I asked my buddy Jim what his favourite book was and without a moment's hesitation he answered On The Beach by Nevil Shute. It was something I'd never heard of - but spotted a copy in a trip to the ever-glorious Southend Waterstones and settled in without knowing what to expect.
The set up is that all human life is being slowly and surely snuffed out by a radioactive dust cloud caused by the fallout of a disastrously short nuclear war. The Northern Hemisphere (mostly Russia, the US and China) all unleashed their arsenals at each other and are long-since dead. But the dust literally won't settle - and gradually, the rest of the world is falling to the cloud's inexorable progress. Written in 1957, this was written by a Brit who'd settled in Australia and was watching nuclear proliferation and the arms race from afar - this whole book is filled with the fear of the times; you never doubt its authenticity
What you see are a population who know little about why the end is coming (except within limited military circles) and only vagaries around what will happen to them and when. Some are in denial - others have turned to hedonism and escapism to try and cope. The story starts with a Australian naval man being given his last commission on board a US sub (who happened to be in port in Melbourne when the war broke out). He brings the American captain into his life - and the novel then plays out the months that follow.
I cannot tell you what happens - the whole book relies on you not knowing - but I'd really recommend this for those who like such things. Such things being stories about the end of the world. Or not. You'll have to read to find out. It's quite an experience to read - and I'm grateful for Jim for having chosen it.
Saturday, February 26, 2011
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Book 2 - The Great Gatsby
So I knew my sister loved this book and have known so for years. Despite its famously downbeat story arc, there was a reading from this at her wedding (which is the fate-tempting equivalent of going all in).Anyway, long overdue on my reading list, I was looking forward to this immensely being as I am a fan of the great american novel.
So, I won't go into the plot too much here - and, in a way, it's one of those books where there a lots of vignettes that don't necessarily progress the story hugely but all serve to create a cumulative sense of time and place. The writing is, as you'd expect, beautiful - a mixture of sharply pointed observations, very specific references to people and events current at the time, and a line in throwaway wit. But I suspect it's not the the language itself that lead not only my sis, but others subsequently, to name this as their favourite. It is an amazing rich example of stories that feel inevitable. You know it'll end badly - the long hot summers of West Egg and the listless socialising of its inhabitants all slowly build into a crescendo that could only end in a deafening silence. But he manages to give you just enough hope that it might just work out.
All the people who've picked Gatsby are English graduates. I'm not sure whether there's anything to read into that - but just worth noting. I like that it's not the easiest read - it's not one of those books where the words almost wash over you - and the sense of inevitability that the book brings is masterfully worked.
One final addition to the reasons why I enjoyed this - it lead me to this http://greatgatsbygame.com/
Grab yourself a gin and tonic and enjoy.
So, I won't go into the plot too much here - and, in a way, it's one of those books where there a lots of vignettes that don't necessarily progress the story hugely but all serve to create a cumulative sense of time and place. The writing is, as you'd expect, beautiful - a mixture of sharply pointed observations, very specific references to people and events current at the time, and a line in throwaway wit. But I suspect it's not the the language itself that lead not only my sis, but others subsequently, to name this as their favourite. It is an amazing rich example of stories that feel inevitable. You know it'll end badly - the long hot summers of West Egg and the listless socialising of its inhabitants all slowly build into a crescendo that could only end in a deafening silence. But he manages to give you just enough hope that it might just work out.
All the people who've picked Gatsby are English graduates. I'm not sure whether there's anything to read into that - but just worth noting. I like that it's not the easiest read - it's not one of those books where the words almost wash over you - and the sense of inevitability that the book brings is masterfully worked.
One final addition to the reasons why I enjoyed this - it lead me to this http://greatgatsbygame.com/
Grab yourself a gin and tonic and enjoy.
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