Quotes from On the Beach

Nevil Shute ·  296 pages

Rating: (29.3K votes)


“It's not the end of the world at all," he said. "It's only the end for us. The world will go on just the same, only we shan't be in it. I dare say it will get along all right without us.”
― Nevil Shute, quote from On the Beach


“No, it wasn't an accident, I didn't say that. It was carefully planned, down to the tiniest mechanical and emotional detail. But it was a mistake.”
― Nevil Shute, quote from On the Beach


“I'm glad we haven't got newspapers now. It's been much nicer without them.”
― Nevil Shute, quote from On the Beach


“Some games are fun even when you lose. Even when you know you're going to lose before you start. It's fun just playing them.”
― Nevil Shute, quote from On the Beach


“Maybe we've been too silly to deserve a world like this.”
― Nevil Shute, quote from On the Beach



“You know," he said, "now that I've got used to the idea, I think I'd rather have it this way. We've all got to die one day, some sooner and some later. The trouble always has been that you're never ready, because you don't know when it's coming. Well, now we do know, and there's nothing to be done about it. I kind of like that. I kind of like the thought that I'll be fit and well up till the end of August and then - home. I'd rather have it that way than go on as a sick manfrom when I'm seventy to when I'm ninety.”
― Nevil Shute, quote from On the Beach


“If what they say is right we're none of us going to have time to do all that we planned to do. But we can keep on doing it as long as we can.”
― Nevil Shute, quote from On the Beach


“Security was now a thing of the past though it took a conscious effort to remember it; with no enemy in all the world there was little but the force of habit in it.”
― Nevil Shute, quote from On the Beach


“The news did not trouble her particularly; all news was bad, like wage demands, strikes, or war, and the wise person paid no attention to it. What was important was that it was a bright, sunny day; her first narcissi were in bloom, and the daffodils behind them were already showing flower buds.”
― Nevil Shute, quote from On the Beach


“You could have done something with newspapers. We didn't do it. No nation did, because we were all too silly. We liked our newspapers with pictures of beach girls and headlines about cases of indecent assault, and no Government was wise enough to stop us having them that way. But something might have been done with newspapers, if we'd been wise enough.”
― Nevil Shute, quote from On the Beach



“The news did not trouble her particularly; all news was bad, like wage demands, strikes, or war, and the wise person paid no attention to it.”
― Nevil Shute, quote from On the Beach


“All those cities, all those fields and farms, with nobody, and nothing left alive. Just nothing there. I simply can't take it in.”
― Nevil Shute, quote from On the Beach


“Into the world of romance, of make-belief and double brandies!”
― Nevil Shute, quote from On the Beach


About the author

Nevil Shute
Born place: in London, England, The United Kingdom
Born date January 17, 1899
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“And the rest of the story?" he asked, trying to force a smile. "Is that like everything else in POT, on a need-to-know basis?"
She nodded.
The waiter came to their table, but must have sensed his timing was off and went away again.
She opened her mouth to say something. Harry could see that she was on the verge of tears. She bit her lower lip. Then she put the napkin down on the tablecloth, shoved her chair back, stood up without a word and left. Harry remained, sitting and staring at the napkin. She must have been squeezing it in her hand for some time, he mused, because it was crumpled up into a ball. He watched it slowly unfold like a white paper flower.”
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“It's not good, is it?"
Galen's reply was convincingly nonchalant. "I've seen worse."
"Yes-on a dead man."
Galen averted his eyes for a moment before giving a reply. "Don't talk like that."
"Sorry."
"Don't apologize, either."
Steldor gave a wry laugh. "Would you mind telling me what I am allowed to do?"
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Steldor was smirking, too, then he grimaced, arching his back as unexpected pain shot through him, and new drops of sweat materialized on his forehead.
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"No," he growled, gritting his teeth. "Ignore it.I don't want to think about it."
Galen nodded, thought he looked uneasy. "Just tell me what to do," he said in a small voice.
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