This is the first full-length study of Gerald Murnane, one of Australia's most brilliant and controversial writers. Imre Salusinszky provides detailed interpretations of all of Murnane's works, from Tamarisk Row (1974) to Velvet Waters (1990). Salusinszky argues that Murnane's true subject is nothing less than the nature of consciousness and imagination: their role in the world and the place of writing in their constitution.

In particular, Murnane's books explore the question of what is 'inside' or 'outside' the mind: the question of solipsism. The triumph of Murnane's fiction, according to Salusinszky, has been its ability to explore these themes, while remaining deeply individual. Although Murnane's reputation has so far been mainly confined to Australia, an implicit argument of this book is that his emergence as a major international figure is now only a matter of time.