The Pure Land
The Pure Land is the 1974 debut novel written by David Foster.[1]
It was the winner of the first The Age Book of the Year award.[2]
Synopsis
The novel is divided into four parts. Part One is set in 1930s Katoomba, New South Wales where the middle-aged landscape photographer Albert Manwaring travels to America with his daughter. Part Two, during the 1960s, focuses on Manwaring's daughter, Jean (or Janet) living in America and discusses originality of art, especially Australian, European and American art. In Part Three, in 1970, Janet's son, Danny, becomes a scientist and intellectual, Albert Manwaring's antithesis. In Part Four Danny intends to move to Australia, where his family is originally from, and ends up in Katoomba.
Publication history
Following the novel's initial publication by Macmillan in 1974,[1] it was reprinted as follows:
- Penguin Books, Australia, 1985[3]
- Vintage Books, Australia, 1996[4]
References
- ^ a b "The Pure Land by David Foster (Macmillan)". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 18 April 2025.
- ^ ""The Age brings back Melbourne Writers Festival and revives book of the year award"". The Sydney Morning Herald, 9 June 2021. 9 June 2021. Retrieved 18 April 2025.
- ^ "The Pure Land by David Foster (Penguin)". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 18 April 2025.
- ^ "The Pure Land by David Foster (Vintage)". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 18 April 2025.
Notes
- Shaw, Narelle. "The Pure Land". The Literary Encyclopedia. 27 July 2004. Accessed 5 July 2008.
- The Journal of Commonwealth Literature, Vol. 26, No. 2, 13-43 (1991)
- Lever, Susan. (2 Feb 2006) "Ratbag Writers and Cranky Critics: In Their Praise" Journal of the Association for the Study of Australian Literature Online. Accessed 5 July 2008.