A Cry in the Jungle Bar

by Robert Drewe

Big, bullish Dick Cullen, light sleeper, former rugby star and present expert on water buffalo, is lumbering through his tour of duty with a UN agency in Asia. Totally out of his depth among his small, deft, knowing colleagues, he lurches sweatily from bar to bar across various tropical states of emergency. Only in the Nameless Nightclub does he realise it is just a matter of time before his nightmares become reality...

Genres: Fiction

244 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1979

About the author

Robert Drewe is among Australia’s most loved writers – of novels, memoir and short stories. His iconic Australian books include The Shark Net, The Bodysurfers and Our Sunshine. He is also editor of Black Inc.’s Best Australian Stories annual series. Recently, he has revisited the short story himself, with a masterful new collection, The Rip. Jo Case spoke to him for Readings about storytelling.

Reviews

[Carolyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Drewe is compared to Graham Greene on the back cover, and I think you will find that rings true. "The Quiet American" certainly entered my mind while reading this. Stuck in a bad situation in Southeast Asia. Relationships, personal and otherwise, falling apart. Desperateness. I fell in love with Cullen, and the ending left me worried for him... Definitely going to search out more of Drewe's books.

[Melanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Moody and atmospheric.

[Luke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having spent some time overseas as a bullish, big bloke in a strange land - and more than once - I think I was probably hardwired to like this book. For a couple of reasons, it seemed to really hit home with me.

The story adeptly skewers the ex-pat community throughout Asia, and it captures the difficulty inherent in living in a place that's not your real home. The way Australia interacts with Asia - awkwardly, lumbering - is communicated curiously successfully through Dick Cullen, a beautifully melancholic Kim Beazley of a bloke.

Cullen's traipsing through Asia - his attempts to fit into the culture, to fit in the different social circles, none of which appear to really work - and his relationship (or lack thereof) with his wife combine to provide a note-perfect portrait of a flawed, sad man. There's a lot to identify with, if you've experienced some of the things this contested character has.

I've liked Robert Drewe's writing - particularly Grace and The Drowner - for some time, and have since been working my way through his back catalogue. And I have to say that A Cry In The Jungle Bar has exceeded any expectations. I think it's become my favourite of his works.

[Kathy Chung]

reviewed at A Cry In The Jungle Bar by Robert Drewe

I just unable to "connect" with this book

[Don · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although it was written a while back...reminds me of a few bars I have been in over the years...amusing angst..