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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!