Here's Luck!

[Stephen Whiteside]

Has anybody read 'Here's Luck!' by Lenny Lower? I was recommended it many many years ago, and finally got around to reading it many years ago. It's not a poetry book, it's a novel, but it's very Australian. Lenny Lower, I believe, was a comedian. This was the only novel he wrote. It is possibly Australia's first comic novel.

I do remember it being quite an unusual book. It took me a while to find its wavelength, but when I finally did I enjoyed it enormously. As I recall, it tells the story of a father struggling to come to terms with the emerging adulthood of a rather wayward son. But I think the father's pretty wayward, too, and therein lies the problem.

It's not a book I ever hear talked about, which is a shame. I'm past trying to get people to talk about things they don't want to, and if this book is well and truly off the radar, perhaps there's a good reason for it. Still, if you're looking for a piece of original Australiana to read, I would recommend 'Here's Luck!'.

[Neville Briggs]

I haven't read Here's Luck, but Dave Emo lent me a book The Best of Lennie Lower, written by Cyril Pearl and illustrated by William Pidgeon ( known as WEP ).
This book is a collection of pieces that Lennie Lower wrote as a journalist for the Smiths Weekly between 1930 and 1947.

Lower was born in Dubbo in 1903, died in Sydney 1947. He was very astute and humorous observer of the Australian ethos. Possibly one might say, a bush yarner transplanted into the city.

The introduction to The Best of... mentions that the Melbourne newspaper Argus criticised his ( one and only ) novel Here's Luck as being too celebratory of boozing culture.
That was in the days of the Melbourne 6-oclock closing.

[Stephen Whiteside]

Thanks for that info, Neville.

It probably is too celebratory of a boozing culture, but it makes for very entertaining reading!

[Heather]

Hey Neville, I have a friend whose father-in-law was a Pidgeon and he was a painter. I think he was WEP. Did he do war pictures and covers for the Women's weekly?

Small world?

Heather

[Bob Pacey]

He was a pidgeon ????? Coo Coo that's a beauty.






Bob

[warooa]

And Nev . . . what is the elusive Dave Emo up to that denies us all his banterous wit here?

Marty

[Neville Briggs]

That's the bloke Heather, he did indeed illustrate the Womens Weekly covers and was notable for his war pictures. William Pidgeon won the famed Archibald portrait prize three times. He was much admired by Brett Whitely.


G'day Marty. I don't know what Emo is doing at the moment. I spoke to Mrs Emo down the street recently and she said that David ( sic ) was very busy with some project but she didn't know what it was. Every time I see Emo I try to encourage him to join in the bush poets.

[Vic Jefferies]

G'day Stephen,
I read Here's Luck many years ago and it was very very funny. Lenny Lower is still a bit of a cult figure in some quarters. He was a legend in his time as a journalist and author who had the knack of capturing the Australian sense of humour. I thoroughly recommend the book to anyone who likes a good laugh though it may be a bit dated now.
On another note I recently bought The Life and Times of CJ Dennis by Alec Chisolm at a book fair. Looks to be an excellent book and I can't wait to finish the seven other books I am currently reading to make a start on it.

Vic Jefferies