Becoming Inspector Chen (An Inspector Chen mystery, 11)

Chen is out of favor with the Party. He’s in danger of losing his job as Chief Inspector. He’s having eerie dreams and gruesome nightmares. The story alternates between his angst-filled present and his traumatic past.We get a chilling picture of the suffering of intellectuals and other “class enemies” during the Cultural Revolution. As a a teenager, Chen saw his parents denounced and humiliate. Then we follow Chen’s fortunes in the new political climate.In his earliest days in the police bureau the young Chen identifies a murder victim and solves the crime. This story is a little jewel of crime detection. But it’s only one story. The novel is a medley of stories that all evolve in surprising ways amidst changes in fortune, reversals of destiny, and turnabouts in political thinking. The episodic style can be confusing at times.The narrative is peppered with Confucian maxims, Tang poetry, Chinese proverbs, lines from the Tao Te Ching — and the author’s poetic metaphors. This is always delightful.The casual mentions of Chinese cuisine are also fun. Chen is a gourmet who loves exotic food. So are several characters. They indulge in hot stinky tofu, drunken shrimp still twitching when consumed, camel mound and many other dubious delicacies. Thankfully, Chen never stoops to eating bats.Becoming Inspector Chen is anything but a conventional crime novel, though it’s dense with crimes — personal and political. It may not be as wonderful as Qiu Xiaolong’s earliest novels, but it’s enjoyable.

Within a dream-like state Chen Cao reviews his life . . . which means that those of us who have read all the books up to now get some background fill ("Oh! So THAT's how he met her!") and for newbies it gives a rather confusing but valuable intro to the series. There are also fragments of stories that give a preview of up-coming tales. From beginning to the present the tales are set against the background of politics in China, with hints of life under Mao, then Deng, to the current situation. (Note: Before I went to live in Shanghai for a semester I started the series, and they were an excellent guide for a new traveler to the city; have your map with you as you read.)

good to be back with chief inspector chen on red lane, good police book, good info on china and reading

Sorry, way too muddled for me. What happened? I’m sure there was a story here somewhere but it’s beyond me. Wish it had an ending, although there is a last paragraph so there probably was one.

I've enjoyed the previous novels about the detective from Shanghai, and found this one quite different. Chen Cao was considered a "black puppy" since his father was denounced by the Red Guard. Part of the book is almost like a prequel to the series, discussing his experience growing up during the Cultural Revolution. Part of the book was devoted to a mystery which Chen the adult cop wants to help his superior solve, the murder of an old man who had just left a restaurant. I think I would have preferred this to be two different books, as I felt the stories didn't flow that well together.

I very much like the Inspector Chen books. This one is good, but still somewhat disappointing. It’s jumps back and forth, with a little conclusion reached. Notably the main story running like a red thread through the book, abruptly ends without a final scene. Although I share the author’s political views, it is somewhat disappointing that you get the impression that he is letting politics trump the writing of a good story. Of course, politics trumping everything it’s probably a correct reflection of China at this time.

Not sure why this title has appeared near the end of the series (so far). OK as an introduction to Chen but why now? All very confusing and not up to earlier titles.

Feels like author has writers' block and publishing deadline. So put together a mishmash of pieces from notebooks. Much is recycled from former books. I am so sad.

Unglaublich authentische Beschreibung des Systems in China gepaart mit mit einer sensationellen Leichtigkeit der Sprache. Genialer Spannungsaufbau bis zum Schluss und gleichzeitig so liebenswerte Beschreibung von Beziehungen, Freude und Leid, natürlich immer mit tollen Hinweisen zu Chinesischen Köstlichkeiten! Ein „muss“ für jeden (Chinakenner).