Scan barcode
A review by ingo_lembcke
On the Beach by Nevil Shute
4.0
Just saw this on a list "books you could not finish".
It was the only book I could remember having read, all others I did not bother, while a few are on my TBR, I am not too much into Classics.
With few exceptions (Lovecraft, Woolrich, if you even consider these Classics).
We had read this in school during basic english, that was a time I struggled with english (I am German and english is my second language), must have been 1983.
Still, the book stuck in my memory and as I learned that it was a school-shortened-version, I sought out the book and bought it 2003, yes, being a long-time-Amazon-buyer pays off, I can trace some buys back to Amazon.Com 1998 (my first DVD, my first Criterion Edt.: Brazil).
The story is one of the standard end-of-the-world-stories, but with a few nice twists.
But as it was written quite a long time back (I looked it up: 1957), it is the blue-print for lots of stories to come, and only few really surpassing it (The Quiet Earth comes to mind).
Technology is important for the story, but the combination with the personal issues and the different ways people cope with the outcome is rather well done.
In as far as I remember, even when I read in the full version 2003 or 2004 (I am not sure I read the moment it arrived), it does not seem too dated.
Of course no internet, but the blackout or sometimes receiving short transmissions via wireless (TV is down imho), would likely happen even today with an all out Nuclear war or a few nuclear EMP.
It was filmed twice, first with a then all-star cast (Gregory Peck, Ava Gardner, Fred Astaire, Anthony Perkins). If I remember right, Fred Astaire's performance alone would make this worth watching. A few short scenes can be found on Youtube.
Abandon all hope, and read it, dark and gritty.
Highly recommended, but only 4 stars as I think
It was the only book I could remember having read, all others I did not bother, while a few are on my TBR, I am not too much into Classics.
With few exceptions (Lovecraft, Woolrich, if you even consider these Classics).
We had read this in school during basic english, that was a time I struggled with english (I am German and english is my second language), must have been 1983.
Still, the book stuck in my memory and as I learned that it was a school-shortened-version, I sought out the book and bought it 2003, yes, being a long-time-Amazon-buyer pays off, I can trace some buys back to Amazon.Com 1998 (my first DVD, my first Criterion Edt.: Brazil).
The story is one of the standard end-of-the-world-stories, but with a few nice twists.
But as it was written quite a long time back (I looked it up: 1957), it is the blue-print for lots of stories to come, and only few really surpassing it (The Quiet Earth comes to mind).
Technology is important for the story, but the combination with the personal issues and the different ways people cope with the outcome is rather well done.
In as far as I remember, even when I read in the full version 2003 or 2004 (I am not sure I read the moment it arrived), it does not seem too dated.
Of course no internet, but the blackout or sometimes receiving short transmissions via wireless (TV is down imho), would likely happen even today with an all out Nuclear war or a few nuclear EMP.
It was filmed twice, first with a then all-star cast (Gregory Peck, Ava Gardner, Fred Astaire, Anthony Perkins). If I remember right, Fred Astaire's performance alone would make this worth watching. A few short scenes can be found on Youtube.
Abandon all hope, and read it, dark and gritty.
Highly recommended, but only 4 stars as I think