On the Beach Book and Movie

 

I saw On the Beach back in the early 2000s when I was on an old movie/Anthony Perkins kick, and really enjoyed it because, well, Anthony Perkins, and I like end of the world things. I rented it because my dad recommended it, but he especially loves the book. I got a copy a few years ago and started reading it, but put it down for some reason. I've been reading some dark things lately, so I decided it felt like the right time to try the book again and, once I made it about halfway through, decided I'd revisit the movie as well.

The book was really interesting to me for many reasons... The writing is so dry and matter-of-fact. If you compare it to books these days, it's not technically good. The writing is nothing special—the baby, after being introduced as a girl named Jennifer, is called “it” multiple times, and the narration head hops a bit too much to be strictly third person or omniscient. There are a lot of details that don't further the story but the author clearly knew about submarines or the Navy or nuclear war and wanted to include, so it's all fine but I feel like editors could chop this book up if it crossed their desks these days.

Still, overall it works to tell a really emotional and all-too-real story. Parts of it made me tear up and it wasn't because the writing was so emotional that it forced me to feel something. Shute just presented these characters and made them seem real enough that the thought of what they were going through made me sad. And, honestly, the state of things right now makes it all feel too possible, so I'm not afraid to admit that some of those tears were probably because I could see it happening now, though the book was published in 1957 and we clearly haven't learned a damn thing.

Anyway, I was excited to see the movie again because somehow my Anthony Perkins blinders made me forget that Gregory Peck was even in the movie?! I don't know how that's possible, but it was a pleasant surprise. I do think everything was well cast, though there are, of course, some differences between the book and the movie.

The book is almost 300 pages long, so it makes sense that the movie would condense the timeline and cut some scenes... but the movie is still 2 hours and 15 minutes long! I grew up watching 90-minute comedies so this was a bit much for me. I think every bit of the book could have been used in over 2 hours of run time... 

There are some significant changes in the relationship between Moira and Towers, which definitely seem more true to character in the book... and considering the movie doesn't even show a sex scene, I don't know why they needed to make that change. Also, John Osborne is related to Moira in the book, but in the movie he's Julian Osborn, and he used to be in love with her. It seemed like a random change that didn't add anything.

The submarine names also differ, and in the book, they make their way to Seattle, but in the movie, they only go to San Francisco. Again, not major changes, so I'm unsure why they were made. There are also a few changes in how characters die at the very end, I guess to have them killing themselves onscreen look more dramatic than simply taking pills, as all of them do in the book?

Overall, the movie stays fairly true to the book, and I recommend both of them. However, the book surprised me by making me more emotional than the movie. You'd think seeing the love and emotions on people's faces would hit harder, but something about the sparse writing style really made the emotions pop off the page for me.

Ancient Myths and Legends Without Men by Mara Gold

Ancient Myths and Legends Without Men by Mara Gold

This book grabbed my attention at an indie bookstore and I took my time with it, knowing I'd definitely come back to it often. I took a mythology class in high school and recently read the Percy Jackson series, so vague ideas of some of these characters were in mind, but in many ways I was starting from scratch. I think this book will appeal to people with any level of mythology knowledge. It explains everything so you're always on the same page with the writer, but also, the way things are explained doesn't feel over-the-top if you have that knowledge. It strikes a great balance.

Here's a quote I can't resist sharing. The balance of slightly snarky commentary with fact and research is a delight:

It certainly speaks to the view of women held by men in ancient Greece and Rome that any perils at sea were largely blamed on women, simply because they understood the mysteries of the ocean about as much as they understood women and their biology.

I'd say it's an easy-to-read reference book, in a way. It has a fair amount of info on LOTS of mythological women. I think it's good for a broad overview, and I know I'm going to use it to get ideas for my own writing or further research. It makes me think of similar books I have for general information and writing inspiration, like these favorites:

• How They Croaked: The Awful Ends of the Awfully Famous by Georgia Bragg, illustrated by Kevin O'Malley
• Tall Tales, Legends & Hoaxes by Nat Segaloff
• Frightlopedia: An Encyclopedia of Everything Scary, Creepy, and Spine-Chilling, from Arachnids to Zombies by Julie Winterbottom, illustrated by Stefano Tambellini
• Unsolved Mysteries: Bizarre Events That Have Puzzled the Greatest Minds by Joel Levy
• The United States of Cryptids: A Tour of American Myths and Monsters by J.W. Ocker

I really appreciate the references to retellings and adaptations, both contemporary and older, so you can easily explore more of the sections that interest you. The purple color scheme is gorgeous, too, and I loved the illustrations. It's definitely a book to buy as a physical copy and show off on your coffee table!