Frank J Hardy (1917–1994)

That took so long to read. I kept distracting myself with other books. But it was my father's book, set in his Sydney and his politics, and it was a story of soviet Russia with the reality of all its insanity, and I finished it the week my friend Dan killed himself so the final meditation on suicide was important.
It's not a great novel and it hasn't aged well. But for me, now, it was much needed.

This roman à clef is a precious artefact of Australian politics, and I greatly enjoyed the experience of simultaneously reading, and looking up the lives of the real characters.

However it’s more like a journalistic recount than a novel, full of flat charmless characters living mean and ultimately fruitless lives.

Written in the 1950s about the early days of federation and up to post WW2. An interesting story woven around the politics and corruption of that during those times. Amazing how branch stacking, buying votes and making money has continued to be relevant in 21st century.

"Power without glory" is generally considered to be one of the great Australian novels, and you would get no argument from me on that. Upon release, it also proved to be one of the most controversial Australian novels as “Power without glory” is apparently closely based on the life of John Wren (named John West here) from working class poor in suburban Melbourne to his rise to become one of Victoria’s richest and most powerful men through a series of controversial and illegal show more actions.

While the writing seems to be less than poetic at times, Hardy captures the essence of Australian culture in the first half of the Australian century in a way that few, if any, novels have before or since. And that's why it's considered a great Australian novel. show less