Sharyl reviewed The willow pattern by Robert van Gulik
Review of 'The willow pattern' on 'Goodreads'
4 stars
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 …
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.
