This book has interesting information on architecture, as well as traditional Chinese literature and language. Evidently shikumen – or traditional Chinese dwellings developed initially for one family – when adapted for mulit-family use converted a tiny room on a landing…
A Loyal Character Dancer: Inspector Chen Mystery
This book is also available at Amazon cheap, and in Kindle ebook. I particularly like how this book teaches lessons in essential Chinese vocabulary. (For more details and resources see China Composition Wiki here). Loyal is on the cover, and…
Death of a Red Heroine: Inspector Chen Mystery
As I described how this Award Winning book won me over earlier, let me offer some practical information on the text and some details. There is some sex – but it’s SFW. It’s done well. There is also some implied…
Inspector Chen Cao: Qiu Xiaolong’s Mystery Series
The Inspector Chen mysteries by Qiu Xiaolong came highly recommended by retired JCCC librarian Andrea Kempf. I approached the first novel, Death of a Read Heroine, skeptically and read resistently for for the first 30 or 40 pages, but have…
Judge Dee: The Monkey and the Tiger
I enjoyed The Monkey and the Tiger. It’s 2 novellas that are unrelated – except by a lesson/theme in the Chinese zodiac. I have stories I could tell about that. Perhaps I shouldn’t. People in Asia still take it seriously. …
Judge Dee: The Chinese Gold Murders
I imagine my mom would call the Judge Dee Mysteries “brain candy,” but they are not without merit. The information on Chinese culture is an imperceptible backwash, or covert additive. That said, The Chinese Gold Murders seems the most like…
The Emporer’s Pearl and GuanYin
This Judge Dee book provides an interesting historical background on the the cult of GuanYin (aka Kuan Yin). This resonates with me, because of the parallels to the cult of Mary for Catholics (to which I was indoctrinated as a…
Judge Dee: The Chinese Maze Murders
Like the traditional magistrate mysteries van Gulik modeled his Judge Dee series on, this novel has 3 plots or mysteries. The three stories seem to be linked through ideals of loyalty or filial piety. Find the English version of the…
Judge Dee & Dee Goong An
Robert Van Gulik lived most of his life in the far East, worked professionally as a translator, and married a Chinese woman. He introduced Judge Dee mysteries partly in an attempt to counteract the dose of racism that came with…
Limits of Confucianism: OP in the News
One of the most widely followed news stories in the Republic of China is taking place right here in Overland Park, according to today’s KC Star. It demonstrates a shortcoming of Confucianism as it is practiced, in that falling…