| Plot Summary of Bone Mountain |
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St. Martin's, Sep 2002, 24.95, 432 pp.
ISBN: 0312277601
Disgraced Chines police investigator Shan Tao Yun knows he owes the Buddhist monks his life as they have made his insufferable prison exile tolerable. So when they ask him to deliver a religious idol to a sacred place in the Yapchi Valley, he readily assents to taking the artifact to its home. Renegade monk Lokesh also agrees to accompany Shan on the trek.
However, the journey, which is arduous, turns tragic when someone murders the guide. Shan learns that in Yapchi Valley, the Americans drill for oil, but the female engineer has fled the area. Adding to his bewilderment is that the Chinese army wants the return of the idol stolen from them before it fosters Buddhist teachings over Party lessons and in turn nurture dissent. In this mess, Shan seeks justice, but the Americans, the Chinese, and the Tibetans each have their own definition.
The third Shan tale provides the audience with an interesting mystery that is overshadowed by insight into the region, especially the Tibetan question, but the story line can be difficult to follow because of the deep cerebral look at Buddhism and Communism. Still the who-done-it is intriguing and Shan remains a fascinating lead protagonist, but Eliot Pattison's novel is more for those in the audience wanting a better understanding of life at the top of the world.
Harriet Klausner
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Harriet Klausner, Resident Scholar
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| Review Analysis of Bone Mountain |
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Our unique search engine provides a wealth of detail about books by breaking them down into many different literary elements, all of which are searchable (click here).
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Composition of Book
descript. of violence and chases - 10%
Planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 30%
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 20%
How society works & physical descript. (people, objects, places) - 40%
Tone of story
- suspenseful (sophisticated fear)
How difficult to spot villain?
- Difficult, but some clues given
Time/era of story:
- present (2000-2010)
What % of story relates directly
to the mystery, not the subplot?
- 60%
Kind of investigator
- police procedural, American
Kid or adult book?
- Adult or Young Adult Book
Religious overtones?
Yes
Any non-mystery subplot?
- life in that culture
Crime Thriller
Yes
Murder Mystery (killer unknown)
Yes
Main Character
Gender
- Male
Profession/status:
- police/lawman
Age:
- 40's-50's
How much violence does he/she use?
- a little
How sensitive is this character?
- middling sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence
- Very much smarter than other characters
Physique
- very athletic
Main Adversary
Identity:
- Male
Age:
- 40's-50's
Profession/status:
- government investigator
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in:
- a moderate amount
Motive of antagonist
- money/treasure
How sensitive is this character?
- hard edged
Sense of humor
- Cynical sense of humor
Intelligence
- Smarter than most other characters
Physique
- average physique
Setting
Asia/Pacific
Yes
Asian country:
- China
Style
Person
- mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death?
- generic/vague references to death/punishment
How many deaths?
- 2
Amount of dialog
- significantly more dialog than descript
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