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THE SONGS OF A SENTIMENTAL BLOKE.

(Sydney): "'The Songs of a Sentimental Bloke' is the most typically Australian book published for a decade. Its humour, its sentiment, its genuine humanity, are expressed with feeling and an assured poetic craftsmanship. C. J. Dennis is not only an Australian poet: he is a poet."


 * "Bill is a wholly delightful person, and from what he tells us of Doreen, she must be equally delightful… Mr. Hal Gye's illustrations deserve mention; their idea is distinctly original, and the scheme is carried out cleverly."

(Sydney): "Captivatingly fresh and original… The verse is very human and clean, and its appeal is universal, for it depicts the simple emotions that are not confined to the class that uses dialect… Sure to be popular, because it has the qualities of humour and lifelikeness. Also the feeling in it rings true."

(Melbourne): "The genuine humour of these larrikin love poems is all the more effective because beneath the surface fun there is a suggestion of deeper feelings that ennoble men and unite them in the bonds of common fellowship."

(Melbourne): "'The Sentimental Bloke' is a striking conception and his portrayal masterly."

(Melbourne): "The Bloke is a character who is likely long to remain deservedly popular in this country's literature. 'The sonnet shining in the eyes' has been fixed by Mr. Dennis in what is certainly a classic of its class, and he secures an effect of true poetry without straining a simile or defying the canons of Australia's colloquial speech."


 * "A well-printed, cleverly-illustrated, and pleasant to handle little volume. The humour of the 'Sentimental Bloke' has an exquisite quality, its sentiment a tenderness, and its philosophy a soundness which compel attention… genuine poetry… a sensitive appreciation of the beautiful… wholesome philosophy… admirable verses."