"First published in 1915, C. J. Dennis's The Songs Of A Sentimental Bloke became one of the great popular successes of Australian literature. Written in lively Australian vernacular, this celebrated verse narrative follows Bill, a rough but tender-hearted Melbourne larrikin, whose life is transformed when he falls in love with Doreen. Through courtship, jealousy, reconciliation and marriage, Dennis creates an affectionate and enduring comedy of working-class Australian life.
The collection includes such memorable pieces as A Spring Song, The Intro, The Play, Doreen, The Stror 'at Coot, The Mooch o' Life and The Kid. Beneath its humour and distinctive slang lies a warm exploration of love, loyalty, aspiration and personal redemption. Dennis's rhythmic language gave the characters an immediately recognisable Australian voice, while Hal Gye's atmospheric colour and line illustrations became inseparably associated with Bill and Doreen's story.
Published in Sydney by Angus & Robertson in 1917, this is the Eighty-Ninth Thousand, identified in the printing history as the fifteenth impression of the first edition. The extraordinary succession of impressions—89,000 copies within less than two years of its original publication—demonstrates the book's remarkable contemporary popularity. Presented in its original pictorial green cloth and retaining Hal Gye's charming illustrations, this is an attractive early issue of a genuine Australian literary classic."
Light wear and fading to covers and spine. Pages clean and the book presents well with no inscriptions. A nice copy in good condition overall. Please study photos to further understand condition.
