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Flashbacks by BARRY HUMPHRIES
Mass Market Paperback
First published October 18, 1999
6 people want to read
About the author
Barry Humphries
47 books19 followersJohn Barry Humphries was an Australian comedian, satirist, dadaist, artist, author and character actor, best known for his on-stage and television alter egos Dame Edna Everage, a Melbourne housewife and "gigastar", and Sir Les Patterson, Australia's foul-mouthed cultural attaché to the Court of St. James's. He was a film producer and script writer, a star of London's West End musical theatre, an award-winning writer and an accomplished landscape painter.
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
January 11, 2022
This tie-in to the similarly named teevision show, first broadcast in the 1990s, is an informative and at times hilarious study of Australian history in the first four full post-war decades, as interpreted through the satirical vision of Barry Humphries. With more than a nod to his ascerbic view on what Australian society and identity was and arguably might still be, the author Roger McDonald has compiled a highly readable and surprisingly authentic social history. Additionally, Dame Edna, Sir Les and Sandy Stone throw in their comments as eyewitnesses to the passing phases of politics, culture and social changes, adding their 2 cents with a mixture of comedy and truth.
Whilst one can definitely challenge the veracity of the historical narrative enclosed in this book, and it is definitely skewed politically towards a left-leaning appreciation of Australia after World War II, the beauty of this book is that it captures a spirit or taste of what it meant to be Australian in the decades covered by McDonald and Humphries. The focus on our national insecurity, cultural cringe, obsession with material comfort, small-minded conservatism and the overarching need to try and assert ourselves is perfectly aligned to the period's character. The insistent questioning of what it meant to be Australian and how to express that identity is the key theme of this book, and by association Barry Humphries' satire, and there would be few who would deny this aspect of the text.
The book's format and style is most engaging thanks to the combination of McDonald's text, the interspersed observations of Humphries' different personae and the numerous illustrations. Highly readable, 'Barry Humphries' Flashbacks' will give the reader pause to think and a cause to laugh. It will certainly appeal to fans of Humphries (of which I am one), however there is also value for the student of Australian modern history. It is not perfect; sometimes the acts are muddled or ignored, and the cultural and political biases of author and contributor create a somewhat stylised vision of Australia in the years between 1950 and 1989. Yet it fulfils a similar role, if in a more populist role, than that classic of Australian social literature, 'The Lucky Country' by Donald Horne. This is not "...the vision splendid" but a somewhat skewed look with a wry smile attached.
In summary 'Barry Humphries' Flashbacks' is a most enjoyable read that will provoke both laughter and thought. It might not be an academically accurate rendition of Australian history but it definitely captures the ephemeral spirit of the time and place and people.
Whilst one can definitely challenge the veracity of the historical narrative enclosed in this book, and it is definitely skewed politically towards a left-leaning appreciation of Australia after World War II, the beauty of this book is that it captures a spirit or taste of what it meant to be Australian in the decades covered by McDonald and Humphries. The focus on our national insecurity, cultural cringe, obsession with material comfort, small-minded conservatism and the overarching need to try and assert ourselves is perfectly aligned to the period's character. The insistent questioning of what it meant to be Australian and how to express that identity is the key theme of this book, and by association Barry Humphries' satire, and there would be few who would deny this aspect of the text.
The book's format and style is most engaging thanks to the combination of McDonald's text, the interspersed observations of Humphries' different personae and the numerous illustrations. Highly readable, 'Barry Humphries' Flashbacks' will give the reader pause to think and a cause to laugh. It will certainly appeal to fans of Humphries (of which I am one), however there is also value for the student of Australian modern history. It is not perfect; sometimes the acts are muddled or ignored, and the cultural and political biases of author and contributor create a somewhat stylised vision of Australia in the years between 1950 and 1989. Yet it fulfils a similar role, if in a more populist role, than that classic of Australian social literature, 'The Lucky Country' by Donald Horne. This is not "...the vision splendid" but a somewhat skewed look with a wry smile attached.
In summary 'Barry Humphries' Flashbacks' is a most enjoyable read that will provoke both laughter and thought. It might not be an academically accurate rendition of Australian history but it definitely captures the ephemeral spirit of the time and place and people.
Displaying 1 of 1 review