The Cardboard Crown
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The Cardboard Crown
''The Cardboard Crown'' (1952) is a novel by Australian writer Martin Boyd. It is the first in the author's "Langton Tetralogy" (which comprises ''The Cardboard Crown'', ''A Difficult Young Man'', '' Outbreak of Love'' and ''When Blackbirds Sing''). Plot summary The novel follows the story of Alice Langton, as told by her grandson Guy de Teba Langton, who pieces the story together from her diaries and family gossip. Alice is trapped in a life where her happiness is a secondary consideration among the rest of the family, who make continual demands on her money. Alice moves constantly between her homes in Australia and Europe, always longing for the home she does not inhabit. Reviews Geoffrey Hutton in ''The Argus'' noted that the author was writing a family saga of wealth and influence in Melbourne with a difference. "The prod-nosed social investigators may find some interesting sidelights here on the gilded life of the governing class in the 70's or the early affluence of East ...
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Martin Boyd
Martin à Beckett Boyd (10 June 1893 – 3 June 1972) was an Australian writer born into the à Beckett–Boyd family, a family synonymous with the establishment, the judiciary, publishing and literature, and the visual arts since the early 19th century in Australia. Boyd was a novelist, memoirist and poet who spent most of his life after World War I in Europe, primarily Britain. His work drew heavily on his own life and family, with his novels frequently exploring the experiences of the English Australian, Anglo-Australian upper and middle classes. His writing was also deeply influenced by his experience of serving in World War One. Boyd's siblings included the potter Merric Boyd (1888–1959), painters Penleigh Boyd (1890–1923) and Helen à Beckett Read, née Boyd (1903–1999). He was intensely involved in family life and took a keen interest in the development of his nephews and nieces and their families, including potter Lucy Beck (1916-2009), painter Arthur Boyd (1920– ...
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Leslie Wood (illustrator)
Leslie Wood (26 February 1920 – 1994) was an English artist and illustrator who lived in Poynton, Cheshire. Born in Stockport, England he studied at the Manchester College of Art and Design and gained a travelling scholarship. Prevented from travelling abroad because of World War II, he instead went to London. In 1943, Wood showed some of his work to Faber and Faber, and was soon commissioned to take over illustration of Diana Ross Diana Ross (born Diane Ernestine Earle Ross March 26, 1944) is an American singer and actress. Known as the "Queen of Motown Records", she was the lead singer of the vocal group the Supremes, who became Motown#Major divisions, Motown's most suc ...' ''Little Red Engine'' books, and went on to illustrate many other children's books including the covers of the first fourteen Hugh Walters ''Chris Godrey of UNEXA'' series. He also produced cover illustrations for '' The Countryman'' magazine. References External links Leslie Wood websiteo ...
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English Language
English is a West Germanic language that developed in early medieval England and has since become a English as a lingua franca, global lingua franca. The namesake of the language is the Angles (tribe), Angles, one of the Germanic peoples that Anglo-Saxon settlement of Britain, migrated to Britain after its End of Roman rule in Britain, Roman occupiers left. English is the list of languages by total number of speakers, most spoken language in the world, primarily due to the global influences of the former British Empire (succeeded by the Commonwealth of Nations) and the United States. English is the list of languages by number of native speakers, third-most spoken native language, after Mandarin Chinese and Spanish language, Spanish; it is also the most widely learned second language in the world, with more second-language speakers than native speakers. English is either the official language or one of the official languages in list of countries and territories where English ...
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Cresset Press
The Cresset Press was a publishing company in London, England, active as an independent press from 1927 for 40 years, and initially specializing in "expensively illustrated limited editions of classical works, like John Milton, Milton's ''Paradise Lost''" going on to produce well-designed trade editions of literary and political works. Among the leading illustrators commissioned by Cresset were Blair Hughes-Stanton and Gertrude Hermes — ''The Pilgrim's Progress'' (1928), ''The Apocrypha'' (1929), and D. H. Lawrence's ''Birds, Beasts and Flowers'' (1930). Cresset subsequently became part of the Barrie Group (publishers), Barrie Group of publishers, and later an imprint of the Ebury Press within the Random House Group. History Operating from offices at 11 Fitzroy Square, the Cresset Press was founded in 1927 by Dennis Cohen (1891–1970), whose obituary in ''The Times'' details some of the company's first titles: Essays (Francis Bacon), Bacon’s ''Essays'', in folio, printed at t ...
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Hardback
A hardcover, hard cover, or hardback (also known as hardbound, and sometimes as casebound (At p. 247.)) book is one bound with rigid protective covers (typically of binder's board or heavy paperboard covered with buckram or other cloth, heavy paper, or occasionally leather). It has a flexible, sewn spine which allows the book to lie flat on a surface when opened. Modern hardcovers may have the pages glued onto the spine in much the same way as paperbacks. Following the ISBN sequence numbers, books of this type may be identified by the abbreviation Hbk. Overview Hardcover books are often printed on acid-free paper, and they are much more durable than paperbacks, which have flexible, easily damaged paper covers. Hardcover books are marginally more costly to manufacture. Hardcovers are frequently protected by artistic dust jackets, but a "jacketless" alternative has increased in popularity: these "paper-over-board" or "jacketless" hardcover bindings forgo the dust jacket in fav ...
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Paperback
A paperback (softcover, softback) book is one with a thick paper or paperboard cover, also known as wrappers, and often held together with adhesive, glue rather than stitch (textile arts), stitches or Staple (fastener), staples. In contrast, hardcover, hardback (hardcover) books are bound with cardboard covered with cloth, leather, paper, or plastic. Inexpensive books bound in paper have existed since at least the 19th century in such forms as pamphlets, yellow-backs, yellowbacks and dime novels. Modern paperbacks can be differentiated from one another by size. In the United States, there are "mass-market paperbacks" and larger, more durable "trade paperbacks". In the United Kingdom, there are A-format, B-format, and the largest C-format sizes. Paperback editions of books are issued when a publisher decides to release a book in a low-cost format. Lower-quality paper, glued (rather than stapled or sewn) bindings, and the lack of a hard cover may contribute to the lower cost of ...
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Such Pleasure
''Such Pleasure'' (1949) is a novel by the Australian writer Martin Boyd Martin à Beckett Boyd (10 June 1893 – 3 June 1972) was an Australian writer born into the à Beckett–Boyd family, a family synonymous with the establishment, the judiciary, publishing and literature, and the visual arts since the early 19th .... Plot summary The novel follows the life of Bridget Malwyn, the illegitimate daughter of an Irish peer and an English governess. Malwyn transforms over the course of the novel from being young and romantic through to an old disillusioned, objectionable old woman who lives in the past. Reviews Gladys Hain in ''The Argus'' admired the choices made by the author. "Had Martin Boyd been so minded, he might have made of this story a bitter satire, attacking capitalistic society as one which gives to money the power to mould character irretrievably. He has chosen rather to make of his book a wandering, almost meandering sketch of a woman who never recovered from the ...
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A Difficult Young Man
''A Difficult Young Man'' (1955) is a novel by Australian writer Martin Boyd. It is the second in the author's "Langton Tetralogy" (which comprises '' The Cardboard Crown'', ''A Difficult Young Man'', '' Outbreak of Love'' and '' When Blackbirds Sing'') and it won the ALS Gold Medal in 1957. Plot summary The novel continues the story of the Langtons, an Anglo-Australian family based in Melbourne, who have never truly come to terms with their place in Australian society. Like the first novel in the series, this book is narrated by Guy Langton and concerns the younger son Dominic, a man who ideals and actions are considered both eccentric and unacceptable to the Melbourne society of the time. Reviews Gordon Stewart in ''The Argus'' noted that the author was now in fine company. "Few authors can cope successfully with the family saga type of sage. Miles Franklin and Henry Handel Richardson stand out among the Australians who have made the attempt. To their names can now be added t ...
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Outbreak Of Love (novel)
''Outbreak of Love'' (1957) is a novel by Australian writer Martin Boyd. It is the third in the author's "Langton Tetralogy" (which comprises ''The Cardboard Crown'', ''A Difficult Young Man'', ''Outbreak of Love'' and ''When Blackbirds Sing''). Story outline The novel is concerned with the marriage of Diana and Wolfie von Flugel in the years leading up to World War I. After Diana damages a tooth on a hard piece of toast she travels to Melbourne to have it repaired. There, on Collins Street, she meets Russell Lockwood, a man from her childhood who has long admired her. Critical reception In her essay "Much Else in Boyd : The Relationship between Martin Boyd's Nonfiction Work and his Later Novels" in ''Southerly'' magazine in 1978, Susan McKernan notes that Boyd's novels "have been regarded as shrewd social commentaries, or witty novelettes rather than novels of argument. They appear to concentrate on the niceties and absurdities of social exchange rather than the more basic and ...
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Text Publishing
Text Publishing is an Australian publisher of fiction and non-fiction, based in Melbourne, Victoria. Company background Text Media was founded in Melbourne in 1990 by Diana Gribble and Eric Beecher, along with designer Chong Weng Ho and others, with a small book publishing division known as Text Publishing. Michael Heyward joined in 1992, and the small publishing house became independent in 1994. When Text Media was taken over by Fairfax Media in 2004, Michael Heyward and his wife Penny Hueston entered into a joint venture with Scottish publisher Canongate. Maureen and Tony Wheeler, founders of Lonely Planet, bought Canongate's share in Text in 2011, making it a wholly Australian-owned company. In 2012, Text launched a series of Australian classics, republishing out-of-print works. In January 2025, Text announced that it had been acquired by Penguin Random House. People As of August 2022, Heyward was the publisher. Awards Text awards The Text Prize for Young Adult and ...
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Brenda Niall
Brenda Mary Niall (born 25 November 1930) is an Australian biographer, literary critic and journalist. She is noted for her work on Australia's well-known Boyd family of artists and writers. Educated at Genazzano FCJ College, in Kew, Victoria, and the University of Melbourne, Niall began writing during her time as reader in the Department of English at Monash University. In June 2004 she was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia for "services to Australian literature, as an academic, biographer and literary critic" while in 2001 she was awarded the Centenary Medal for "service to Australian Society and the humanities in the study of Australian literature". In 1990 she was elected fellow of the Australian Academy of the Humanities. Niall is the aunt of sports journalist Jake Niall and judge Richard Niall. Bibliography * ''Martin Boyd'' – about Martin Boyd (Melbourne, Victoria: Oxford University Press, 1974); revised ed. 1977. * ''Seven Little Billabongs: The World ...
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1952 In Australian Literature
This article presents a list of the historical events and publications of Australian literature during 1952. Books * Martin Boyd – ''The Cardboard Crown'' * Jon Cleary – ''The Sundowners (novel), The Sundowners'' * Helen Fowler – ''The Shades Will Not Vanish'' * T. A. G. Hungerford – ''The Ridge and the River'' * Rex Ingamells – ''Of Us Now Living'' * Philip Lindsay ** ''The Merry Mistress'' ** ''The Shadow of the Red Barn'' * Charles Shaw (writer), Charles Shaw – ''Heaven Knows, Mr. Allison (novel), Heaven Knows, Mr. Allison'' * Nevil Shute – ''The Far Country (novel), The Far Country'' * Christina Stead – ''The People with the Dogs'' * E. V. Timms – ''The Challenge (novel), The Challenge'' Short stories * A. Bertram Chandler – "Finishing Touch" * Peter Cowan (writer), Peter Cowan – "The Red-Backed Spiders" * D'Arcy Niland – "Away to Moonlight" * Dal Stivens – "Ironbark Bill Meets the Bunyip" * Kylie Tennant – "The Face of Despair" Crime and m ...
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