Reviewing specifically the Annotated Such is Life, a remarkable rendering of an increasingly difficult Australian "classic". Furphy's book has a complex production history (two long chapters, cut during editing, would be extended into two additional novels which operate as adjuncts to this one), presents social and cultural challenges to the lay 21st century reader with its in-depth knowledge of bush customs of the time, and profits from Furphy's dense, layered cultural references which invite not entirely unreasonable comparisons to Ulysses. The first chapter is, unfortunately for readers, the most difficult, and this volume provides a handy two-page summary (in the appendix) to assist in interpretation.

A scintillating piece of scholarship.

This is a great, great bk. To people like myself who're acutely aware of how little respect working class intellectuals get in this society, this is a shining example of just how intelligent a working class person can be. This is one of my favorite novels of all time. It was written by a man whose job it was to drive bulls across the Australian countryside. It's full of wry observation about humanity & careful sober philosophy. & thoroughly entertaining to boot. I've even read it TWICE. ( )