pontalba

CG...we're on the road....back later.

CG, have you read any of John Wyndham? His style, as we've mentioned in this thread, is very similar to Shute's style. And, Wyndham's endings are more on the hopeful side.

In a way, yes. However we can enjoy parts or aspects of almost any book, we can enjoy the style of writing, we can appreciate the context, or the settings that are written about. I think that is more what that question is about. No, it wasn't, but there certainly are ideas and concepts that the reader must struggle with. What about the decision by the government to supply the injections, and then the populations decision to or not to use those injections. How would you feel about that? Agreed, that's partially what I was referring to when I mentioned Shute's (well, lets admit it) glossing over of the more sordid aspects of parts of the society. I think he almost had a Utopian view of the End. Much was realistic, but of only one segment of society. Absolutely. Great stuff, I wasn't aware of the other meanings. In a way, yes. But isn't that a way to keep the insanity at bay? I felt that Shute was showing that (with reference to the above question) the people that held on, the ones that as you say, made work, were the very ones that held onto their basic selves. The ones in the street, drunk and disorderly were the ones that were letting go and allowing their baser natures to surface, with a what the hell attitude. And to me, that attitude is just wrong, and lazy. But maybe that was their true selves coming out, after all. They are all in a sort of denial, that doesn't make them clinically insane. I don't agree that they are too calm. Some are barely holding it together, by the hardest of effort. Humans can only handle so much, and facing the reality would have driven them insane, I think. Yes, and probably made all the more beautiful by the reality of what was coming.

dtr, I was a little irritated with Mary. I agree, it must have been absolute hellish knowing her baby would never have a life. But the way she put responsibility onto her husband for the final injection just didn't sit right with me. As far as that goes there were several times when Peter put her off and didn't stay with her, as she needed, saying he had to go to the submarine, or to the office when it wasn't necessary. He did truly redeem himself in the end though, and that was what counted. I think most of them created their own reality. Dwight with his family at home, Mary with the planting, etc. Moira and her father. Although along with that Moira's father planned for the event of their deaths...by providing as much as he was able for his livestock. John Osborne was one of the most realistic......he did what he'd wanted to do all along.....race, dare death to take him. The boy that jumped ship on the West Coast of the U.S. took his fate in his own hands. They faced reality, as it was.

What did y'all think of Shute's explanation of how the radiation was spreading over the globe? Dwight was not really deluding himself, he understood the reality and kept readjusting himself. How do you think he was able to do that? Discipline, or just his nature? I wondered how it must have felt to Lt. Sunderstrom to go on land and find such an innocent and strange thing to be "sending" the signal. We know he couldn't have run into any live people, but the hope was still there. It was like another death.

Hah, yes! Definitely read Triffids, post haste. Yes, the tram driver, but also, think of the race car driver, John Osborn. He was doing what he loved, what he'd wanted to do all along but didn't due to sensible fear of death. With that removed, all the stops were pulled. Dwight and Peter's wife...Mary were the most glaring examples of "carrying on". Their anchors...and notice the ones that were out in the streets, drunk and disorderly...they were, I have to believe, that didn't hang onto "normalcy" and were simply losing their minds. I didn't know that about Hiroshima. What a great thing. Yes, I think of books like Seven Days in May and the like. Just who is running the show. In the beginning she was using sex and alcohol as her "drugs of choice". Dwight made her see that she didn't need that, she only needed to put some sort of real order into her life.

I've reserved the DVD on the Abita library. It's available, so I guess I can pick it up tomorrow.

Weave, Virginia, and emelee, and ele.........all just gorgeous pictures. What a fine looking crowd of readers we have here!

Yes!! Wyndham. Exactamundo!! I was imprinted with Wyndham, quite early on in life. dtr...I think, in many ways Moira was the one that changed the most. I like to think that people don't actually "change", I prefer to think that they are able, somehow, to come back to their own self. Their true self. And I think she did. And, good point! Why was no one building shelters, underground? For some parts of the world, there certainly was time enough. Although, what condition would the earth been in at the end of the five years.....wouldn't the ground been saturated with radioactivity? So, maybe it was best not to, and the route they took, enjoying the last bit as much as they could. Since you liked this book so much, have you read any of John Wyndham? Day of the Triffids, Day of the Triffids, Day of the Triffids.....

Ohhh, lots of great activity. And thanks for the heads up on the Dunant....does look interesting. I have a couple of hers on the shelf already. This one goes on the Wish List.

What great and extremely thoughtful answers, both Gaia and Janet! I love the details and appreciate the time you've both put into your answers. So, naturally, I have read the responses. But I don't see that as an impediment to (my) original answers. There is some wiggle room, but I don't think I'm influenced. The truth is, I agree with about all of what you've both said. Janet, that doesn't mean I don't agree with you about not reading the previous posts though. That's the way I've done it before. I didn't answer first this time, mostly because I felt I wanted to get others opinions out there first. On the question of sanity, I think both of you have something right. Dwight, and.....really all the characters carried escapism to the Nth degree. Planning for the next years crops, and as mentioned particularly Dwight's loyalty to what was obviously a dead family. But I think he had to do that to preserve any shred of sanity in his situation. If he'd allowed himself to think of them all dead, back home, he'd have come completely unglued. He just couldn't deal with that, and Moira.......what tact and understanding she showed! And, he actually changed her way of thinking and life. She straightened up and became what she was capable of being. What a gift that was. I loved the way Moira's dad planned for his livestock as far as he could, making sure they were not penned up and unable to range freely after the humans had died. The denial they all lived with was the only thing that sustained them. But I really appreciated the way Shute didn't dwell on the bad characters.....the drunken fights, and immoral behavior that he mentioned in passing, was just that. In passing. It didn't rule the day as it is in many later apocalyptic novels. I tend to think of Shute's writing style as "stiff upper lip". And love it. Spare and matter of fact. This is the way it is, and that's that. I'm definitely going back to reread A Town Like Alice, and thanks to poppy, I've bought Requiem for A Wren. Thanks so much for your great responses!

Oh, wow, I had no idea! Hafta look that up. Thanks, Athena!

Oh, yeah, come on over, the thread's open! Hey, thanks! I don't know. I'll ask if they'll do it. Different Parish, but they might. Today was my first day out. But didn't get to the library. I'll check online. You know, it's really weird your saying that about my doppelganger.....many er, decades ago, several people told me that they saw a woman that looked like me Downtown. I worked down there for many years, but never ran into her myself. Man, that'd be 'stranger than fiction'.

WELCOME, ONE AND ALL, TO THE APRIL 2014 READING CIRCLE for On the Beach by Nevil Shute It is assumed that you have read the book before reading posts in this thread, as the discussion might give away crucial points, and the continuous use of spoiler tags might hinder fluent reading of posts On the Beach by Nevil Shute Synopsis from Amazon: Nevil Shute’s most powerful novel—a bestseller for decades after its 1957 publication—is an unforgettable vision of a post-apocalyptic world. After a nuclear World War III has destroyed most of the globe, the few remaining survivors in southern Australia await the radioactive cloud that is heading their way and bringing certain death to everyone in its path. Among them is an American submarine captain struggling to resist the knowledge that his wife and children in the United States must be dead. Then a faint Morse code signal is picked up, transmitting from somewhere near Seattle, and Captain Towers must lead his submarine crew on a bleak tour of the ruined world in a desperate search for signs of life. Both terrifying and intensely moving, On the Beach is a remarkably convincing portrait of how ordinary people might face the most unimaginable nightmare. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I'll open with a very basic question. What did you think of the book, in general? And now we have the basic questions provided by BCF..... 1- Who was your favourite character? Were there any characters whom you disliked? 2- Was there a particular part you enjoyed more than the rest? 3- Did you like the writing? What did you think of the way the story was told? 4- Was this the first book you've read by this author, has it encouraged you to read more? 5- Were there any parts/ideas you struggled with? 6- Overall, was reading the book an enjoyable experience? And add a few courtesy of Sparknotes, http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/onthebeach/study.html How does Shute's writing style affect the mood of the novel? Do you think the events of the novel are believable? Do you think the behavior of the characters in the novel is believable? Why or why not? Why do you think Shute chose the title On the Beach? What is the significance of this phrase? What is the significance of work in the characters' lives? How has the definition of sanity changed in the aftermath of the nuclear war? Discuss the role and imagery of nature in the novel. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Please, don't think all questions must be answered in full. Any, all, parts, whatever you feel comfortable with is great!

I've started A Long, Long Way by Sebastian Barry. So far, so good.

LOL, wish I could have been there! You managed a great haul though, congratulations! We didn't make it over there........ this is the second year in a row I've been sidelined for that darned sale! I saw the film of On the Beach many, many years ago and loved it. I'm thinking of finding it again. I'll try our library, but they have such a punk selection I don't have very high hopes.

Blood Work by Michael Connelly 4/5 Dick Francis wrote a detective in Whip Hand with a missing hand, and now Michael Connelly has created a detective with a new twist on vulnerability. Terry McCaleb is a heart transplant patient. He is a retired, ex-FBI profiler that was very good at his work. Two months post-op he must find the murderer of his donor. The twists and turns that this novel takes are both expected, and very unexpected. Red Herrings abound, and creepy things come out of the woodwork. The reader is kept on the edge of their seat by the many harrowing aspects of both the case, and McCaleb's health issues. Not to mention his fledging and hopeful love life. Recommended for detective aficionados.

Great reviews, I like the sound of The Unclassed very much.

Finished The Big Sleep by Chandler last night, really 3 this morning, and started Blood Work by Michael Connelly. It's not in his Bosch series, and it's really good. I'm about 38% through it.

I have no clue. I'm so far out of the music stream, it isn't even funny.

What an absolutely fabulous haul, Devi!! Some gorgeous books!

Oh, goodness......... I knew that.....oy. In fact, it's funny, I prefer their writing together than singly, so far at least. Not that I've read a lot of their stuff.

LOL, ok, you can stop the clock! I found the book I was thinking of, and it wasn't that one...it was Tom Wolfe though. I have a huge hardback of Bonfire of the Vanities. It does seem like there is another one...wait a mo....I'll check LT....... ~~ ~~ ~~ I Am Charlotte Simmons. Hah! Oh well, one more to add to the Wish List.

Well than, we need to thank the English series! That was a good thing.