Back of Sunset

Back of Sunset is a 1959 Australian novel from Jon Cleary.

Back of Sunset
First edition
AuthorJon Cleary
CountryAustralia
LanguageEnglish
PublisherCollins
Publication date
1959
Pages320
Preceded byThe Green Helmet 
Followed byStrike Me Lucky 

Premise

It is about Dr Stephen McCabe, Sydney doctor who takes a working holiday with the Royal Flying Doctor Service in Western Australia. When the doctor who runs the practice is injured, McCabe must step up in his absence as he deals with a variety of crises.

Reception

The book received good reviews abroad.[1]

The Canberra Times called it a "potboiler".[2] The Age called it "a bad novel but it will make excellent film."[3]

The Bulletin called it "a most adroitly dramatised story... Cleary has become pretty well faultless in the contrivances which push a novel on easily and smoothly," adding that it was, "a first-rate novel in the field of fictional journalism, in which characteristic types are photographed against a carefully-studied background which has value as news. When the job is done as successfully as this is, it is hard to say what more could be required — less of the feeling, perhaps, that the author is the manager of a modelling-agency. Nevertheless, for such novels to support an Australian author in the style to which Jon Cleary is becoming accustomed is a step towards a necessary sophistication for our writing." [4]

Film Adaptation

Jon Cleary also wrote a film script of the book for producer Lawrence Bachman but no movie resulted.[5]

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References
  1. Frank Slaughter, 'Flying Doctor: BACK OF SUNSET. By Jon Cleary.' New York Times 28 June 1959: BR22
  2. "Cleary Writes A Potboiler". The Canberra Times. Australian Capital Territory, Australia. 23 May 1959. p. 11. Retrieved 18 April 2020 – via Trove.
  3. Mair, Ian (30 May 1959). "This Novel will Make Good film". The Age. p. 20.
  4. "Flying Doctor Novel". The Bulletin. 1 July 1959. p. 2.
  5. Jon Cleary Interviewed by Stephen Vagg: Oral History at National Film and Sound Archive
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