Literary Criticism
Book Details

Crème de la Phlegm

Unforgettable Australian Reviews

Angela Bennie

'This book is stupendously bad, the crème de la phlegm of memoirs. . .'

Awards

2007 APA Book Design Awards Shortlist: Best Designed Non-fiction book (text)

Opinion

" Her essay is superb, a clearly advanced exposition, philosophically and historically sophisticated and detailed in its illustration." Sydney Morning Herald 12/08/2006

Categorised by decade, it's just as interesting to read the writing styles and language as it is to read the arguements. There's hours of entertainment . . . " mX Melbourne

About this Title

'This book is stupendously bad, the crème de la phlegm of memoirs. . .'
Gideon Haigh on Lorenzo Montesini's My Life and Other Misdemeanors, 1999

Crème de la Phlegm is a landmark collection of famous and infamous Australian reviews of literature, theatre, music, film, architecture and the visual arts. In her eloquent essay Angela Bennie surveys some of Australian criticism's most biting reviews and looks at why the critic is so much out of favour with Australian artists. She argues for the return of criticism as a literary art in its own right.

Beginning with A. D. Hope's seminal drubbing of Patrick White in 1956, Crème de la Phlegm chronicles the colourful practice of critical invective over the past fifty years, some of which is couched in superb argument, but most of which comes trailing clouds of self-glory and dull censure. This collection reviews the state of Australian criticism and, from the Female Eunuch to Dead White Males, gives a vivid and incisive snapshot of our culture.

About the Author

Angela Bennie is a former Sydney Morning Herald literary editor, arts editor and theatre critic. She is now a senior journalist with the paper, writing about all aspects of the arts and literature. This is her first book.

978-0-522-85241-7