Roadside+Picnic

Roadside picnic


//**Arcady and Boris Strugatsky**// //**Science fiction, philosophy**//

//**"**//**Roadside picnic//" the ingenious book of brothers Strugatsky. The plot of the book proceeds on the earth in small town Harmont (invented) in 70x years of the XX-th century. Its main character is Redrik Shuhart. It as well as many inhabitants of this small town became stalkers, that he earns his living taking out from the Zone the artefacts which __had__ unusual properties and sold for big money. Redrik as well as all stalkers, became dependent on the zone, there he feels in the right place. In the end of the book Shuhart plans and carries out the final mission in the Zone: he decides to find «the Gold Sphere» — an artefact which according to a legend of stalkers can execute the most secret desire of the one who will find it. Shuhard goes to the Sphere, being absolutely disappointed in the life and in people, as to for the l ast hope. Complexity of ﻿ mission consists the road to the Sphere which is mortally dangerous, but there is also the last trap on a way to it which demands a victim — one human life. And Shuhart brings this victim in the form of the companion, the young man Arthur Barbridzha.//**

//**The book ending remains open — Arthur perishes, Redrik creeps up to the Sphere, vainly trying to formulate the most secret desire. He remembers all his crippled life, tries to remember something light, but it is impossible. As a result he cannot think up anything, except for Arthur some seconds before the death has exclaimed: «THE HAPPINESS FOR EVERYTHING, FOR NOTHING, AND don't LET any BODY be ﻿ OFFENDED!»**//

//**I consider that this book is remarkable. Besides the interesting plot, many interesting thoughts are hidden in it very .**// //**The film "Stalker" is shot after this book. The film plot is changed a little, but its essence remains the same.**//