01/03/2026
The only thing I knew going into this book was it was post apocalyptic. I will say, it was well written. The end hits hard, and although I’d hoped for a bit more science, the connections in my life of New London, Melbourne, Submarines, there was just an interesting pull for me with that. Some of the dialogue is dated of course since it was written in the 50’s, but I think it still makes it accessible. What I think separates this from other books is society doesn’t devolve into anarchy like post books/media that approach this topic. Instead, it focuses on trying to live life as you know, or trying to find purpose in those last few days if you know the end is coming. The book does not sacrifice “good feeling” for authenticity, and I appreciate that. For this reason, I can see why this book is so well regarded.
If I were to point out anything critically, it would be two things. First, when Shute switched back and forth from the character names to their “The American said”, even after we were closer to the characters, it felt a bit too distant. The second thing, nearer the end, was the racing. It felt a bit long in the story. I like that it was interesting people dying trying to do something so crazy, but how detailed that portion was presented it just surprised me, until I saw that Shute was very into racing later in his life so it made sense. Must have been a “write what you know” type inclusion.
2026-7
