My review of "Roadside Picnic..." Thread - Old Good STALKER Evolution mod for S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Shadow of Chernobyl

I've been swamped with work lately. I just concluded prepping one major art show for my students, and have another one to hang tomorrow night for a performance from a visiting symphony.

I've been nibbling away at "Roadside Picnic" shortly after I joined the team, and I just concluded reading the book. Am I glad that I did so.

I've only read three books that made my cry, "The Giver" by Lois Lowry, "Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption" by Stephen King, "Rising Stars" by J. Michael Straczynski, and now "Roadside Picnic." The very last line of the book stole my breath away, and the tears just started coming.

It's challenging to even begin to summarize all that the book touches upon, but if I had to pick one key point, it is this...

For all of the chaos and violence delivered by the items left behind by the aliens, it was utterly believable the scale of the tragedy that results when humanity, instead of coming together to unify against a very real and possible threat, that humanity instead chooses to amplify the violence against one another for wealth and power instead. It was wrenching to read, but this made Schuhart's redemptive wish all the more gripping.

In my opinion, if there is one major criticism that I now have in regards to STALKER, is that it deviates too much in tone from what I always sensed in the book. Schuhart's strong-mindedness, and his propensity for violence was always reluctant, till the very end with Burbridge's son, where it was made pretty clear that his level of reluctance in using him to get to the Golden Sphere was pretty low--he didn't mind using him to get to the Sphere, and simultaneously get revenge on Buzzard Burbridge's evil ways. If there was one region of the Zone where this discrepancy is the most apparent, it is the Arena. Strelok, of course, is a different character than Schuhart, and in a Zone that operates quite differently than what's in the novel, but most of the time, one can sense Strelok's dourness in the duties that he's performing. But once at the Arena, the dialogue seems to ignore these sensibilities altogether.

The Strugatsky brothers wrote a masterpiece, one that deserves to be read and deeply contemplated by everyone.
Brilliant. If it were possible, I'd hug those men if I ever met them in person.

Hello K where did you happen to find this interesting story of the zone?
I'd love to read it!

Some info about this book: Moddb.com

Wow i had a quick peep at the wiki informer it sounds great.
gotta pop down to my local libary and place a reserver for the book. Thanks for that yuri!

Both Arkady and Boris Strugatsky died
And I agree with you. That's one of the best books I ever read.
P.S. Rita Hayworth is also the best, what Stephen King made
P.P.S. Sorry for bad english. I'm from Eastern Europe, yes.

Edited by: TheGreatKotE

i just read this book for the second time. the fourth chapter is really very heavy and makes you think.
i'm glad i was able to find a translation from Russian in some second hand book shop. didn't go to waste.

Edited by: fauxhb

Hi Kyle

It was a nice read yeah...
did you guys also read...

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