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Rating: 
Summary: Tao and Palace Intrigues
Review: "Necklace and Calabash" initiates the third Judge Dee series, which Heinemann Publishers dubbed as "More Judge Dee Mysteries". This third and last series was conceived at the beginning of 1966 in Tokyo so that van Gulik would explore more directly the character of Judge Dee, who would solve cases without the help of his assistants. "Necklace and Calabash" proved to be the penultimate Judge Dee Mystery.As van Gulik notes in the book's postscript, the calabash or bottle gourd has played an important role in Chinese philosophy and art. In "Necklace and Calabash" Judge Dee, the quintessential Confucianist, meets a Taoist monk who emphasizes to him the importance of emptiness - as in the emptiness of a calabash. With the pressure mounting on a timely solution to the theft of a princess's pearl necklace, Judge Dee empties himself and discovers the key to the mystery. Once the puzzles are solved, Judge Dee springs into action. In his temporary exalted position as Imperial Inquisitor, he conducts himself with equanimity, even when dealing with the highest officials of the Water Palace; incorruptible, he dispatches the cases fearlessly and unmoved by temptations of wealth or status.
Rating:
Summary: Tao and Palace Intrigues
Review: I found this book rather dull perhaps because I generally dislike "period" mysteries. A few clever paragraphs to be sure, but in between these were alot of somewhat stereotypical characterizations and forgettable dialogue. Those who enjoy period pieces and all their assumptions and artificiality may like this novel but I did not.
Rating: 
Summary: Not For Me
Review: I found this book rather dull perhaps because I generally dislike "period" mysteries. A few clever paragraphs to be sure, but in between these were alot of somewhat stereotypical characterizations and forgettable dialogue. Those who enjoy period pieces and all their assumptions and artificiality may like this novel but I did not.
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