On the Beach: Amazon.ca: Nevil Shute: Books

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“The most haunting evocation we have of a world dying of radiation after an atomic war.” —The New York Times

“The most shocking fiction I have read in years. What is shocking about it is both the idea and the sheer imaginative brilliance with which Mr. Shute brings it off.” —San Francisco Chronicle

“A novelist of intelligent and engaging quality, deservedly popular. . . . Nevil Shute was, in brief, the sort of novelist who genuinely touches the imagination and feeling.” —The Times (London)

From the Trade Paperback edition.

Product Description

"The most shocking fiction I have read in years. What is shocking about it is both the idea and the sheer imaginative brilliance with which Mr. Shute brings it off."
THE SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE
They are the last generation, the innocent victims of an accidental war, living out their last days, making do with what they have, hoping for a miracle. As the deadly rain moves ever closer, the world as we know it winds toward an inevitable end....

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Inside This Book (Learn More)

First Sentence
LIEUTENANT COMMANDER PETER HOLMES of the Royal Australian Navy woke soon after dawn. Read the first page

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Concordance

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Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt

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Customer Reviews

154 Reviews

5 star:		(81)
4 star:		(39)
3 star:		(16)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(13)

Average Customer Review

4.1 out of 5 stars (154 customer reviews)

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

1.0 out of 5 stars A chore to read, Jan 21 2000

By

Robert lucas (Maryland) - See all my reviews

This review is from: On the Beach (Mass Market Paperback)

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.

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1.0 out of 5 stars A Major Let Down, April 17 2002

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"missy_weir" (Vancouver, BC) - See all my reviews

This review is from: On the Beach (Mass Market Paperback)

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.

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5.0 out of 5 stars Best book ever...., Mar 22 2002

By

E. Weatherwax "ejwaxx" - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)

This review is from: On the Beach (Mass Market Paperback)

Poignant in its depiction of a selected few attempting to come to terms with the inevitable end of everything and everyone they have ever known and ever loved, On the Beach is a moving portrayal of those who have the courage to live those few, numbered days remaining to them as passionately and as fully as possible, even in the face of the end of the world. As they make plans that they know, within their souls, will never come to fruition as the world meets its doom, we become emotionally involved with Shute's characters, and we are reminded of how precious even such a mundane act as planting a garden can be. On the Beach makes you think, but it also makes you feel: this book is one of a small group of items in any medium that has ever made me cry. I can, with conviction, say On the Beach is the best book I have ever read, even being the bibliophile that I am. This book should be required reading for not only every student, but everyone. Period.

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