An unsentimental bloke: The life and work of C.J. Dennis by Philip Butterss
Wakefield Press, 2014. ISBN 9781743052877.
(Age: 17+) Recommended. These days, readers are likely to encounter
the verse of C.J. Dennis in one of his poems for children. However,
nearly a century ago, many Australians only needed to hear the line,
'Er name was Doreen', to recall The songs of a sentimental bloke,
a narrative poem that sold over 100,000 copies in its first five
years of publication. Philip Butterss has explored the life and
works of the poet and discovered a gifted but troubled man whose
'larrikin verse' captured the spirit of his age.
The result is not only a detailed account of a life lived under the
shadow of asthma, alcohol dependence and financial problems, but
also a critique of the writer's work in the context of the society
in which he lived. Dennis produced a prodigious body of poetry while
working as a clerk, journalist, editor, political campaigner and
public servant. Like many of his contemporaries, he embraced a form
of nationalistic egalitarianism that celebrated the lives of
so-called ordinary people, while ostracising minorities and
non-British foreigners. During the Great War, stories about the
love-struck bloke and the unassuming heroism of Ginger Mick, boosted
morale and contributed to the creation of the Anzac legend. After
the conflict, The Glugs of Gosh lampooned the Melbourne
establishment under the guise of nonsense verse and The singing
garden depicted life in the Victorian countryside. Philip
Butterss has tracked the changes in Australian popular culture that
led to a decline in the appeal of Dennis's writing, as well as
recent attempts to reignite a delight in its wit and humour. He has
also drawn an intimate portrait of a complex man who could 'think in
verse' that was deceptively naive.
Philip Butterss' scholarship is evident in his meticulous prose, an
extensive bibliography and source notes. At once a work of
biography, literary criticism and social history, An unsentimental
bloke will provide older readers with memorable insights into the
life and times of an influential Australian writer.
Elizabeth Bor