The Red Pavilion: A Judge Dee Mystery (Judge Dee Mystery Series)

The Red Pavilion is another take on the "locked room" mystery, and Robert Van Gulik delivers an excellent variation! This novel continues the career of Judge Dee, who in this case is involved in what seems to be a routine suicide on behalf of a colleague and friend. The story grabs the reader's attention from the opening pages, and as do all of the Judge Dee books, immerses the reader in Chinese culture (although it mixes historical eras from the Tang and Ming dynasties).The reader does not have to be familiar with any of the Judge Dee mysteries to follow along with the story, although previous books would give a little more insight into the character of Judge Dee's lieutenant Ma Joong.The book is a fairly quick read, but Van Gulik does an excellent job carrrying the reader away to a very different time and place, developing the atmosphere quickly and vividly. I highly recommend The Red Pavilion!

“The Red Pavilion” by Robert van Gulik; University of Chicago Press; © 1961; 174 pages, softcover.Asian scholar Robert Hans van Gulik (1910–1967) moves into the second half of Judge Dee’s semi-fictional life in this novel. He makes reference to Lin Yutang’s “Lady Wu: A True Story” for further background on Judge Dee’s later life, although the three cases described here are fictional and not taken from his translation of the “Parallel Cases from Under the Pear Tree” in contrast to cases in many of his other books.This mid-series van Gulik book addresses three cases that are tackled together. The first is “Case of the Callous Courtesan Magistrate,” the second is “The Case of the Amorous Academician,” and the third is “The Case of the Unlucky Lovers.”As with the other books in the Judge Dee series, it is the cultural context and social customs giving a deeper insight into China that make these more than mere detective stories. The crimes in this volume center around a Paradise Island resort and reveal much about the alternative Asian perspective toward courtesans and prostitutes, perhaps slightly equivalent to our Las Vegas where such behaviors are legal. But social relationships are different, and van Gulik is an expert in this area, having authored one of the foremost academic analyses “Sexual Life in Ancient China” also this same year.This setting is not in Judge Dee’s normal jurisdiction, but is encountered as he is passing through the realm of another local magistrate who invites Dee to wind up the investigation of a suicide. The local magistrate then becomes secondary while Judge Dee becomes enmeshed in two additional cases. These are scenarios that would not continue to exist under a well-run harmonious community, so this is van Gulik’s mechanism to insert Judge Dee into a more corrupted community.

This is a fairly good selection in the Judge Dee series.The judge finds himself in a capital of the Ukiyo (floating world or pleasure district), in particular the aptly named Pleasure Island. Think Las Vegas, with Fewer (!) vice laws. The island is in the midst of the Festival for the Dead and rooms are scarce. No manger for him, the room at the Inn he checks into is the Red Pavilion.Its most recent inhabitant apparently committed suicide for love of the Island's most desired courtesan, the crowned "Flower Queen". More than this the suite was host to another apparent suicide 30 years before. Within hours it will be home to yet another suspicious death, this time aforesaid Flower Queen. At least three dead in one room - one of them during the Judge's watch. The game is afoot. (Repeated from my review of The Emperor's Pearl  The Emperor's Pearl (Judge Dee Mystery Series) ) The author, a diplomat, scholar, musician, artist and mystery novel writer has much to recommend him. Many of his scholarly publications are or were considered definitive studies.His scholarly works included topics from The Chinese lute, to Chinese sexual practices to Chinese art. He was a linguist and enough of an artist to illustrate his Judge Dee Books.Judge Dee, was an actual Judge or to quote the sources: Ti Jen-chieh (c. 630-c. 700), magistrate and statesman of the T'ang court. Van Guik came to know of him via a second hand book relating later stories that had grown up around the market place story - teller tales that had collected in the name of Judge Dee.In most of the Van Gulik mysteries, he will mix in Chinese crime solving traditions (Ghosts and spirit world connections) with the more prosaic western style. This is lacking in this selection. Lacking but not necessarily missed. Also typical in Judge Dee stories is descriptions of life in Japan. Here we are exposed to, but never lectured on, period Japanese attitudes and customs in the world of gambling and courtesans.It may be a weakness to this story, but the various murders, suicides and complex human dramas are almost secondary to the casual exploration of the "Floating World" that is the setting for The Red Pavilion.My e copy was a few dollars in cost and was just under 180 pages. Invest this small change and a few hours for a nicely written mystery. The clues are there, although it will help if you have some familiarity with Van Gulick's style. Altogether a satisfying read.

Order was delivered on-time and is as expected. reasonably priced, thank you

Amazing.

Murders many years apart and much more recent are solved by Judge Dee. His assistant did a good deed for 2 lovers.

Our judge is travelling back to his own tribunal. He has only one attendant, May Joong. Staying overnight in a resort devoted to pleasure, gambling and prostitution, the judge lodged in the Red Pavilion, site of several suicides. Or were they murders? A courtesan tried to seduce the judge. Doing a favour for the local judge who took off, for reasons which become apparent, Our judge solved the mysteries, reconciled a couple of families, heals old wounds and reunited star crossed lovers. Mah Joong falls in love. Again. It does not go well. Again. A great,excitingread. Who knew ancient China had its own version of Las Vegas? A joyful dip into history.

I was powering through the Judge Dee novels, when I read this. It is set on Paradise Island,an amusement resort. The Judge is passing through on his way home, from the Capital, when he is asked by his old friend Magistrate Lo to help him with a suicide case. This novel is set in the Judge's Poo-yang period, and follows Chinese Bell Murders.