Epic Reads You Would Recommend

[ConcernedCanuk]

33. On the Beach and No Highway by Nevil Shute

.
.
.

Also wrote A Town Like Alice, but not sure if I ever read that one.

His complete works can be found at link below.

http://www.librarything.com/author/shutenevil

On the Beach had a huge impact on me, even in my youth in the early 60's- read the comments below (not mine) and you may understand my username, as well as why all this war shit disturbs me so much.
______________________________________________________________________________

ON THE BEACH by Nevil Shute

After a nuclear World War III, the northern hemisphere is left totally and entirely lifeless. You wouldn't know it looking at it, the cities are still standing, and there is little evidence of a war, but the radiation has eliminated every life form on the northern half of the planet. Those in the southern hemisphere, who played very little part in that utterly devastating war, are suffering the consequences of their short-sighted neighbors. Goods can no longer be imported from other countries, and there is no petrol. Worst of all, the radiation is slowly, inexorably moving south. Carried on changing, seasonal winds, the last people on earth are counting down the days to their own deaths, when the cloud of radiation finally reaches the last vestiges of humanity and totally wipes it out.

It's an incredibly bleak scenario, made all the more depressing by Shute's unfortunate ability to create likable characters! They are sweet, playful, despicably human and all incredibly endearing, and even though throughout the entire book they refer to their own inevitable deaths, Shute effectively ripped my heart out at the end. The bastard!

The book is a wonderful one though, it is as thought-provoking as a good novel should be, and there is no doubt it will stick with me for some time. Despite how horrible the book made me feel in the end, I suspect I will look back on this book with a tremendous sense of fondness.
____________________________________________________________________________

CC