Customer Reviews

Chinese Maze Murders

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
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Van Gulik's Judge Dee series are fairly unique for the unfamiliar settings and historical Chinese literature his plots are based on. Like the previous books, the good judge is again called to investigate several mysterious cases (all at once), the most interesting being the murder of a retired general in a room locked from the inside.

While the cleverly-woven plots and investigations are the high point of all the books in the series, the wonderful little details of people and life in ancient China are a learning experience as well. The accuracy of these details comes as no surprise as the author was once the Dutch ambassador to China. Highly recommended for fans of classic stories of deduction.

This is much more than a most exciting detective story with different complicated crimes being brilliantly solved. It is also a fascinating glance at the ancient China - a guided tour into the Oriental way of thinking. Written with amazing credibility and expertise, the Judge Dee stories (especially this novel and "The Chinese Bell Murders") are perfectly suited for people with little pre-knowledge who want to learn to understand the Chinese.

I can't find a single flaw about this book. It's plain brilliant.

For the uninitiated, Robert van Gulik's Judge Dee mysteries are absolutely brilliant. Van Gulik's Judge Dee (based on a historical character) finds himself involved in murders, barbarian plots, and a plan to overthrow the state in The Chinese Maze Murders. The settings are historically as accurate as can be, since van Gulik was one of the leading experts on China and an expert on Asian affairs, due to his service in the Dutch Foreign Service. All of the Judge Dee mysteries show a great deal of sophistication and detail which is often lacking in the genre.

For those readers who shy away from mysteries because they seem contrived, get this (and The Chinese Bell Murders) and be transported to another time and place. I don't care for mysteries myself, but the history and exotic locales penned by van Gulik made me a fan!

Judge Dee is a very busy magistrate in "The Chinese Maze Murders." At one point in his whirlwind of activity he wearily tells his trusty lieutenants he can't believe "that it is only one week since we arrived here in Lan-fang!" Indeed, even before Judge Dee and his three wives, children, household and judicial assistants, and four carts can arrive in the border city that is his new assignment, they are accosted by ruffians. Then, in Lan-fang, they discover a strongman and his brigade in control of the city, and the judge must use his wits and his four loyal men to depose the outlaws. As Judge Dee maneuvers to exert his rightful authority, he reckons with the inheritance issues of a recently deceased governor whose property includes a hundred-mile maze; investigates a locked-room murder of a renown general; and searches for a missing, possibly kidnapped young girl. Not to mention attending to his normal tribunal duties on the bench and defending against imminent attack by foreign soldiers whose leaders sense an opportunity to seize Lan-fang. When does Judge Dee get to sleep? As the author himself notes, "The magistrate is a permanently overworked official."

Robert Van Gulik wrote a series of Judge Dee mysteries in the mid 1900s. "The Chinese Maze Murders" was first published in 1957, and, true to the author's intent, it "gives a general idea of Chines court procedure" in the 7th century. In fact, a real crime-detecting "Judge Dee" existed: Ti Jen-chieh (630-700 AD). Before Van Gulick authored these and other fictional exploits of "Judge Dee," he translated an 18th-century Chinese novel entitled, "Celebrated Cases of Judge Dee." The three main crime plots in "The Chinese Maze Murders" are borrowed from 16th-century collections according to Van Gulik.

"The Chinese Maze Murders" is an intricate weave of suspense, excitement, shrewd puzzle detection, political intrigue, and human psychology. Certain sexual themes and the judicial tortures and executions described in the book designate this a mystery for mature readers.

It's good to see a new edition being released. The attractive, colorful art work on the cover is an eye-catcher, while the black and white illustrations throughout the text remain those the author himself drew to punctuate the story. A nice copy to own, read and re-read.

I like detective stories and detectives, from Sherlock Holmes to Wallander. However, I have grown tired of the usual Western settings, and fed up with squalor for squalor's sake, or even for the sake of proving one's literary talents.When I came across in an Italian translation the French novels by the Tran Nhut sisters, I realized that detective novels can be an effective means for learning about new cultures, countries, ages, civilizations. I quickly came to suspect that the Tran Nhut's main investigator, mandarin Tan, was a variant of an original sleuth, but who was he? Well, I soon found out by reading an interview with the Tran Nhut sisters, who candidly refer to Rober van Gulik's Judge Dee. Van Gulik's style is quaint and amazingly precise in the description of buildings, furniture, and vegetation. One does have the feeling of having left the slums of any Western city for good, no longer is the depressed reader led to identify with an even more depressed character like Henning Mankell's Kurt Wallander. Judge Dee is consciencious, high minded, and rather inscrutable. He is often busy with many other administrative and political problems, crime being only one sector of his multifarious duties. The whole of Imperial China opens up for us in this novel, including a contrast between Taoism and Confucianism.

First: I read the stories in German, thus I cannot judge this translation.

Second: Other reviewers have praised the books already, and rightly so, I do not want to duplicate this.

Third: Van Gulik, a Dutch diplomat, was quite unconventional. The Dutch author Jan Willem Van de Wetering wrote about him, and I found van Gulik's life interesting in itself. (But the English version of the book is quite expensive.)

Fourth: I was fascinated by the introduction into ancient Chinese thought (Confucianism, some Buddhism) and ancient Chinese life that the reader gets as a side effect (but for me often more important than the story). However, the description of at least the justice system may not be accurate, as reviewer westwind (Sept. 4, 2007) writes here in an earlier review.

Fifth: Every one of these books stands on its own and can be read and enjoyed without knowledge of the others. If you plan to read more than one (can easily happen, as these books are addictive): I read them in the order they were written (this one, The Chinese Maze Murders, is the first). Reason: You can see the development of the author this way. In the first books van Gulik tries to imitate the style of Chinese novels (sometimes a little cumbersome, but certainly interesting), whereas in later books he finds more and more his own style and is less "Chinese". Or you can read the books in the order of Judge Dee's life. (Books *written* earlier do not necessarily cover earlier *episodes* in Dee's life.) Look on the web for these chronologies. You can try to read the *best* book first - but I cannot say which the best book would be! Or read whatever you can lay your hand on.

Sixth: Reading any of these books lets you communicate with an intelligent, reflective, and at times wise, author. These books are certainly more than just detective stories. Have fun!

This book, offers a glimpse into chinese culture, which is the reason I enjoyed it.

All the Judge Dee misteries are great reading. Not only do they give an insight into early China but they are great at following logical paths in thinking.

I am never disapointed in Gulik's judge Dee. I like all his books about this eccentric wise man.

I have read all the Judge Dee mysteries at least twice, and really love them. However, I have just read a number of books on China and discover that van Gulik has purposefully mislead readers to make ancient Chinese justice just like Western justice and rather appealing. The truth is almost the exact opposite.

If you are interested, a standard history of china by harvard professor John Fairbank and Merle Goldman, China A History, explains that the Chinese justice system was openly corrupt (corruption did not have to be secret - it was and is the accepted way), relied on torture of both plaintiff and defendent, had no consistent laws, no equal punishments for the same offence (everything was based on class and kinship status) and bascially was just like modern Communist law: it was a vehicle for the state to control behavior. The goal was not 'justice' in the Judeo-Christian sense but state control.

Also like Communist China under Mao, imperial law relied on collective punishment to terrorize the populace. The entire population was divided into groups of ten and one hundred families, and if anyone in the whole group was condemned, the entire group could be executed. For serious offenses against the state, thousands of families could all be executed.

Van Gulik is always showing citizens bringing disputes before the court. In reality, this was never done (as both sides could be tortured and both sides had to pay the court and both sides had to bribe the court). Instead, people relied on their village elders or clan heads to rule on disputes, as the court system was too dangerous.

Most of the ideals that Van Gulik gives to Judge Dee of fairness, protecting the weak against the strong etc. are Christian values that go back to the Jewish Bible (God creating all men equal, protect the weak and the stranger, equality before the law etc). They are antithetical to Chinese values from imperial to modern times. It is very important not to pretend that foreign cultures are the same as we are...or that our values are universal. They are very special treasures that we should be incredibly grateful for.

The Judge Dee books also mention women's tiny feet at times, but he never tells the reader that until 1900, all upper class and middle class women in China had their feet broken and maimed leading to their being crippled for life, unable to walk normallyeuphemism - binding their feet). From the 19th century, this custom of torturing and crippling women spread among the peasants also. 10% of girls probably died from this treatment.

Van Gulik prominently features 'courtesans' and 'prostitutes.' A more accurate term might be slaves or sex slaves.

We are often told that China was 'more advanced' than the west until modern times. In truth, they were most comparable to ancient Rome, a cruel and despotic slave-owning culture with admirable roads and art. But Rome at least had rule of law, something China never had.

So, enjoy Judge Dee - but take it for what it is, bascially a fun Western mystery story set in a lovingly recreated period piece, kind of like most Hollywood movies - great costumes, great settings, fun plots, endearing characters - all basically unrealistic.