Nevil Shute attempts to depict a very much possible harsh
reality that may be awaiting us in the near future in the
novel, On The Beach. His novel is set on the backdrop of a
devastating Nuclear War that has broken loose only to make
life the most dreadful nightmare that prevails in every
breath of the characters of the novel. The Nuclear War that
has had a catastrophic effect on all kinds of life ever
known has already devastated the Northern hemisphere. But
the repercussions of the war is being felt by one and all
as the radiation of the Nuke War spreads southward
destroying all kinds of life in its course.
On The
Beach particulars a brave group of people in Melbourne,
Australia. It touches the reader deeply as the reader gets
to feel the pain and agony and the sufferings of this group
of
survivors who know that death is not just inevitable but
it is also not to far away from them. These survivors live
through the last months of their lives trying to realise
that for them there is no tomorrow. They don’t have a
sunrise after the sunset. Some of them face it in serenity
and try to spend time with family and friends while others
who have
accepted the end want to fulfil all their wishes
before they meet their respective pilots. Some plebeians
still have hope but it doesn’t take them too long to
realise the destiny. With time death comes and it is
embraced by one and all without any complaints.
This
novel tells the touchy story of death being accepted as a
not so terrifying object. The only disadvantage one may
find is the lack of commercial presentation and flavoured
spices to keep all readers glued to it for hours.