In an earlier post I explained the controversy surrounding the Hitchcock classic and the existence of this novel. Only a few hundred copies were published in 1936. Thanks to Valancourt Books the novel has been re-issued and I am happy to have read it.
It is an engaging and intriguing study of life and survival against a backdrop of apocalyptic proportions. I want to emphasize that the story presented here, as opposed to atomic bomb and zombie tropes, is the focus on the people and their story; the everyday mixed in within the threat; and the superior blending of words and imagery that makes more contemporary fare crap.
You can keep the apocalyptic literature of the last ten years --- even movies and television; for the best parts of it all combined cannot measure to Mr. Baker's quiet masterpiece.
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