Like many young countries, the first 100 years of Australia's (colonised) history don't yield much in the way of great fiction. You could do a Top 10 list comfortably without missing anything important. Robbery Under Arms must be on that list.

Is it slow-going? Yes. Is it rambling? Certainly, although in a pleasingly modern way. In fact, "modern" is a word that comfortably fits this book. Despite being written more than 130 years ago, the characters and especially the dialogue feel astoundingly up-to-date. This is real speech, not the kind featured in high literature, and it captures the reality of life in 19th century Australia from a working-class - and indeed outlawed class - perspective. Astounding to think that the main roads I travel along each week were the province of bushrangers and far-flung carriages only a little over a century ago.

This is very much a melodrama, no question, but it taps into something more. The 19th century fad for serialised novels had hit by this point, and Boldrewood creates something moving - at least in his male characters - that goes beyond a story of stick-em-up adventures. Very enjoyable. ( )