The Monkey and the Tiger: Two Chinese Detective Stories [Paperback]

Robert Hans Van Gulik (Author)

Book Description

Series: Judge Dee Mysteries | Publication Date: April 1, 2005

The Monkey and The Tiger includes two detective stories, "The Morning of the Monkey" and "The Night of the Tiger." In the first, a gibbon drops an emerald in the open gallery of Dee's official residence, leading the judge to discover a strangely mutilated body in the woods—and how it got there. In the second, Dee is traveling to the imperial capital to assume a new position when he is separated from his escort by a flood. Marooned in a large country house surrounded by fierce bandits, Dee confronts an apparition that helps him solve a mystery.

Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

The Monkey and The Tiger includes two detective stories, "The Morning of the Monkey" and "The Night of the Tiger." In the first, a gibbon drops an emerald in the open gallery of Dee's official residence, leading the judge to discover a strangely mutilated body in the woods-and how it got there. In the second, Dee is traveling to the imperial capital to assume a new position when he is separated from his escort by a flood. Marooned in a large country house surrounded by fierce bandits, Dee confronts an apparition that helps him solve the mystery.

About the Author

Robert Van Gulik (1910-67) was a Dutch diplomat and an authority on Chinese history and culture. He drew his plots from the whole body of Chinese literature, especially from the popular detective novels that first appeared in the seventeenth century.

Product Details

• Paperback: 152 pages
• Publisher: University Of Chicago Press (April 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0226848698
• ISBN-13: 978-0226848693
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.5 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #104,094 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent murder mysteries set in Ancient China, November 1, 2000

By 

Ellen Whyte "ellen437" (Selangor, Malaysia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Monkey and the Tiger: Two Chinese Detective Stories (Paperback)

Judge Dee is an imperial magistrate who travels the country solving mysteries and murders. Not content merely to judge cases as they come to court, Judge Dee investigates crimes himself.

This book comprises of two short stories. In the first one, Judge Dee is upset to discover murder in his own home. It starts when he is watching a troop of monkeys playing in his garden and one of them drops an expensive emerald ring. Examining it, Dee realises the ring is encrusted with blood. When Judge Dee stumbles over a mutilated body hidden in his garden he decides to find out who is responsible. With the help of his assistant Tao Gan, Dee set out to investigate a nest of pawnbrokers, thieves and vagabonds.

In the second story, Judge Dee is travelling to the capital in order to receive a promotion thanks to his solving of the Chinese Nail Murders. Unfortunately the weather is fierce: Dee is separated from his staff and takes refuge in a large isolated country house. Here he finds that the family a mourning a young dead girl, seemingly a victim of a heart attack. The theft of 40 shining bars of gold, however, leads Dee to think there is more to the story. Beset by bandits, ghosts and superstitious hosts who believe that their troubles are foretold by the almanac and therefore immutable, Dee sets out to solve the mystery.

Judge Dee was practising in the 7th century but the writer, Robert Van Gulik, was a Dutch diplomat living in China in the early 20th Century. Interested in Chinese history, he decided to write a series of detective novel based old Chinese stories. Beautifully written, each Judge Dee story is a pearl of literature. The English is beautiful yet modern, easy to read yet evocative of the China that existed over 13 centuries ago.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Judge Dee The Monkey and the Tiger, November 30, 2008

By 

N. L. Gormley "Marama Gray" (Hamilton New Zealand) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Monkey and the Tiger: Two Chinese Detective Stories (Paperback)

This is one of the later Judge Dee books and shows it. I think van Gulik was running out of ideas at this stage. I didn't find it nearly as entertaining as the earlier books in the series. I'm glad to have it as I now have the entire series but I confess I was a bit disappointed. Still a fascinating series however and anyone interested in Judge Dee or Chinese literature in general should read it.

5.0 out of 5 stars a Judge Dee fan, February 24, 2008

By 

Anonymous "Anonymous" - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

Some of the most enjoyable detective stories; set in ancient China.

From the publisher:
Amidst the backgound of T'ang Dynasty China,The Morning of the Monkey finds Judge Dee with only four clues to solve a puzzling murder: four amputated fingers and a golden ring.
The Night of the Tiger the magistrate is faced with the murder of a young girl and a ghostly apparition on a moonlit balcony.