Arthur Upfield Novels
Now that I think I am getting the gist of this comm, I am going to try posting again.
Shall I wax poetic now about my love of the Bony book's by Arthur Upfield? I know these books are obscure! They were when I stared hunting for them in the mid 1980's. And no wonder, they were written during the 1930's to late 1950's. If you like mystery's, if you love Australia, like I do, and if you like to read about times that aren't politically correct now, these books may just be for you... and if this is a place to talk about the obscure things I love, I hope this works...
Be warned, massive conversion attempt ahead... Bwhahahahahaaaaa...
After discussing these books earlier with the comm maintainer (what is your name btw!?!?) and seeing her unique point of view, I have come to cherish this series even more. I loved the great search and hunt for the books during the 80's and have read them several times since then. I have all of his books, 33 total, and I know in the future I will probably reread them again.
There are several reasons why I loved this series. Number one, they were about Australia! I have been fascinated by the country for a long time now and when I saw an editorial letter in a National Geographic magazine from a woman commentator about the Upfield Mysteries I was immediately intrigued. I got my hands on a copy and the rest is history. The author was something of an itinerant worker in the time period covered and his excursions led him all over the continent and that wealth of memories and experience are very evident in the books themselves. I once went and located nearly all the places he actually set his stories in, and the real places near the fictitious ones he created, on a map of Australia. His descriptions are memorable and vivid, he literally could put you there! Upfield could write a mystery story that left you wondering right up to the very end of the book! And his characters? Fantastic!
Those characters are where the controversy begins...
The main character is Napoleon 'Bony' Bonaparte, so named because as an orphaned toddler, the Mission nurse who found and raised him, caught him chewing on a large biography of the French General. Bony was half white and half aboriginal and exceptionally smart, as he would tell you himself. His ego was enormous, and great fun! Growing up, he proved to be an excellent student and earned his ways to a Masters Degree from Queensland's Brisbane University. Now this was were controversy really began as this was unheard of from a 'half-breed' during that time period. It gets even better.
Going through several upheaval's in his younger life due to his mixed race heritage, he ended up returning to his 'tribe' where he quickly mastered the skills necessary for survival in Australia's outback and also rose through the ranks of the tribal culture to a position of great prominence. Having done that, he then began traveling a bit, mostly as a horse trainer to different stations (ranches) in the state of Queensland. Fate then intervened. He was called on by the local police to help in tracking the whereabout of a kidnapped child. So quickly and in such an extraordinary manner did he accomplish this, that the police offered him a job. He didn't even hesitate when he demanded, and got, the job of a Detective.
And that was really unheard of!
Several years later, he earned his way into the position of Detective-Inspector by having a solve rate of 100%, and then he really took off!
Bony often boasts in his novels about how he would not, actually refused is a better word, accept ordinary murder and crime cases, explaining that they were too boring for a mind such as his, and he actually sought out, and got, criminal cases that were unsolved or impossible to solve. He would then tell his superiors, gleefully, that he would not let the cases go until he had solved them to his satisfaction, no matter how many times they demanded his return, how long it took him, or they fired him. He got the cases, would get fired, and would always talk his way back into his job. He was exceptionally noted for having a 100% success rate, save one -- which was unofficially solved but officially left unsolved-- It was great stuff! (BTW, that book is The Sands of Windee.
Because of this, and his specialty for outback crimes, Bony was on loan to all the other states of Australia, and he became something of a shadowy legend amongst police circles. Nobody knew what to expect. He was described, physically, as an average man, looking dark skinned and black haired like an Indian prince, but with exceptionally compelling blue eyes. And by sheer force of personality and that enormous ego, he'd win over people's prejudice in heartbeat. He was infamous for smoking cigarettes, which he always hand rolled, and always did an awful job of doing it... (One of my favourite Bony idiosyncrasies!) And he was great fun to watch operate, in the cities or in the outback, whenever he got a case he could sink his teeth into. Despite the huge ego, he came across as a gentleman, except to his fugitives, and an incurable romantic and was often writing letters to his sweetheart and wife, Marie, a character that was never fully developed in the books, she would forever remain shadowy!
The other appealing thing about the books was the stories themselves. Some of the crimes involved had such original and fascinating motives, read 'Death of a Swagman' for one. That is a novel where Bony is fully in his element, for one where he is fully OUT of his element, 'Mystery of Swordfish Reef' is a fun, fascinating read and to date my favourite of all the Bonaparte books.
Then, besides the controversy of Bony being a half breed in a high position in society, the other controversy about the books was the depiction of Native characters. Most folks thought they were offensive, but Upfield had a subtle way of bringing about respect for what seemed to be racist profiling. If you are willing to sit back and let the stories just be what they are? Dang good stories? They are wonderful reads, excellent for a day on the porch, on the beach, or in bed when you are feeling miserable and sick!
In today's too-easy-to-be-offended society, these books would never survive. Probably why I love them even more!
I do know that Australia had a very brief TV series devoted to Bony, which had enough controversy itself, yet I always thought that in the hands of the right people? This series would be an excellant addition to the MYSTERY! series on PBS. It would rank right up there with Jeremey Brett's Sherlock Holmes series, or Helen Mirren's 'Prime Suspect' series, ahhh but that is just a dream!
Anyhooo, I think I've rambled long enough.
Shall I wax poetic now about my love of the Bony book's by Arthur Upfield? I know these books are obscure! They were when I stared hunting for them in the mid 1980's. And no wonder, they were written during the 1930's to late 1950's. If you like mystery's, if you love Australia, like I do, and if you like to read about times that aren't politically correct now, these books may just be for you... and if this is a place to talk about the obscure things I love, I hope this works...
Be warned, massive conversion attempt ahead... Bwhahahahahaaaaa...
After discussing these books earlier with the comm maintainer (what is your name btw!?!?) and seeing her unique point of view, I have come to cherish this series even more. I loved the great search and hunt for the books during the 80's and have read them several times since then. I have all of his books, 33 total, and I know in the future I will probably reread them again.
There are several reasons why I loved this series. Number one, they were about Australia! I have been fascinated by the country for a long time now and when I saw an editorial letter in a National Geographic magazine from a woman commentator about the Upfield Mysteries I was immediately intrigued. I got my hands on a copy and the rest is history. The author was something of an itinerant worker in the time period covered and his excursions led him all over the continent and that wealth of memories and experience are very evident in the books themselves. I once went and located nearly all the places he actually set his stories in, and the real places near the fictitious ones he created, on a map of Australia. His descriptions are memorable and vivid, he literally could put you there! Upfield could write a mystery story that left you wondering right up to the very end of the book! And his characters? Fantastic!
Those characters are where the controversy begins...
The main character is Napoleon 'Bony' Bonaparte, so named because as an orphaned toddler, the Mission nurse who found and raised him, caught him chewing on a large biography of the French General. Bony was half white and half aboriginal and exceptionally smart, as he would tell you himself. His ego was enormous, and great fun! Growing up, he proved to be an excellent student and earned his ways to a Masters Degree from Queensland's Brisbane University. Now this was were controversy really began as this was unheard of from a 'half-breed' during that time period. It gets even better.
Going through several upheaval's in his younger life due to his mixed race heritage, he ended up returning to his 'tribe' where he quickly mastered the skills necessary for survival in Australia's outback and also rose through the ranks of the tribal culture to a position of great prominence. Having done that, he then began traveling a bit, mostly as a horse trainer to different stations (ranches) in the state of Queensland. Fate then intervened. He was called on by the local police to help in tracking the whereabout of a kidnapped child. So quickly and in such an extraordinary manner did he accomplish this, that the police offered him a job. He didn't even hesitate when he demanded, and got, the job of a Detective.
And that was really unheard of!
Several years later, he earned his way into the position of Detective-Inspector by having a solve rate of 100%, and then he really took off!
Bony often boasts in his novels about how he would not, actually refused is a better word, accept ordinary murder and crime cases, explaining that they were too boring for a mind such as his, and he actually sought out, and got, criminal cases that were unsolved or impossible to solve. He would then tell his superiors, gleefully, that he would not let the cases go until he had solved them to his satisfaction, no matter how many times they demanded his return, how long it took him, or they fired him. He got the cases, would get fired, and would always talk his way back into his job. He was exceptionally noted for having a 100% success rate, save one -- which was unofficially solved but officially left unsolved-- It was great stuff! (BTW, that book is The Sands of Windee.
Because of this, and his specialty for outback crimes, Bony was on loan to all the other states of Australia, and he became something of a shadowy legend amongst police circles. Nobody knew what to expect. He was described, physically, as an average man, looking dark skinned and black haired like an Indian prince, but with exceptionally compelling blue eyes. And by sheer force of personality and that enormous ego, he'd win over people's prejudice in heartbeat. He was infamous for smoking cigarettes, which he always hand rolled, and always did an awful job of doing it... (One of my favourite Bony idiosyncrasies!) And he was great fun to watch operate, in the cities or in the outback, whenever he got a case he could sink his teeth into. Despite the huge ego, he came across as a gentleman, except to his fugitives, and an incurable romantic and was often writing letters to his sweetheart and wife, Marie, a character that was never fully developed in the books, she would forever remain shadowy!
The other appealing thing about the books was the stories themselves. Some of the crimes involved had such original and fascinating motives, read 'Death of a Swagman' for one. That is a novel where Bony is fully in his element, for one where he is fully OUT of his element, 'Mystery of Swordfish Reef' is a fun, fascinating read and to date my favourite of all the Bonaparte books.
Then, besides the controversy of Bony being a half breed in a high position in society, the other controversy about the books was the depiction of Native characters. Most folks thought they were offensive, but Upfield had a subtle way of bringing about respect for what seemed to be racist profiling. If you are willing to sit back and let the stories just be what they are? Dang good stories? They are wonderful reads, excellent for a day on the porch, on the beach, or in bed when you are feeling miserable and sick!
In today's too-easy-to-be-offended society, these books would never survive. Probably why I love them even more!
I do know that Australia had a very brief TV series devoted to Bony, which had enough controversy itself, yet I always thought that in the hands of the right people? This series would be an excellant addition to the MYSTERY! series on PBS. It would rank right up there with Jeremey Brett's Sherlock Holmes series, or Helen Mirren's 'Prime Suspect' series, ahhh but that is just a dream!
Anyhooo, I think I've rambled long enough.