The Haunted Monastery by Robert van Gulik

VAN GULIK, Robert. The Haunted Monastery – Uncorrected Proof Copy. London, Heinemann, 1963.

Uncorrected proof of the first UK edition of this Judge Dee mystery taking place in a Taoist monastery.

‘It’s the largest Taoist monastery in the entire province, and many people visit it during the religious feasts. I am sure they’ll have good quest quarters…’.

The Haunted Monastery features the semi-fictional character Judge Dee, loosely inspired by the Tang magistrate and statesman Di Renjie (630-700). The Heinemann reissue followed the 1961 first edition by Art Printing Works in Kuala Lumpur.

Robert van Gulik was a Dutch orientalist and diplomat.

Octavo, pp. 160, with 8 plates drawn by the author in Chinese style; very good; original green wrappers printed in black to front cover and spine (some light dampstaining to lower corner of first few leaves, some spotting to edges, wrappers slightly creased, head of spine chipped).