Review of Miles Franklin: Her Brilliant Career by Colin Roderick

Abstract

When Miles Franklin's name is mentioned now—unlike ten years ago—the response is less likely to be 'who's he?' Gillian Armstrong's successful film of My Brilliant Career and the recent interest in the existence of a female literary tradition and in neglected Australian women writers have encouraged a number of forays into the life and writings of Franklin, whom Professor Roderick quite rightly describes as an 'extraordinarily complex, thwarted, indomitable woman' (p. 180). Verna Coleman, using Franklin's letters, diaries and manuscripts has written the most comprehensive published account to date of her American years, and Drusilla Modjeska in Exiles at Home has perceptively, critically and sympathetically described Franklin the feminist, novelist and journalist. Colin Roderick's book, however, is not scholarly, perceptive or sympathetic.