Scan barcode
paul_cornelius's review
3.0
The Black Death oozes from one neighborhood to another of seventh century Tang China's capital. The emperor, his court, and most of the administrators have fled to a temporary mountain redoubt. Left in charge of the city is Judge Dee, who at this stage of the chronology of Dee's world, is the chief justice of the imperial court. At his side stand his ever loyal lieutenants, Ma Joong, Chiao Tai, and Tao Gan. The atmosphere of the setting overwhelms the plot. All throughout the sultry miasma that accompanies the plague seems to hover over all, holding the populace, high and low, in its grip. Against this background takes place the murders of remnants of the capital city's old nobility, all of whom have decayed into sex criminals of the lowest moral order.
It seems like such a promising plot. But something goes wrong in this story. Instead of all the clues flowing into one current, they become choppy and contradictory pieces of evidence. As a result, at the end, Judge Dee gives an overly long explanation of who did what to whom. Everything seems forced. Even the judge seems to realize it. Because he is satisfied with letting one of the crimes go down in the records as unsolved. Dee is an old man in this novel. He seems tired. And so does the author.
One important discovery for me, however. I found out what a Chinese moon door is. Or more properly a "moongate," as it appears in the references I checked out. All this time, I thought this had been an element of Art Deco styling that was merged into traditional Chinese architecture. Thanks, van Gulik! The novel failed to reach the heights of your previous work, but I still learned something valuable.
It seems like such a promising plot. But something goes wrong in this story. Instead of all the clues flowing into one current, they become choppy and contradictory pieces of evidence. As a result, at the end, Judge Dee gives an overly long explanation of who did what to whom. Everything seems forced. Even the judge seems to realize it. Because he is satisfied with letting one of the crimes go down in the records as unsolved. Dee is an old man in this novel. He seems tired. And so does the author.
One important discovery for me, however. I found out what a Chinese moon door is. Or more properly a "moongate," as it appears in the references I checked out. All this time, I thought this had been an element of Art Deco styling that was merged into traditional Chinese architecture. Thanks, van Gulik! The novel failed to reach the heights of your previous work, but I still learned something valuable.
roshk99's review against another edition
3.0
Another entertaining Judge Dee, Dee has a systematic approach towards the solving of mysteries that is enjoyable to follow, and the ending was satisfying.
the_bitextual's review against another edition
informative
fast-paced
2.75
For cultural appropriation, it wasn't terrible. Won't read it again, but am interested in van Gulik and the original translated novel.
emma_g_2000's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
acton's review against another edition
4.0
Robert van Gulik (1910-1967) was a scholar who was intensely interested in Asian history and culture. The Judge Dee mysteries are based on a real person named Di Renjie, who lived during the earlier part of the Tang Dynasty (600-900). After translating the original stories, van Gulik started to write his own Judge Dee stories.
The Willow Pattern fascinated me because of the characters, the intricate plot, and for introducing me to a type of weapon I'd never heard of before: loaded sleeves. That is, heavy weights hidden in long, generously draped sleeves. Robert van Gulik created a very strong female character in this mystery who makes very good use of them. That does not give anything away.
This was quite an entertaining, different read. It's so old, it's almost fresh! The culture and history that forms the backdrop of the story is captivating, and of course the justice system is--different.
I'd recommend this to anyone who likes mysteries and is looking for something a bit different.
The Willow Pattern fascinated me because of the characters, the intricate plot, and for introducing me to a type of weapon I'd never heard of before: loaded sleeves. That is, heavy weights hidden in long, generously draped sleeves. Robert van Gulik created a very strong female character in this mystery who makes very good use of them. That does not give anything away.
This was quite an entertaining, different read. It's so old, it's almost fresh! The culture and history that forms the backdrop of the story is captivating, and of course the justice system is--different.
I'd recommend this to anyone who likes mysteries and is looking for something a bit different.
ricksilva's review
4.0
With the Imperial Capital largely evacuated due to an outbreak of (presumably, based on the details given) bubonic plague, and Judge serving as temporary emergency governor, the judge receives news of two deaths, one apparently accidental and the other clearly a murder. The dead men are among the last of the old aristocracy from before the current dynasty. Amid the crisis gripping the city, Judge Dee and his trusted lieutenants are left to unravel a tangled web of ancient grudges and rivalries.
As with the other Judge Dee mystery that I read recently, the interlinked crimes that Dee solves are full of twists and turns, and populated by an intriguing cast of characters. The subplot of Dee trying to manage the plague crisis adds some interesting tension to the story, and provides a unique setting with the gloomy and mostly deserted capital city.
What really stands out here, though, are the characters of Ma Joong and Chiao Tai, the two military officers who serve as close confidantes to Judge Dee, along with his usual assistant, Tao Gan.
The two soldiers get into their share of adventures, and there is even a budding romance, involving Bluewhite, an absolutely fierce woman who is trained in fighting with egg-sized lead weights concealed in the sleeves of her robes. The romantic subplot pretty much steals the show, and the interplay between Bluewhite and Ma Joong is lively and fun.
This was not as graphic a story as The Haunted Monastery, although there are still a lot of violent scenes.
The ending featured a fair amount of Judge Dee simply telling the audience (through the mechanism of a tribunal) the solutions to the mysteries, but there were enough surprises revealed that this didn't hurt the pacing. As with the other books in this series, the Tang Dynasty details are thoroughly researched, and there is an interesting note at the end regarding an intentional anachronism by the author, and the true origins of the willow pottery pattern referenced in the title.
As with the other Judge Dee mystery that I read recently, the interlinked crimes that Dee solves are full of twists and turns, and populated by an intriguing cast of characters. The subplot of Dee trying to manage the plague crisis adds some interesting tension to the story, and provides a unique setting with the gloomy and mostly deserted capital city.
What really stands out here, though, are the characters of Ma Joong and Chiao Tai, the two military officers who serve as close confidantes to Judge Dee, along with his usual assistant, Tao Gan.
The two soldiers get into their share of adventures, and there is even a budding romance, involving Bluewhite, an absolutely fierce woman who is trained in fighting with egg-sized lead weights concealed in the sleeves of her robes. The romantic subplot pretty much steals the show, and the interplay between Bluewhite and Ma Joong is lively and fun.
This was not as graphic a story as The Haunted Monastery, although there are still a lot of violent scenes.
The ending featured a fair amount of Judge Dee simply telling the audience (through the mechanism of a tribunal) the solutions to the mysteries, but there were enough surprises revealed that this didn't hurt the pacing. As with the other books in this series, the Tang Dynasty details are thoroughly researched, and there is an interesting note at the end regarding an intentional anachronism by the author, and the true origins of the willow pottery pattern referenced in the title.
cspiwak's review against another edition
3.0
Good. AlwYs enjoy the culture and the multiple plot lines. Learned about the willow pattern and how the “legend” was actually an English creation
jameseckman's review against another edition
3.0
Not as complicated as the usual Judge Dee mystery and a bit less interesting. Still a fun read.
More...