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lizchan's review against another edition
4.0
I had to read this for a Chinese Civilization class that I took. I quite enjoyed it and have read many others, but they get a little repetitive. This is my favorite.
paul_cornelius's review
5.0
The Chinese Bell Murders became the second of the Judge Dee series of novels that Van Gulik published, although in terms of the chronology of the series, it stands in eighth place. And it shows, for Bell Murders is quite different from the later Judge Dee books. It most resembles the original work, Celebrated Cases of Judge Dee, which Van Gulik translated from the Chinese original. Like that novel, Bell Murders is a longer, more complex work. So too is its syntax, word usage, and level of overall language. To create a sense of historical distance, for example, Van Gulik eschews contractions for the most part. He also forgoes modern and contemporary idioms. The later Judge Dee books went away from this writing strategy. They were much shorter novels, with an almost hard-boiled air about them, with the language often lapsing into slang. To be frank, I enjoyed this older format more than the later ones. It created a better sense of time and place.
The story itself contains both enough mischief in it to surprise as well as shock when it leads into more gruesome aspects of criminality. Again, the pleasure in the novel is watching Dee operate and see the story, much of which the reader will anticipate before Dee does, play out so that it surprises him--even to the point of only having Dee put all the pieces together after he has executed the criminals. As such, there is always tension between the law and justice in Dee's world, which his emperor will even commend him for, because Dee figures out a way to come to terms with that tension.
The story itself contains both enough mischief in it to surprise as well as shock when it leads into more gruesome aspects of criminality. Again, the pleasure in the novel is watching Dee operate and see the story, much of which the reader will anticipate before Dee does, play out so that it surprises him--even to the point of only having Dee put all the pieces together after he has executed the criminals. As such, there is always tension between the law and justice in Dee's world, which his emperor will even commend him for, because Dee figures out a way to come to terms with that tension.
maplessence's review against another edition
4.0
I loved van Gulik's elegant prose & the simple illustrations that were with this book. I found the construction of the book's plot a bit hard (there are actually 3 different crimes) but will be prepared for that if I read another book in this series.
One criticism is that it would be very hard for the reader to solve the crime.
One criticism is that it would be very hard for the reader to solve the crime.
italapas's review against another edition
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
3.5
A historical mystery set in Tang era China in the style of Ming era Chinese detective stories.
Content Warnings
Minor: Murder, Death, and Sexual violence
roshk99's review against another edition
3.0
An excellent Judge Dee, well developed amd entertaining. The setting makes it all the more interesting.
doanhoheha's review against another edition
4.0
Đọc mấy vụ án trong cuốn này bức xúc ghê, đọc mà muốn chửi thề. Nhưng vụ nào vụ nấy cũng được Địch công xử lí và trừng trị thích đáng nên đọc xong thấy thỏa mãn thật. Còn cái twist thì không biết dùng từ gì để nói về nó ngoại trừ hai chữ mà Địch công dùng:"quái đản".
bev_reads_mysteries's review against another edition
3.0
This book, originally published in 1958, is actually set in the China of about the 17th century. Van Gulik was a Dutch diplomat and a well-known authority on Chinese history and culture. He drew his plots, settings, and character-development from Chinese literature--particularly the popular detective novels of the period. The story tells us of the adventures and rulings of Judge Dee in the early days overseeing the tribunal of Poo-yang. When he takes over the tribunal, he finds that there is one case which his predecessor has left him. It involves the brutal rape and murder of the daughter of Butcher Hsai. Pure Jade was found in her room and her lover has been accused and all-but convicted by the previous judge. But when Judge Dee reads over the court records and examines the witnesses for himself, he feels that there is more to the story than meets the eye. While he and his assistants search for clues to the real murderer, he also finds himself faced with rumors that the monks who inhabit the Buddhist Temple of Boundless Mercy, run by an abbot by the name of "Spiritual Virtue," may not be as virtuous as they seem. Their temple appears to be far more prosperous than a Buddhist temple should be and there is doubt that the marvelous "cures" for barren women are really as other-worldy as reported. And finally, there is the case of the deranged elderly woman who has tried for years to get justice for wrongs done to her family by an influential man of business. Is there truth to her ravings or is she just truly insane?
I have to say that Van Gulik obviously know his stuff. He produces the China of the period with great detail and flair and I felt as though I were really in a tribunal of the time period. Full marks for historical detail and atmosphere. He also is very adept at writing in what purports to be the style of the period (and I can well believe it). However, I must also say that the style of the period is not to my liking. The assumptions of guilt and the phrasing of questions just don't sit will with me. I'm also not real keen on the whole "beat a confession out of the guilty party" thing. Judge Dee is an interesting character and I do like the way he reasons--and doesn't accept everything at face value, but I don't think this is a series that I could read a whole lot of. Two and a half stars (almost three).
I have to say that Van Gulik obviously know his stuff. He produces the China of the period with great detail and flair and I felt as though I were really in a tribunal of the time period. Full marks for historical detail and atmosphere. He also is very adept at writing in what purports to be the style of the period (and I can well believe it). However, I must also say that the style of the period is not to my liking. The assumptions of guilt and the phrasing of questions just don't sit will with me. I'm also not real keen on the whole "beat a confession out of the guilty party" thing. Judge Dee is an interesting character and I do like the way he reasons--and doesn't accept everything at face value, but I don't think this is a series that I could read a whole lot of. Two and a half stars (almost three).
deniqd's review against another edition
3.0
I wouldn't say it was a great book, but it was good.
It's nice to read about ancient China and how naive things were back then... but at the same time, I don't know how much of this book is based on research, it may just be a product of the writer's imagination!
It's nice to read about ancient China and how naive things were back then... but at the same time, I don't know how much of this book is based on research, it may just be a product of the writer's imagination!
heypretty52's review against another edition
2.0
This detective fiction was also for a college class. I found the writing interesting, but Judge Dee was not relatable for many readers.