logo

43 pages 1 hour read

On the Beach

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1957

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.

Book Brief

logo
Nevil Shute

On the Beach

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1957
Book Details
Pages

296

Format

Novel • Fiction

Setting

Australia • 1960s

Theme
Publication Year

1957

Audience

Adult

Recommended Reading Age

18+ years

Roundup icon

Super Short Summary

On the Beach by Nevil Shute follows a group of people in Melbourne, Australia, as they confront the inevitability of death due to radioactive fallout from a nuclear war that has obliterated the Northern Hemisphere, facing their final days with various degrees of denial, hope, and acceptance. The story contains depictions of death by euthanasia in adults and children.

Melancholic

Dark

Contemplative

Emotional

Mysterious

Reviews & Readership

4.2

51,858 ratings

74%

Loved it

20%

Mixed feelings

7%

Not a fan

Roundup icon

Review Roundup

Nevil Shute's On the Beach is lauded for its poignant exploration of human resilience in the face of global catastrophe, with many praising its emotional depth and character development. However, some find its pacing slow and its tone overly melancholic. Overall, it remains a powerful, thought-provoking narrative on the human condition.

Who should read this

Who Should Read On the Beach?

Readers who appreciate apocalyptic fiction with profound emotional depth will enjoy Nevil Shute's On the Beach. Fans of Cormac McCarthy's The Road or George Orwell's 1984 may find this poignant exploration of human resilience and the finality of global catastrophe particularly compelling.

4.2

51,858 ratings

74%

Loved it

20%

Mixed feelings

7%

Not a fan

Book Details
Pages

296

Format

Novel • Fiction

Setting

Australia • 1960s

Theme
Publication Year

1957

Audience

Adult

Recommended Reading Age

18+ years

Continue your reading experience

Subscribe now to unlock the rest of this Study Guide plus our full library, which features expert-written summaries and analyses of 8,000+ additional titles.