Celebrated Cases of Judge Dee: An Authentic Eighteenth-century Chinese Detective Novel | 
pickA translation of an 18th century Chinese novel about a 7th century judge-detective. He was a real person, but as far as we know the cases presented here are fictitious.
Historical mysteries are one of my favourite genres, so I was naturally intrigued by the idea of a historical mystery written 200-odd years ago in China, long before the genre existed in the West. ⬇ ⬇
pickA fascinating glimpse into life in 7th century CE China, translated in the 1940s from a 19th century Chinese manuscript that appears to preserve a genuine account of investigations undertaken by the magistrate of a small city.
Judge Dee is insightful, ethically scrupulous and morally strict, slightly softened by compassion. However, in the context of his culture, the use of torture, graphically described, is a legitimate judicial tool. I found ⬇️
“They say that reading will attract the spirit of sleep. Let me read a while, perhaps this book will help me pass the time, or else bore me to such an extent that I shall fall asleep.”
"In the end, as a general rule, no criminal escapes the laws of the land."
If only this were true!
Judge Dee has a number of legal recourses not available to the modern judiciary. Were he presiding over the trial of D. Trump, that fellow would certainly have had 100 stokes of the heavy bamboo for lack of respect, and probably the thumb screws for lying!
#FirstLineFridays @ShyBookOwl
Is one book a #BookHaul ? ?
I've been really enjoying the Netflix series "Judge Dee's Mystery" and decided to get the source material.
Judge Dee was a Tang Dynasty magistrate, three of whose historical cases are translated here, the success of which led van Gulik to write his own stories in a continuing series.
In his introduction, van Gulik comments on the centuries old Chinese tradition of detective novels, considerably predating ⬇️
Robert Hans van Gulik was a diplomat & writer, best known for the Judge Dee historical mysteries. He first translated the 18th-century detective novel ‘Dee Goong An‘ into English under the tagged title. The main character, Judge Dee, was based on a real statesman & detective who lived in the 7th century, during the Tang Dynasty.
I have read a few of the books & enjoyed them. Sadly, he & the books are not so well known & #underrated.
#newyearreads
The Chinese TV series is on my list of things to watch. 3w