The BONE IS POINTED

Rating:
Summary: Mystery C- / Setting A+
Review: The Inspector Napoleon Bonaparte series spans 29 books written across almost 40 years; this, the sixth entry, was written in 1938. Its hero is a half-caste (white/aboriginal) police detective who operates under his own set of rules and insists on people calling him "Bony" (like the Emperor). He has a 100% success rate, thanks to his belief that given enough time, he can solve any crime (a somewhat dubious assertion). This has led to his being fired a number of times, and then rehired, as he is such an ace sleuth. In this case, he is sent to the outback to investigate the disappearance of a much-hated ranchhand, which occurred 5 months previously. Undaunted by the lack of physical evidence and passage of time, he hangs around long enough to worry people and eventually comes under much danger. The mystery itself isn't very interesting--in fact, it's rather easy to solve on one's own, there are no interesting twists. What does make the book (and presumably the whole series) worth reading is Upfield's treatment of aboriginals and the outback. The landscape is given much treatment, and its vastness and barrenness really come through. More intriguing is the aboriginal magic, the telepathic abilities, and the curses which only work on those who believe in them. The aboriginal patois sparkles throughout as well. Some of the book could be considered racist by contemporary standards (such as the use of "boss" toward the whites for example), but the overall story seems quite progressive for its time, especially considering the abuses suffered by the aboriginals at the hands of official policy.

Rating:
Summary: Somewhat overdone, but still worth reading
Review: Upfield's detective hero is Napolean Bonaparte, and the first line of the novel is "History repeats itself!" These two details render Upfield's novel a symbolic one, with themes larger than the mere unraveling of the plot. It is the presence of these larger themes that redeems this novel and makes it worth reading. The plot itself is mediocre, not grueling but not a thrill-a-minute either. Bony is self-assured almost ad nauseum and never hesitant to make abundantly clear his own awareness/knowledge of a scene - in this way, he resembles Sherlock Holmes, whose need to remind Watson and his readers frequently that he is in fact in control and has complete understanding can become tiresome. Bony's confidence, too, can become irritating, but his charm in other ways usually succeeds in balancing it out and making him readable. The plot itself is somewhat predictable, if not in the details, at least in the general nature of the crime and the culprit. Beyond this narrative, though, there are at work the larger themes, most notably the racial element to the story. Bony is a half-caste, and Upfield's treatment of the outback's aboriginal element is laudable. However, the theme becomes a bit overdone as the reader is constantly reminded (and reminded, and reminded, and then reminded again) that this theme is at play - that Bony is half-caste, that his race is a factor in his perception of the world and in the world's perception of him. Upfield's intentions are good, and for the most part well executed. But at times it seems he is working a little too hard at making sure the reader notices this element, and remains conscious of it throughout the novel. For the most part, however, Upfield's depiction of Bony's adventures in the outback is worth reading, if only to understand more about a sense of nationality that is specific to Australia and the racial tensions of this society.