4 ms·

> the Celestial is over-equipped in the matter of brains, and under-equipped in the matter of morals. Indeed, what a line!

john-radio 4y ago
Full context matters here: > Why this should be so I do not know, unless we can find a reason for it in our western habit of assuming that the Celestial is over-equipped in the matter of brains, and under-equipped in the matter of morals. Knox is criticizing this assumption, not endorsing it. > I only offer it as a fact of observation that, if you are turning over the pages of a book and come across some mention of ‘the slit-like eyes of Chin Loo', you had best put it down at once; it is bad. I definitely agree with Knox's harsh judgment of the books that used to include such lines! I am reminded of the many ridiculous and racist caricatures of Chinese, African, Native American, and many other cultures in the (otherwise fairly wonderful) Tintin comics by Hergé. Of course, writing a rule against including any Chinese people in detective fiction is going much too far, and is also racist; but no doubt Knox's writing here is a product of his time. In fact, the first detective novel I ever read was "Walking Shadow" by Robert B. Parker, where his tough PI Spenser and his comrades Hawk and Susan Silverman go up against some Boston area tongs, and the Chinese people in that book are interesting, "round" characters; so I'm glad Parker had either never heard of this particular rule and chose to ignore it.
- AnimalMuppet 4y ago
  How about "Don't make the murderer a stereotype". (I suspect the Chinaman rule is in there because at the time, a bunch of less-well-done detective stories used it as an easy way to make a villainous villain. Well, until recently, you could do the same with the stereotyped-villain-du-jour. Depending on your audience, you still could today.)
- baud147258 4y ago
  > the many ridiculous and racist caricatures of Chinese [...] in the (otherwise fairly wonderful) Tintin comics by Hergé. From what I remember of the Blue Lotus, it was the Japanese antagonists who got the short end of the stick in that regard, so at least the book in China avoided that issue (unlike the books set in the US and Africa)

john-radio 4y ago

Full context matters here: > Why this should be so I do not know, unless we can find a reason for it in our western habit of assuming that the Celestial is over-equipped in the matter of brains, and under-equipped in the matter of morals. Knox is criticizing this assumption, not endorsing it. > I only offer it as a fact of observation that, if you are turning over the pages of a book and come across some mention of ‘the slit-like eyes of Chin Loo', you had best put it down at once; it is bad. I definitely agree with Knox's harsh judgment of the books that used to include such lines! I am reminded of the many ridiculous and racist caricatures of Chinese, African, Native American, and many other cultures in the (otherwise fairly wonderful) Tintin comics by Hergé. Of course, writing a rule against including any Chinese people in detective fiction is going much too far, and is also racist; but no doubt Knox's writing here is a product of his time. In fact, the first detective novel I ever read was "Walking Shadow" by Robert B. Parker, where his tough PI Spenser and his comrades Hawk and Susan Silverman go up against some Boston area tongs, and the Chinese people in that book are interesting, "round" characters; so I'm glad Parker had either never heard of this particular rule and chose to ignore it.

AnimalMuppet 4y ago
How about "Don't make the murderer a stereotype". (I suspect the Chinaman rule is in there because at the time, a bunch of less-well-done detective stories used it as an easy way to make a villainous villain. Well, until recently, you could do the same with the stereotyped-villain-du-jour. Depending on your audience, you still could today.)
baud147258 4y ago
> the many ridiculous and racist caricatures of Chinese [...] in the (otherwise fairly wonderful) Tintin comics by Hergé. From what I remember of the Blue Lotus, it was the Japanese antagonists who got the short end of the stick in that regard, so at least the book in China avoided that issue (unlike the books set in the US and Africa)