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Roadside Picnic Paperback – International Edition, January 1, 2001
Purchase options and add-ons
- Print length209 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherGollancz
- Publication dateJanuary 1, 2001
- Dimensions5.04 x 0.87 x 7.72 inches
- ISBN-100575093137
- ISBN-13978-0575093133
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Product details
- Publisher : Gollancz (January 1, 2001)
- Language : English
- Paperback : 209 pages
- ISBN-10 : 0575093137
- ISBN-13 : 978-0575093133
- Item Weight : 7.1 ounces
- Dimensions : 5.04 x 0.87 x 7.72 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #26,819 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #491 in Dystopian Fiction (Books)
- #589 in Post-Apocalyptic Science Fiction (Books)
- Customer Reviews:
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Specifically, Picnic seems to be about the venality, vulgarity and confusion of the human world, which is brought to light by the way in which organized bodies such as government/business and particular individuals deal with the alien "Zones," and everyone's efforts to exploit the mysterious and potent artifacts they contain. & not only are there weird artifacts, the Zones are potentially deadly places, where physical laws are transformed and the psychology of visitors is affected. In Picnic the Zones are swarmed with opportunistic types taking various shots at cashing in --- there are old-school "local" Stalkers & new-school wannabe Stalkers, or guides to the Zone, as well as robots going in to get the loot. Governments, "the opposition," and all types of middlemen and commercial concerns are hanging about the edges trying to control things or get rich.
In this environment, the protaganist, Red, who is an old-school "pre-visitation" Stalker & local to the area, makes his way. Early on he works for the government, earning a salary by helping scientists to extract objects of interest from the Zone. Later he brings things out to sell on the black market. By the end of the book, as the unpleasant, pervasive and mutative effects of the Zone upon the world is revealed, as is the bottomless, dirty & complex relationship between the various interested agencies, it seems that Red Stalks the Zone not for anyone, but just because that is what he is, a Stalker. His relationship is primarily with his own destiny in terms of the Zone itself. The final trip into the Zone is an attempt to extract a "golden ball" which is said to grant "one's deepest wish."
The movie Stalker on the other hand does not depict the Zone as a commercial motherlode. In Stalker, there is a lot of unstated history which the viewer can infer from the visuals and the few words said. Here, the government's early attempt to militarily "take on" the Zone seems to have resulted in failure, and the Zone has become a wasteland. The government's job has become, simply, to keep people out. The Stalker in the film illegally smuggles people into the Zone, in this case a writer and a scientist, to attempt to find the room or source that "grants one's deepest wish." It seems more a metaphysical tourist thing. I don't remember if they mention the Stalker getting paid for this or not, but the feeling is that he does get paid, although that is not his own primary motivation for going in. This Stalker is something like a wretched religious devotee to the Zone, with which he is intimate, familiar, but which neither he nor anyone else understands. He is tortured by this relationship, but it seems he cannot keep out. I would guess that 80% of the film takes place either inside the Zone or on the journey there. The movie is primarily about how we face that which is most meaningful, the compulsion in that, the pain in that, the burden in that, and the beauty we find in that.
Yes it is true that the Picnic book gets to the matter of the golden ball at the end, at which point the ball seems to stop being a commercial object for Red, the Stalker. But the weight of the book, and the location of 80% of its action, is outside of the Zone, dealing with the nastiness of the world's depraved desires to exploit it. Artistically, to me, the movie is infinitely superior. The book gets A- for writing (unusual sustained tone, which could use a little more modulation), B for visuals, B for character depiction, A+ inventiveness, A+ for thought provoking thematic scope, and A++ for inspiring the movie, which is really special.
This book is the first book I have ever been able to read more than once (I've read it twice in one week). I only put it down for sleeping, school, and work. Note that I didn't say "eating", because I ate almost ever meal with this book in my hands. It's a great story about humanity, human emotions, tragedy, joy, and it also brings life into perspective. It's a very deep story that really got me thinking and inspired me verry much with my own writing.
This whole story is intelligent and enjoyable, and the ending really packed a punch for me. The characters are amazing, deep, and more like living people than characters. And I especially loved the man who the book followed the most, Redrick, to the point I am willing to publicly state that I would marry him.
I am willing to bet all that I own you will enjoy this book, so don't just sit there reading this, buy it! And trust me, after reading this book, you will definately want to read more by Arkady and Boris. I haven't read any others, but I'm planning on it very soon. I'm not sure if they could get better than this book, but the Strugatsky Brothers seem very talented and I wouldn't be surprised if they pull of something even greater, though I would be very impressed.