On the Beach by Nevil Shute Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of On the Beach
Book Review: A classic worthy of its reputation
Summary: 5 Stars
Nothing much happens in the way of action in "On the Beach." The bombs have already dropped and the human survivors are mearly waiting for the end. As a reader, you know they are all going to die, which makes them even more compelling. This is apocalypse fistion at its finest. Shute doesn't cop out and give the story an artificial happy ending. I first read this book while in high school nearly two decades ago and the ending still haunts me.Book Review: A great premise, not great writing
Summary: 3 Stars
I believe the premise of this book is excellent, but the execution of the idea leaves something to be desired. The novel begins after a worldwide nuclear war has just ended. The bombs hit in the now completely destroyed northern hemisphere. People are still alive in the southern hemisphere but have only a few months left until the fallout makes its way south. So basically, the books asks, what do you do, how do you behave, when you know that everyone left on Earth has only a few months left?
The book takes place in a town in Australia. Dwight Towers is an American naval officer who has been blended in with the Australian navy since the American Navy is all but gone from the war. He is given command of a submarine which goes out on missions to find signs of life and measure radiation levels. He becomes friendly with an Aussie officer who introduces him to a local girl. The girl's job is to keep Towers' mind off of his now dead wife and children. The Aussie officer is married with a small child. He and his wife try to keep life as normal as possible from day to day.
I love the premise of the book, but it's not all-together fascinating in its style. There are parts that I couldn't stop reading. But other parts dragged on with little happening. It's also true that Shute isn't the greatest writer in the world. Point of view or even location sometimes shifts from one paragraph to another which can be jarring. On the Beach is a great idea, but couldn have been written better.
Book Review: A haunting view of very real possibilities...
Summary: 5 Stars
"On the Beach" has haunted my nights and my days since I read it. The war that caused Nevil Shute's nuclear holocaust began in Albania, a fact not lost on readers today. It should be required reading not only for all students, but for all politicians.Book Review: A little boring in some places, but enjoyable regardless.
Summary: 4 Stars
The writing was somewhat dull, the bias against women was annoying (two women characters: one was a drunken slut, the other comparable to Rose of Sharon of the Grapes of Wrath, without coming into her own). So why did I enjoy this book? It's just one of those things. Such a classic portrayal of human nature stripped to the core is easily forgivable for any petty flaws. On The Beach was essential for its time. We all cringe to think about what the world would be like if we all knew when we would die, and how. Nevil Shute makes this a reality, bringing to life the unsettling details we've all thought about time and again. Maybe the writing is a little mundane, maybe the ideas are old-fashioned. Look past it. On the Beach is a worthwhile read.Book Review: A little sad, but good
Summary: 3 Stars
This book was recommended to me. It is a good book, but the theme is rather sad, from the begining to the end. It does give you something to think about...