Susan Lever. 'David Foster: The Satirist of Australia': New York: Cambria Press, 2008, 262pp. ISBN: 97881934043981; US$94.95

Abstract

Susan Lever’s monograph on David Foster and his work is remarkable in many ways. Not least, Lever explains the dynamism of satire in exploring social, political and even spiritual life in particular historical periods, and presents a highly persuasive account of the significance of Foster’s contribution to Australian literature. The book provides an engaging and penetrating commentary on Foster’s extraordinary output in the context of literature in Australia and the United States over the last fifty years. Lever’s analysis is entertainingly accessible and navigates a path through the extremes of contemporary literary theory to explain Foster’s complex philosophical ideas and stylistic idiosyncrasies. In addition Lever interweaves a portrait of Foster himself that offers many insights into his persona and personality.