Post by Noriko on Oct 20, 2011 13:28:42 GMT -5
I was wondering if anyone here had read I. J. Parker's mystery series set in Heian Japan. I had attempted to read one of them once (dragon scroll) and was put off by one of the characters speaking in what seemed to be 1930s American vernacular[1]. However, I wonder if I had judged the series too harshly and they really are worth reading.
Thoughts?
[1]A roguish type called a girl "a bit of skirt" and my brain went, "wait, what?" Granted, we see the same sort of vernacular used by ruffians in the Judge Dee books but for some reason, it works (and Van Gulik seems much more knowledgable than Parker so it doesn't seem to topple it all). Anyway...
Thoughts?
[1]A roguish type called a girl "a bit of skirt" and my brain went, "wait, what?" Granted, we see the same sort of vernacular used by ruffians in the Judge Dee books but for some reason, it works (and Van Gulik seems much more knowledgable than Parker so it doesn't seem to topple it all). Anyway...
