"On The Beach" is a book that has left me conflicted in my emotions. It is the story of a kid who has refused to grow up. This is a recognizable scenario for a novel, the question really becomes one of whether the plot manages to rise from this to become a thing of originality and interest.
On the beach is, at times, very beautifully written. At times it seems to drag a little as the monotony of our hero's life is made abundantly clear. Essentially it is a book to nothing, that leads us nowhere but takes us on a journey of realization that we all make choices and not all of them are rational and not all of them are in our own best interests.
Does it rise to become a thing of originality? Not necessarily, or at least not obviously. It is a fine story and one that does compel us to find out what happens to Lenny but its major impact is in the occasionally brilliant descriptive writing style of the author.
