istom pavilóne spáchal úplne rovnakú samovraždu ešte jeden muž.
Kurtizány sú posiate sinkami, umierajú, správca ostrova čosi tají, majiteľ starožitníctva má zrejme na svedomí čosi nepekné, Ma Žung sa zamiluje do kurtizány Strieborná víla, ostrov obchádza malomocný a kdesi žije bývalá krásna kurtizána, ktorej vek a choroba vzali pôvab. Zostal jej len zamatový hlas, ktorým každého dokázala omámiť. A ktosi chce zabiť i samotného sudcu Ti. A akademik namiesto listu na rozlúčku nakreslil záhadný symbol:
Očividne sa najprv pokúšal nakresliť kruh jediným ťahom štetca. Opakoval svoj pokus a potom pod to napísal tri razy dve slová: Jesenný Mesiac.
Sudca Ti má nad čím premýšľať. Ale podobne ako ostatným slávnym literárnym detektívom, aj jemu to skvelo myslí.
Tajomstvo Červeného pavilónu bolo nevýslovne odporné a hrozné, dokonca ešte hroznejšie ako čudná nočná mora, ktorá sa mu tam prisnila, keď našiel kurtizánino nahé biele telo na červenom koberci.
Doteraz som van Gulika nepoznala a ako fanúšičku Agathy Christie ma rozhodne oslovil.
June 24, 2024
Spoilers ahead.
Judge Dee is on his way back home when he stops by Paradise Island for the night. Paradise Island is so named for its gambling shops and brothels. He only plans to stay the night and then go up to Chin-Hwa to see Magistrate Lo before heading home. He accidentally meets Lo who is on his own way home. Lo is in a hurry and asks Dee to close a case of suicide which Dee agrees.
An academic student, son of a retired renowned Academian, has apparently killed himself because he was spurned by the Queen Flower, the crowned most beautiful and acclaimed courtesan on the island. However once Dee starts to investigate, he finds anomalies and ties to another suicide from 30 years ago, in the same room.
The mystery itself is so-so. The draw of van Gulik's books are in the characters and the setting. In the case of the setting, we see and learn about courtesans in Tang China. However, courtesans make frequent appearances in his books so, they aren't much of a revelation.
For characters, unfortunately many of the suspects run together and feel similar. Other interesting characters here are Crab and Shrimp, two bouncers who work for the owner of the gambling dens. Another is Ms. Ling, a retired courtesan who became blind and disfigured. Another courtesan is Autumn Moon who may have been the most beautiful but not the most nice. Maybe the best character was the recurring Magistrate Lo, led astray by his amorous nature.
Of the assistants, only Ma Joong is here, which is too bad because many of the more interesting vignettes involve Dee's lieutenants. However, the setting of Paradise Island is also quite well done, showing what a gambling and prostitution enclave looked like in the old days.
Judge Dee is on his way back home when he stops by Paradise Island for the night. Paradise Island is so named for its gambling shops and brothels. He only plans to stay the night and then go up to Chin-Hwa to see Magistrate Lo before heading home. He accidentally meets Lo who is on his own way home. Lo is in a hurry and asks Dee to close a case of suicide which Dee agrees.
An academic student, son of a retired renowned Academian, has apparently killed himself because he was spurned by the Queen Flower, the crowned most beautiful and acclaimed courtesan on the island. However once Dee starts to investigate, he finds anomalies and ties to another suicide from 30 years ago, in the same room.
The mystery itself is so-so. The draw of van Gulik's books are in the characters and the setting. In the case of the setting, we see and learn about courtesans in Tang China. However, courtesans make frequent appearances in his books so, they aren't much of a revelation.
For characters, unfortunately many of the suspects run together and feel similar. Other interesting characters here are Crab and Shrimp, two bouncers who work for the owner of the gambling dens. Another is Ms. Ling, a retired courtesan who became blind and disfigured. Another courtesan is Autumn Moon who may have been the most beautiful but not the most nice. Maybe the best character was the recurring Magistrate Lo, led astray by his amorous nature.
Of the assistants, only Ma Joong is here, which is too bad because many of the more interesting vignettes involve Dee's lieutenants. However, the setting of Paradise Island is also quite well done, showing what a gambling and prostitution enclave looked like in the old days.
May 10, 2022
Ένατη χρονολογικά ιστορία με πρωταγωνιστή τον Δικαστή Τι και το μοτίβο παραμένει πάνω κάτω ίδιο. Ο Δικαστής Τι περνάει από το χωριό Το Νησί του Παραδείσου καθοδόν προς την πρωτεύουσα, όταν συμβαίνει μια "αυτοκτονία". Ο επίτροπος της γειτονικής επαρχίας Τσιν Χουά που συμπτωματικά βρίσκεται εκεί, δεν θέλει να το αναλάβει και "χώνει" τον Τι. Αθάνατο κινέζικο δημόσιο...
Ο Τι πιάνει ένα δωμάτιο, το "κόκκινο δωμάτιο", το μόνο κενό ενός ξενοδοχείου, στο οποίο όμως έχει γίνει η υπό διερεύνηση "αυτοκτονία", και στην πορεία άλλη μία και- πολύ νωρίτερα, πριν τριάντα χρόνια- ακόμα μια! Όλες εκεί. Τα κεντρικά πρόσωπα της ιστορίας είναι και εδώ πλούσιοι άρχοντες και παλλακίδες,
Η κινέζικη κοινωνία του 660 μΧ είναι μια δεσποτική κοινωνία, παρότι το σύστημα των δημοσίων υπαλλήλων της είναι πολύ προχωρημένο για την εποχή. Ο Τι (δικαστής, άρα δημόσιος υπάλληλος) αντιπροσωπεύει μια πιο φιλελεύθερη διανόηση, όχι όμως κόντρα σε αυτό το άκρως εξουσιαστικό και αυταρχικό σύστημα. Η πλοκή του έργου είναι κλασική για Βαν Γκούλικ : Στην αρχή δεν βγάζεις άκρη, ούτε καν υποψιάζεσαι κάποιον. Στη συνέχεια, οι μάρτυρες στα μπερδεύουν ακόμα πιο πολύ, αλλά τουλάχιστον το δείγμα υπόπτων συρρικνώνεται. Τρεις φαινομενικά ανεξάρτητες ιστορίες δείχνουν να συνδέονται. Η όλη ιστορία αφορά βασικά τον κόσμο των πορνείων στην Κίνα, όπου ο Βαν Γκούλικ (διπλωμάτης και οριενταλιστής συγγραφέας) μας παρουσιάζει την κλιμάκωση της ιεραρχίας τους (1ου βαθμού, 2ου βαθμού κλπ πόρνες), την θέση τους στην κοινωνία και τον τρόπο που βρέθηκαν σε αυτή τη θέση.
Από ένα σημείο και μετά, οι ιστορίες του Βαν Γκούλικ τελικά γίνονται εθιστικές. Θες κι άλλο!!
Ο Τι πιάνει ένα δωμάτιο, το "κόκκινο δωμάτιο", το μόνο κενό ενός ξενοδοχείου, στο οποίο όμως έχει γίνει η υπό διερεύνηση "αυτοκτονία", και στην πορεία άλλη μία και- πολύ νωρίτερα, πριν τριάντα χρόνια- ακόμα μια! Όλες εκεί. Τα κεντρικά πρόσωπα της ιστορίας είναι και εδώ πλούσιοι άρχοντες και παλλακίδες,
Η κινέζικη κοινωνία του 660 μΧ είναι μια δεσποτική κοινωνία, παρότι το σύστημα των δημοσίων υπαλλήλων της είναι πολύ προχωρημένο για την εποχή. Ο Τι (δικαστής, άρα δημόσιος υπάλληλος) αντιπροσωπεύει μια πιο φιλελεύθερη διανόηση, όχι όμως κόντρα σε αυτό το άκρως εξουσιαστικό και αυταρχικό σύστημα. Η πλοκή του έργου είναι κλασική για Βαν Γκούλικ : Στην αρχή δεν βγάζεις άκρη, ούτε καν υποψιάζεσαι κάποιον. Στη συνέχεια, οι μάρτυρες στα μπερδεύουν ακόμα πιο πολύ, αλλά τουλάχιστον το δείγμα υπόπτων συρρικνώνεται. Τρεις φαινομενικά ανεξάρτητες ιστορίες δείχνουν να συνδέονται. Η όλη ιστορία αφορά βασικά τον κόσμο των πορνείων στην Κίνα, όπου ο Βαν Γκούλικ (διπλωμάτης και οριενταλιστής συγγραφέας) μας παρουσιάζει την κλιμάκωση της ιεραρχίας τους (1ου βαθμού, 2ου βαθμού κλπ πόρνες), την θέση τους στην κοινωνία και τον τρόπο που βρέθηκαν σε αυτή τη θέση.
Από ένα σημείο και μετά, οι ιστορίες του Βαν Γκούλικ τελικά γίνονται εθιστικές. Θες κι άλλο!!
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