The Corpse on the Dyke was the very first of the Amsterdam Cops series that I read, initially intrigued on the extremely pulpy title! This was in the 1970s and the first copy I bought was used. I was hooked and read all of them. I love the characters, particularly the Commisaris, and the tales progress in such an unconventional way. The conversations that take place are always worthwhile! I am presently reading them all again, loving them as much as I did 25 years ago. They are timeless.

I didn't know what to expect, as this was my first introduction to this author or any dutch author for that matter.

This book grabs you and won't let go until the very end. Even then it is reluctant. You immeadiately bond with the two qwirky detectives as they discover clues concerning a rare homicide in Amsterdam, and they discover themselves.

Outstanding, interesting, offbeat and just plain fun. Worth the time.

I ran into this author by accident, browsing in the mystery category, and I am delighted that I did. This is the second book I've read from the Amsterdam Cops series, and I plan to read them all! The characters are people you'd like to get to know -- believable and quirky. The plot of this particular book takes the reader inside the physical geography of Amsterdam as well as into the minds and world views of the detectives. A man who seems to have no connection to anyone else has been murdered in a run-down house along a city canal. The detectives weave in and out of the Dutch underworld to find the guilty parties. Absolutely delightful and mysterious

I picked this book up in a college town's bookstore while visiting my sister. Sometimes I will just pick up a handful of books in the Eastern Philosophy section, and see what I get when I take off my blindfold. On the car ride home I was unsure while glancing over it if I was going to like this one or not. The back speaks of "...Zen sages who were alcoholics, the two natured personality of Zen Masters who enjoy sex and cowboy movies..."-I personally found this description of the contents after having read it, frankly completely off base.

This book is about a Zen student's adventures from Japan, back to Amsterdam, to the United States-where this book takes place for the most part. It could be any Zen community really, it shows what it is like working with others in a very accurate manner. He writes with a direct simplicity-he is not wordy, just says it how it was. Now did I agree with everything he had to say about Zen? Not at all, but the important thing is I was asked a lot of questions while reading this book. And that's what any good book can do above all else, is ask questions-rather than saying, "here, agree with me."

A passage of his book that provided myself with a lot of insight goes as follows,

"A Chinese allegory tells how a monk sets off on a long pilgrimage to find the Buddha. He spends years and years on his quest and finally he comes to the country where the Buddha lives.

He crosses a river, it is a wide river, and he looks about him while the boatman rows him across. There is a corpse floating on the water and it is coming closer.

The monk looks. The corpse is so close he can touch it. He recognizes the corpse, it is his own.

The monk loses all self control and wails.

There he floats, dead.

Nothing remains.

Anything he has ever been, ever learned, ever owned, floats past him, still and without life, moved by the slow current of the wide river.

It is the first moment of his liberation."

This book is brilliant in all places, it shows some struggle with inner questioning. A wrestling with the author's own cleverness. It almost feels like a diary. One that just so happened to have been written while having a stay with a Zen community. I believe you will come to appreciate this book a lot.

this book shows that the most sacred is found in wherever you are, and it is never necessary to point it out. Its just there smiling from the shadows, waiting for you to share in the joke. The character of Peter is very interesting and represents an 'ideal' which I try to live up to, not in the sense of mirroring his personality or surroundings, but merely reflecting the core that is all our nature. It is not so much the narrator's specific journey is important, as none of ours are except to us individually, but of the feeling generated from knowing though flawed we are all just sleepy children not yet aware of the extend of our shared majesty.

Once again Jan Willem van de Wetering in his humourous style exposes his experiences to the world without embarrassment or shyness. Ten years after his experience as a young man in the Zen monastery in Japan under the old master, even though he had separated from "Peter", the old masters heir to be, on bad terms, he meets him again in Holland and Peter visits him at his home. He decides to continue where he left off with his koan still smoldering inside. He spends some time at Peter's Zen community or commarde as others called it and solved his koan as well as others. We learn more of Peter and especially of the fascinating set of characters who are also seeking, such as Edgar or Rupert the erstwhile psychologist. As before he struggles with the required discipline but this time its not as hard, he has gained from his stay in Japan, as the old master said at the end of the first book "you are now a little awake, so awake you will never be able to fall asleep again".

The training is everywhere.

i bought this book new in hard back but kept it for more than 2 years, aging like fine wine. i can't think of a better g&g novel, and i've read everything janwillem has written. he sent me an email and asked why i like his writing so much. this is part of my response. he has taken the relationship between g&g and the commissaris to a new level of teacher and disciples. the commissaris finds them hiding behind their ill found wealth, surrounded by luxury and weeds. he teaches them the truth. it is reminiscent of van gulik's judge dee finding his followers as robbers in the woods -and that was the beginning of that series. it seems that perhaps janwillem has been freed by finishing his zen triology with afterzen. i anxiously await the new g&g mystery that has them working as true private detectives. thank you janwillem, john boland, victoria, bc jbfoundation@hotmail.com

As I have read the entire Amsterdam Cops series (well out of sequence), and this latest novel is among the best, I thought I would post one review instead of 15, in hopes that it will help others navigate this collection of quirky, charming police procedurals. Starred = esp. recommended.

1. Outsider in Amsterdam ('75) - What one expects from the first of a series. Some characteristics are there, but not all, and not as pronounced, and the characters are only beginning to take shape. The commissaris has only a brief appearance; the chief inspector, who disappears after this, is more prominent. An adequate story, with a few very good scenes.

2-4. Tumbleweed ('76), The Corpse on the Dike ('76), Death of a Hawker ('77) - Progressively more - and smoother - integration of the philosophical themes, and the characters continue their fleshing-out process. The relaxed, Buddhism-and-psychology-tinged nature of the series is becoming evident here. The three stories are about equally complex. Of a piece.

5*. The Japanese Corpse ('77) - Stands out in that the Buddhism theme gets much more play than usual; the cops travel to Japan. Very linear and simple in terms of the plot/police work. The commissaris here begins to carry much of the philosophising theme, and by now has become an intellectual leader of sorts to G&dG.

6*. The Blond Baboon ('78) - The best puzzle of them all, the pacing is good, and the book is solid in all other respects. Van de Wetering has really hit his stride by now, and the rest, if often not as well-rounded as this one, usually have some extra dimension added to them. This would be a very good one to start with.

7*. The Maine Massacre ('79) - De Gier and the commissaris travel, and a lot of the fun is in their observations of their new surroundings, and interactions with the locals. Better, of course, if you already know the characters and the series, but it is very good anyway.

8. The Mind-Murders ('81) - Really two linked psychology-tinged novellas. Mostly G&dG here, lots of joking, sarcasm between them. By now the cops are fully formed characters and here the interactions between them are emphasized, like the way a good sitcom runs familiar characters into situations that allow them to play off one another. Not bad, but constitutes a bit of a lull in the series.

9. The Streetbird ('83) - The plot deals with black magic, but it's not all that hokey, since it fits in a way with van de Wetering's philosophising. One might guess the villain midway through, but it doesn't matter. Better than #8, but not quite as good as the others in this stretch.

10*. The Rattle-Rat ('85) - Notable for clever banter between the cops, several running jokes, a few chaotic scenes with overlapping dialogue. Very amusing. Plot threads spring out of nowhere, eventually drift together. Again, one should know midway through who the culprit is. The oddest of the odd, and among the best.

11*. Hard Rain ('86) - A noir, van de Wetering style. Here the cops untangle police corruption linked with several murders. We, and they, know who the bad guys are - and here they are genuinely bad - right off, so it is a matter of the cops navigating the situation and bringing the criminals to justice. The cat-and-mouse games combined with the series' usual touches makes for tremendous entertainment.

12. Just a Corpse at Twilight ('94) - The three have been retired for two years. Grijpstra is a PI, de Gier is living easy in Maine after traveling, and the commissaris is at home. A good, but slight, story; it's more about how the characters are getting along, and re-does the fish-out-of-water thing, especially amusing here because Maine is new to Grijpstra, and not to de Gier. Slightly inferior to #14, but good.

13*. The Hollow-Eyed Angel ('96) - Still cops - this one takes place before #12. Probably half-written during the series' hiatus, finished after. Dominated by the commissaris, who goes to NYC. Very reflective in tone, lots of philosophy and psychology, and the story is better than most. One of the best.

14*. The Perfidious Parrot ('97) - De Gier has joined Grijpstra's PI "agency." As with #12 there is a lot of interaction between the ex-cops and the (here, exotic) locales, and it is even more overtly about the characters' lives than the others. Some back-story in this and #12 about how the cops got rich, and here it is integral to the rest of the book.

15. The Amsterdam Cops-Collected Stories ('99) - Take place throughout the cops' tenure in Amsterdam. The commissaris is barely present, and in a few G&dG only pop up briefly. Quick character and crime studies, a couple mild puzzles. For completists only. The interplay between characters is missing here.

The three Amstelteers have raced, well more like meandered, from Vondel Park to the Antilles via Key West on a case with a surprising oily twist. In business on their own, G&G, under the watchful eye of Henkieluvvie uncover a clever plot to make oil disappear. Their biggest concern is that the most PERFIDIOUS outlaw of all "the Amsterdam Tax man" may get their loot if they do not get to work. Perifidious, deceitful, faithless, untrustworthy. In depth story telling with the tongue in cheek attitude that JanWillem does so well. The characters stay in line, no surprises, as it should be. At the end their conscience is relieved because of the actions of their mentor.

A wild storm rocks Amsterdam and at the end of the storm the body of Elaine Carnet, successful businesswoman and former Paris torch singer, is found with a broken neck at the foot of her garden steps. Was she killed by a gust of wind? If so, who was smoking the cigarettes that they found in her house?

Grijpstra and de Gier are called in to figure out who was behind the murder.

Van De WeteringÂ's novels are always among the best mysteries around. His characters are meditative in a way that feels authentic. He manages to put a human face on brutality while still somehow underlying the brutality. Even sensational endings feel like inevitable parts of a story rather than a novelists trick. Well worth a read for people who donÂ't know them.

This is one of my favorites in this series. Terrific Amsterdam villians and weird introspective police abound, as always.

Robert Hans van Gulik was a Dutch diplomat, a Sinologist -look it up! - a poet, musician, zoologist: and above all the author of the famous Judge Dee sequence of thrillers, set in T'ang China. Janwillem van de Wetering is a writer and ex-monk with a passionate interest in the East, and the ideal person to write Gulik's life - he died in 1967. Yet this book is out of print! PLEASE SOMEONE REPRINT IT SOONEST!!

Van de Wetering continues his search for the true meaning of being and nothingness. The commissaris and Sergeant de Gier travel to New York to investigate the death of an uncle of a member of the Amsterdam Police Reserve. Throughout the course of their investigation, the Dutch detectives continue their own personal search for enlightenment. Van de Wetering has a talent for giving his readers more than a casual glimpse of the philosophy of Zen Buddhism, yet he manages to do so without preaching about it. As always, he makes us laugh along the way. This book did not feature as much interaction between Adjutant Gripstra and Sergeant de Gier as some of Van de Wetering's previous efforts, as Gripstra did not travel to Manhattan with his colleagues. The focus in this story was the commissaris, and his attempts to solve both the case, and the meaning of life. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and I am glad that the author has continued this unique mystery series after a long hiatus.

This illustrated children's story is a delightful read-aloud choice for parents or teachers, and they will enjoy and ponder the message at least as much as their young listeners. Written by an author better known for his adult mysteries, it is set in his adopted Maine and features an eccentric porcupine who agrees to rescue his own kind from highway death when they declare themselves incapable of solving the problem for themselves. When his plan turns out to have its own unwanted consequences, he accepts responsibility for trying again and, this time, succeeds. It's a satisfying story on its own. As a fable, it's a wonderful taking-off place for serious discussion of social and political issues. I have read it with great success to sophisticated eleven and twelve year olds and recommend it with great enthusiasm. Readers who enjoy this one might also check out "The Lemming Condition" by actor/author Alan Arkin

Although I've arguably had a bit too much to drink this evening, I'm more than able to critique van de Wetering's work. Many people have told me that his style is a bit difficult to work through, and this may be true. Having been to Holland, however, I find the logic easy to follow and the dialogue and character profiles more than intriguing. I am, at this point, depressed because I feel van de Wetering has had more than enough of his characters, Grijpstra and de Gier, and that he will publish no further novels involving them. This would be one of the great tragedies of my life, although the author is very elderly, because I don't feel that I have any closure on the characters...perhaps it would be better that way...hm...

Van de Wetering (a Dutch) is a very interesting author of quite unique "mysteries", set in a very everyday Amsterdam and also writes interestingly about his experiences with Zen Bhuddism. Van Gulik was a Dutch diplomat (before, during and after WW II), and a scientist working on Chinese history and culture who could play old Chinese instruments and mastered calligraphy - and who wrote mysteries in an old Imperial Chinese setting. Gulik is clearly one of Van de Wetering' s "heroes" and he is very aptly portraited as an interesting person living in interesting times and doing interesting things.

I hadn't realized when I picked up this book that it was written in 1973 about experiences in the 1950's. Although it remains relevant in this time, it is rather surprising to think of a time when Eastern philosophy was difficult for Westerners to find. (Mind you, I say this as a resident of a Zen Buddhist abbey in Detroit.) At the time van de Wetering traveled to Japan, one wouldn't find Zen teachers in America or Europe, much less Zen communities. In this way, van de Wetering's journey paved the way for us, and for that I thank him deeply.

In some ways, the book provides a basic introduction to the Zen precepts and the monastic way of life. After all, when he was writing it, there were very few books on Westerners practicing Zen. So in some ways, this book covers ground that many more recent, more popular books have covered.

However, this book is full of surprises for people who might have a one-dimensional view of monastic life. There is peaceful meditation, but there are also arguments among the monks. Van de Wetering apparently expected to transcend human life in the monastery, but inside, he found the same problems as outside. He also found his own need to escape, to occasionally go out for a beer. It's a central paradox most readers who practice Zen will sympathize with; we want tranquility, but suffering is so darn interesting. Sometimes this paradox, as van de Wetering presents it, is hilarious. Traditional Zen stories can be vulgar, and so can contemporary Zen stories. We, like the author, must reflect on our expectations and assumptions to see what is really there

I was first required to read this title in an Introduction to Buddhism course in undergraduate school. Since then, I have read probably two dozen books on Zen and/or Buddhism and I owe it all to 'The Empty Mirror.' The author has done a great job of describing life in a Zen monastery, the Zen koan, and it's a great introduction to the religion/philosophy. I'd recommend it to any student of religion, philosophy, or Zen Buddhism or anyone wanting to expand their knowledge on Buddhist monastic life. Janwillem Van de Watering does a good job of keeping the reader interested with light humor and a mix of day-to-day experiences during his stay at the monastery.

I read this book at a time when there was a great deal of turmoil going on in my life. I spoke to a friend who thourght that reading this book might give me back balance to what you could call a personal catastrophie. The Empty Mirror gave me that and more. I found Mr. Janwillem's experience in the monastery outstanding in the sense that it is something I've wanted to do all my life. Maybe in the next one, life that is, I'll be more serious and take a leaf out of Mr Janwillem van dan wetering's book(s). For a lasting nice warm and fuzzy felling that gives you some insight about life, I can only recommend this to you all with peace compassion and happiness. May all beings be happy.