Browsing digitised papers via National Library's Trove yet again, I came across an intriguing 1908 article by Page Twenty-Seven columnist Norman Lilley. I gather that Lilley had made some pronouncements on Australian literature which had garnered some strong opinions. I haven't searched hard for the original statements but we don't necessarily need them to enjoy Lilley's report of the ensuing … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Debating Australian literature in 1908
20th century literature
Thea Astley, Drylands (Review, of sorts)
I read Thea Astley's Drylands many, many years ago now, so what I'm going to share here - inspired by my post earlier this year on confronting Australian novels - are the notes I made when I read it. They are not particularly well-formed, because I wasn't planning a review at the time, though I must admit … Continue reading Thea Astley, Drylands (Review, of sorts)
More on Simone de Beauvoir’s Memoirs of a dutiful daughter
My recent review of Simone de Beauvoir's Memoirs of a beautiful daughter was a little dry, focusing on some specific ideas or issues that interested me, rather than on her writing. It's a pretty dense book, containing detailed description of her life and thoughts, but her fearless and often evocative writing carries it. I'd like to share a few … Continue reading More on Simone de Beauvoir’s Memoirs of a dutiful daughter
Simone de Beauvoir, Memoirs of a dutiful daughter (Review)
I have only read one other work by Simone de Beauvoir - and I'm ashamed to say that it wasn't The second sex (which still sits in my long-in-the-tooth TBR pile). It was, instead, one of her autobiographical novels, She came to stay. I enjoyed it as I recollect, but that was a long time ago. … Continue reading Simone de Beauvoir, Memoirs of a dutiful daughter (Review)
Toshio Mori, Japanese Hamlet (Review)
What I love about the Library of America is the variety of works it features in its Story of the Week program. Because of my interest in Japan and Japanese writers, I was particularly attracted to Toshio Mori's story, "Japanese Hamlet", that they published a couple of weeks ago. Toshio Mori was one of the first Japanese-American … Continue reading Toshio Mori, Japanese Hamlet (Review)
Monday musings on Australian literature: Australian women writers, 1930s
In July I wrote two posts based on Nettie Palmer's 1920s assessment of great Australian novels. In 1935, another Australian novelist, Zora Cross, wrote an article about Australian women novelists and poets. I enjoy reading these contemporary perspectives, and I think some of you are interested too ... do let me know if you aren't. … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Australian women writers, 1930s
Monday musings on Australian literature: The novel in Australia, 1927-style, Part 2
Today's Monday Musings is Part 2 of my two post series discussing Nettie Palmer's article, "The novel in Australia", that was published in The Brisbane Courier, 15 October 1927. As I did in last week's post, I'll use her headings to share her view on Australia's great novels. A novelist abroad Here she discusses Australian writers who wrote … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: The novel in Australia, 1927-style, Part 2
Eleanor Dark’s Juvenilia (Review)
Eleanor Dark was quite a star in Australia's literary firmament of the 1930s to 1950s, and has left an important legacy, not only in her most famous book The timeless land but also in the fact that her home Varuna in the Blue Mountains is now one of Australia's most significant and loved writers' retreats. It's … Continue reading Eleanor Dark’s Juvenilia (Review)
Monday musings on Australian literature: The novel in Australia, 1927-style, Part 1
Nettie Palmer was one of Australia's leading literary critics, not to mention essayist and poet, through the 1920s to 1940s. I have mentioned her several times in this blog, including in my post on Australia's literary couples. She also mentored younger women writers such as Marjorie Barnard and Flora Eldershaw. However, what I want to discuss today … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: The novel in Australia, 1927-style, Part 1
Sara Dowse, Schemetime (Review)
What Sara Dowse didn't know when she recently commented here on her love-hate relationship with Los Angeles was that I was in the closing stages of reading her novel, Schemetime, set there. I'm somewhat embarrassed to say that I've had this novel since Christmas 1990 when I was living in the LA area (in adjoining Orange … Continue reading Sara Dowse, Schemetime (Review)
Whispering Gums 