On the Beach by Nevil Shute Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of On the Beach
Book Review: A Haunting Idea poorly executed
Summary: 2 Stars
This novel was a big disappointment to me. I had expected something rather better written, however the characters are cardboard, the dialogue is wooden, and it reminded me of a shooting script for a TV soap. The redeeming feature is not the plot line (which I thought was absurd) but the background scenario, the condition precedent for the story.
**SOME SPOILERS** The background is that a nuclear war has taken place, and has engulfed the entire northern hemisphere. Everyone there is dead. The southern hemisphere survivors await the clouds of radioactive and toxic fallout to arrive and kill them too. I find this an intriguing idea.
But that is as far as it goes. We are supposed to believe that, in the small Australian town described, people remained well-behaved and civilised, there was no looting rape or assault, people still showed up to work, and property continues to change hands in exchange for money. Well, something tells me it wouldn't be like that. Also, the dialogue is so corny that the characters are never clearly drawn. Overall, it's a thumbs-down from me.
Book Review: A Major Let Down
Summary: 1 Stars
Well, we had to read this book in English class. It is supposedly a classic, but many of the members of my class agree with me that it does not deserve its award winning title. First of all the characters in the book have very odd relationships, not resembling those of real people. Secondly, human nature is to protect oneself and its offspring. All the characters in the novel are taking their death as it comes, but if they were smart they could build underground shelters, stay there for 5-10 years and then return to the surface when the radiation has lessened. All in all it was a bit of a dissapointment, however the movie is very well done and I would recommend that first and foremost before the book.Book Review: A Must-Read Book
Summary: 4 Stars
I really enjoyed this book even though it started out pretty slow. As you get into the book it shows a struggle to escape the fallout and survive. Eventually everyone has to accept their fate that their shortened lives will come to an end, including Dwight and Moira. This book kept me interested to keep reading until I came to the end which I knew was inevitable and sad.Book Review: A book that defines "I couldn't put the book down."
Summary: 5 Stars
Nevil Shute brings out the devastating truth of the victims of a nuclear war. The book is slow in the beginning, introducing characters and setting the plot, but less than half way throught the book I could not tear myself away. It is a clear picture presented to humanity about the devastion of a nuclear holocaust, and also brings in the thought of choosing one's own death.Book Review: A chore to read
Summary: 1 Stars
Mr. Shute had a wonderful scenerio for the end of the world in his book. Now if only he had given the idea to an author who knew how to write. This novel moved excrusiatingly slow and his repetitve australian dialect added nothing to help; if not hurt it. Out of all the books I have read, I would have to say that this one ranks among the top 10 worst in language usauge and sentence structure.