Coming out of the Classic Mysteries vault this week, I'd like to look back at one of my favorite authors, Robert Van Gulik. He was a Dutch diplomat in his "day" job, but he's remembered today for his series of mysteries set in seventh century China featuring Judge Dee. When friends ask me to recommend what I believe to be the best book in that series, I have no hesitation in naming Necklace and Calabash, the next-to-last book. I have reviewed it more than once on the Classic Mysteries podcast, but I always meet people who haven't yet had the pleasure of meeting Judge Dee and seeing T'ang-era China through his eyes. Here's the lightly-edited transcript for my audio review of Necklace and Calabash, and I hope you enjoy it!
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The magistrate of Poo-Yang was on his way home from a meeting in a distant town. He was looking forward to spending a few quiet days in Rivertown, perhaps doing a little fishing, and enjoying some peaceful, relaxing down time. That’s not what Judge Dee found in Rivertown, however. Before his "restful" vacation was over, he had become involved in investigating a few murders, solving the disappearance of an innkeeper’s wife, and exposing an extraordinary plot involving the theft of a pearl necklace belonging to the emperor’s daughter. It came close to costing Judge Dee his life. You’ll find the story in Necklace and Calabash, by Robert Van Gulik.
Robert Van Gulik was a Dutch diplomat, an Orientalist with a deep interest in, and knowledge of, Chinese history and culture. In 1949, he published a translation of an eighteenth century Chinese detective novel about a real historical figure, Judge Dee, who lived in seventh century China, during the T’ang dynasty. At the conclusion of that novel, Van Gulik wrote, “I think that it might be an interesting experiment if one of our modern writers of detective stories would try his hand at composing an ancient Chinese detective story himself.” As no authors stepped forward to volunteer, Van Gulik went on to write his own books about Judge Dee – fifteen more novels and a book of short stories. Most followed a traditional Chinese format, combining three cases into a single interwoven mystery. Van Gulik deliberately wrote his mysteries as if he were writing during the Ming Era, a millennium after the Tang Dynasty. But, particularly to western eyes, he offers a fascinating picture of what life might have been like in ancient China.
Necklace and Calabash, which appeared in 1967, the year Van Gulik died, was the next-to-last of the Judge Dee stories to be published, but it is set in the middle of the Judge’s career, when he was a village magistrate in the fictional district of Poo-Yang. While returning home to his district, the Judge makes a stop in the small village of Rivertown. The town is very close to the Water Palace, the summer residence of the emperor’s daughter, the Third Princess.
As I said earlier, Judge Dee hopes for a chance to relax and do some fishing. But he is quickly pressed into service, first by Rivertown’s military administrators, and soon by the Third Princess herself. A valuable necklace has been stolen, and it appears that the theft is somehow part of a large and malevolent conspiracy.
On the way to solving that mystery, Judge Dee finds himself also drawn into two other cases – the murder of the cashier at a local inn, and the apparent elopement of the innkeeper’s wife. Again, many traditional Chinese detective stories are put together this way, with the detective solving three mysteries simultaneously.
But, to my mind, Necklace and Calabash – unlike some of the other Judge Dee stories – does a particularly good job at interweaving the three mysteries. And I think that for western readers, Necklace and Calabash will appear much closer to the kind of mystery fiction we are used to seeing.
In many of the other Judge Dee stories, the Judge is assisted by a retinue of regular characters who serve as his assistants. In Necklace and Calabash, he is operating on his own, away from his home, without his regular aides. This gives Van Gulik the chance to bring in some other characters, and I find them delightful. In particular, we are given a Taoist monk, Master Gourd, first encountered by the judge at the beginning of the novel, who will play a very major role in the story. When we first meet him, he appears to mistake Judge Dee for a doctor. So, when the Judge asks him what he carries in the calabash, the gourd strapped to the saddle of his donkey, the old man answers:
“’Emptiness, sir. Just emptiness. More valuable than any potion you might carry in yours, Doctor! No offence meant, of course. Emptiness is more important than fullness. You may choose the finest clay for making a beautiful jar, but without its emptiness that jar would be of no use. And however ornate you make a door or window, without their emptiness they could not be used.’ He drove his donkey on with a click of his tongue, then added, as an afterthought, ‘They call me Master Gourd.’”
There are other characters who also stand out. There is Fern, the innkeeper’s niece, who also helps Judge Dee with his investigations. There is the local military commander, an army captain who says he has worked with Judge Dee before. And there is the Third Princess herself. When she is first mentioned, Judge Dee observes,
“She was the Emperor’s favourite daughter, said to be exceedingly beautiful. The Emperor granted her every wish, but apparently she was not the spoilt palace-doll one might expect, but a very intelligent, level-headed young woman who took a deep interest in the arts and sciences. Various prominent young courtiers had been mentioned as future imperial sons-in-law, but the Emperor had always postponed a decision.”
As we will see, Judge Dee’s observations will prove to be quite accurate.
There really isn’t much of a “fair play” puzzle about this mystery. We are told that in the traditional Chinese detective story, the question of “who done it” is less important than we are used to. However, the mysteries in this story are fairly intricate and well thought out, and there are elements which will puzzle and delight. The story also really is as much of a thriller as a straight mystery. It’s also worth noting that in traditional Chinese stories, there is often a heavy supernatural element. While some of that is present in Necklace and Calabash, it is hardly overwhelming, and the supernatural plays only a very small role in the ultimate solution.
Necklace and Calabash is one of my favorite mysteries – not just favorite Judge Dee mysteries, but among my overall favorites. I enjoy the characters, the situations – and the glimpse Robert Van Gulik provides modern readers into some of the facets of everyday life in seventh century China. It is available both in print and in electronic editions, and I can’t recommend it highly enough.
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You can listen to the complete audio review by clicking here.
Next: The Devil at Saxon Wall, by Gladys Mitchell.
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