Awards

• Joint winner of the Walter McRae Russell Prize 2015

Overview

Alex Miller: The Ruin of Time is the first sole-authored critical survey of the respected Australian novelist's eleven novels. While these books are immediately accessible to the general reading public, they are manifestly works of high literary seriousness – substantial, technically masterful and assured, intricately interconnected, and of great imaginative, intellectual and ethical weight.

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9781743324073

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Reviews

'Dixon maps the expanses of Miller's thought - the intellectual achievement of the fiction - with precision and understanding ... It is heartening to read a critical work of such scope and acuity, and important for the future of Australian literature that publishers such as Sydney University Press continue to be so committed to Australian criticism.' -- Brenda Walker * Australian Book Review * 'The concept of 'the ruin of time,' Dixon's overarching thematic and critical approach, is woven into his analysis of all eleven novels. His ability to extract different resonances from this idea, particularly in his discussion of some of Miller's most memorable images or scenes, such as the decaying homestead in Journey to the Stone Country, is a testament to Dixon's precise and detailed knowledge of the writer.' -- Joe Cummins * Journal of the Association for the Study of Australian Literature (JASAL) * 'This 'critical survey' is recommended for teachers as 'a reliable and stimulating point of reference' and to students who can cope with the language demands of a complex and sophisticated text.' -- Leisa Harvey * mETAphor * 'Despite its many immediate rewards The Ruin of Time is a book that will have a long shelf-life. It is not (of course) the final word on Alex Miller, but due to its compendious nature it will become the 'go to' source for future readers or critics looking to navigate his body of work. It is thoughtful, knowledgeable, studious, engaging and entertaining, and in writing it Dixon has further enhanced both his own reputation and that of his subject.' -- Paul Genoni * Journal of Australian Studies * 'Dixon's Alex Miller is a sustained and impressive appreciation of an Australian novelist who, although much decorated, and despite his considerable skills as an actor and public performer, remains a more elusive figure than his contemporaries Tom Keneally and Peter Carey.' -- Peter Pierce * The Australian * 'In Dixon, Miller finds a reader of generosity, curiosity, intelligence and grace, one who in turn opens the work for others' access and consideration. Alex Miller: The Ruin of Time enacts the lucid reading Celan hopes for, and offers its readers, in turn, illumination.' -- Felicity Plunkett * Southerly *

'Dixon maps the expanses of Miller's thought - the intellectual achievement of the fiction - with precision and understanding ... It is heartening to read a critical work of such scope and acuity, and important for the future of Australian literature that publishers such as Sydney University Press continue to be so committed to Australian criticism.' -- Brenda Walker * Australian Book Review * 'The concept of 'the ruin of time,' Dixon's overarching thematic and critical approach, is woven into his analysis of all eleven novels. His ability to extract different resonances from this idea, particularly in his discussion of some of Miller's most memorable images or scenes, such as the decaying homestead in Journey to the Stone Country, is a testament to Dixon's precise and detailed knowledge of the writer.' -- Joe Cummins * Journal of the Association for the Study of Australian Literature (JASAL) * 'This 'critical survey' is recommended for teachers as 'a reliable and stimulating point of reference' and to students who can cope with the language demands of a complex and sophisticated text.' -- Leisa Harvey * mETAphor * 'In Dixon, Miller finds a reader of generosity, curiosity, intelligence and grace, one who in turn opens the work for others' access and consideration. Alex Miller: The Ruin of Time enacts the lucid reading Celan hopes for, and offers its readers, in turn, illumination.' -- Felicity Plunkett * Southerly * 'Dixon's Alex Miller is a sustained and impressive appreciation of an Australian novelist who, although much decorated, and despite his considerable skills as an actor and public performer, remains a more elusive figure than his contemporaries Tom Keneally and Peter Carey.' -- Peter Pierce * The Australian * 'Despite its many immediate rewards The Ruin of Time is a book that will have a long shelf-life. It is not (of course) the final word on Alex Miller, but due to its compendious nature it will become the 'go to' source for future readers or critics looking to navigate his body of work. It is thoughtful, knowledgeable, studious, engaging and entertaining, and in writing it Dixon has further enhanced both his own reputation and that of his subject.' -- Paul Genoni * Journal of Australian Studies *

Author Information

Robert Dixon is professor of Australian literature at the University of Sydney and general editor of the Sydney Studies in Australian Literature series.

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