Brenda's Reviews > On the Beach

On the Beach by Nevil Shute
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Peter Holmes was a Lieutenant Commander in the Royal Australian Navy and was soon to join the USS Scorpion as a liaison officer under an American submarine captain, Commander Dwight Towers. Peter lived on a farm just outside Melbourne with his wife Mary and their baby daughter Jennifer. Since the radioactive particles from the nuclear bombs of WWIII had started drifting across the earth, communities in the northern hemisphere had been wiped out. The southern hemisphere had quickly followed, and northern Australia had already succumbed. The object of the US submarine was to tour the northern waters for signs of life - as far as the United States and Seattle in particular since a staticky morse code could occasionally be heard from that vicinity.

As the residents of Melbourne continued on with their lives, some with calm demeanors, not believing what was to come, continuing to plan for the future, while others lost themselves in a bottle, trying to drown out reality...

On the Beach by Aussie author Nevil Shute was originally published in 1957, with the story set in the future (of that time) of 1963. A fascinating story with nightmarish qualities which settled on ordinary everyday people. Buying gifts for people who were quite obviously no longer with us; planting a vegetable garden; repairing fences – all with only weeks to go until the end… Highly recommended.

“It's not the end of the world at all," he said. "It's only the end for us. The world will go on just the same, only we shan't be in it. I dare say it will get along all right without us.”


With thanks to Text Publishing for my hardcover copy which is a reprinting of the 1957 original release.
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Reading Progress

November 12, 2019 – Shelved
November 12, 2019 – Shelved as: to-read
November 12, 2019 – Shelved as: 2019-release
November 12, 2019 – Shelved as: arc
November 12, 2019 – Shelved as: aussie-authors
November 12, 2019 – Shelved as: dystopian
November 12, 2019 – Shelved as: post-apocalyptic
November 12, 2019 – Shelved as: reviewing-by-request
November 12, 2019 – Shelved as: sent-by-publisher
January 29, 2020 – Started Reading
January 29, 2020 – Shelved as: own-read
January 29, 2020 – Finished Reading

Comments Showing 1-14 of 14 (14 new)

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Angela M is taking a break. Brenda, thanks for a terrific reminder that I need to read more by Shute . I have only read A Town Like Alice and it was fantastic.


Brenda You're welcome Angela :) I read that one last year and really enjoyed it as well!


message 3: by Rob (new)

Rob Brenda wrote: "You're welcome Angela :) I read that one last year and really enjoyed it as well!"

Great review Brenda. Another one that I have to revisit.


Brenda Thanks Rob - a great read!


Ingrid Another book I'd love to read again to see if I still think the same about it :)


Brenda I was surprised how much I enjoyed it Ingrid :)


message 7: by Carolyn (last edited Feb 01, 2020 05:32PM) (new) - rated it 4 stars

Carolyn Good review Brenda. I haven't read this since High School in the 70s - as one of the first post apocalyptic novels back then, it was pretty scary.


Brenda Thanks Carolyn, that I can believe! Pretty scary now!


message 9: by Jeanette (new)

Jeanette Great review, an oldie...I think I saw the movie when young and now I'm so old...it's all too vague


Brenda Thanks Jeanette. Perhaps it's time for a reread to refresh :)


message 11: by Mark (new) - rated it 5 stars

Mark Marinovich Excellent summary and review of a classic novel. On the Beach is all the more timely, and instructive, during the coronavirus epoch. I highly recommend it.


Brenda Thanks Mark :)


message 13: by Cookie M. (new) - added it

 Cookie M. This book devastated me when I read it as a high school freshman. It put a human face on the idea of nuclear war for me. I don't think I have recovered even fifty years later.


message 14: by Brenda (last edited May 04, 2023 07:42PM) (new) - rated it 5 stars

Brenda A hard read for sure Ann-Marie.


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