- Paperback: 352 pages
- Publisher: Penguin; New edition edition (26 Aug 1999)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0140258426
- ISBN-13: 978-0140258424
- Product Dimensions: 17.8 x 10.6 x 2.8 cm
- Average Customer Review: 3.1 out of 5 stars See all reviews (86 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 17,542 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Description
Amazon.co.uk Review
A single evening in Manila hints at shared consciousness and the circular nature of time and experience. More ambitious than his successful debut, The Beach, Alex Garland's second novel follows three seemingly disparate stories that converge just this side of possible. Opening pages are reminiscent of a Raymond Chandler detective story: the dirty hotel room that "didn't know it was a hotel, or had forgotten"; the flinty, deep thinking protagonist; a meeting with rough-cut thugs. But just when we expect the arrival of the stock sultry woman, the cast of characters begins to assume the more recognisable aspects of ordinary life--to eerie effect.
Garland shows a talent for finely crafted phrases that emboss an image and encapsulate a moment. One minor character's brief sensory flashback provides more human insight than the pages of descriptive overload in the usual thriller. The Tesseract is an exciting tale that never stoops to the level of popcorn storytelling. --Samantha Starmer --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Product Description
Gripping from the first pages, Garland's new novel is set over three hours during one night in Manila. With the pace and suspense of THE BEACH this novel intertwines three stories: the shady dealings of gangsters, the tautly and emotionally drawn tale of a Phillipino family and the violent lives of a gang of street kids, until their different lives collide in a shattering finale. It is beautifully written and unputdownable.
'Is Alex Garland the new Graham Greene? After THE TESSERACT the question needs to be asked ... a powerful narrative drive, exotic locations that unfold like a corrupt and mysterious flower, and a moody intelligence that holds everything together' - JG Ballard
Inside This Book
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First Sentence
There was no bright colour in the room. Read the first page Browse Sample Pages
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover
There was no bright colour in the room. Read the first page Browse Sample Pages
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A touching, compassionate, yet no less satisfactory novel,
By Dave O'Connor (Dublin, Ireland) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Tesseract (Paperback)
Close to the gripping read that was 'The Beach', Garland's second bestseller shares the originality and deepness portrayed beforehand.From the beginning of this book comes an air of curiosity, as the reader is sent spiralling into a web of episodes, leading to the inevitable marring of violence. The story begins in (the highly appropriate) 'roach infested hotel' as Sean awaits the arrival of Gangster Don Pepe. Rising is the immediate cloud of mystery, all but setting the pace, tone and estranged excitement that remains throughout. Acknowledged is the difficulty the young author faced as he aimed to reiterate the sheer quality of 'The Beach'. Although somewhat disorderly and at times slow paced, in grasping the cultural background and social landscape of one country, Garland has put together a touching, compassionate, yet no less satisfactory novel.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An admirably skilled, and truly originol book,
By A Customer
This review is from: The Tesseract (Paperback)
The Tesseract begins in surroundings closely comparable to that of "the beach", yet as you become immersed within this brilliantly structured novel, it couldn't be more different. The flare of Alex Garland's writing remains, as seperate stories emerge containing uniquely vivid and interesting characters. I found myself so hooked to this paperback that I locked my self away, and completed the novel in just around twenty four hours. Then, on the arrival of the last chapter, I couldn't have been more content, as the stories of each character are shown to intertwine in one final scene, viewed from all possible perspectives, though cleverly, not repeating itself.In places, the narative can seem to drag on, but those points are few and far between. As a whole, this book is wonderfully refreshing, reaching the same level of perfection as the beach. Even if you didn't enjoy the beach however, there is nothing to stop you from enjoying this as much as I.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
At first confusing, but ultimately gripping.,
By
This review is from: The Tesseract (Paperback)
Having read Alex Garland's "The Beach" and the "28 Days Later" film script I was looking forward to reading "The Tesseract". Garland's dark, descriptive and gripping writing makes his books so hard to put down, so I was expecting more of the same.Basically the book tells the story of three scenarios which, although at first seem separate in their own way, are ultimately brought together through a series of events and circumstances. Firstly we have Sean, waiting for mob gangster Don Pepe in the most run down forgotten hotel in Manila fighting with his thoughts and emotions. Next we have a Filipino family living out in the suburbs in Manila and lastly we have some street kids. So, first the good points. Garland manages to provide sound descriptions of all the characters personalities and backgrounds through a series of flashbacks, memories and thoughts. I was sometimes confused as to why Garland was describing certain incidents from some of the characters pasts, however when reading on further things became a lot clearer and you realise how cleverly written this book really is. Also, although "The Tesseract" is not as graphic as some parts of "The Beach" there are still moments of shocking brutality and dark twisted humour to keep the most sceptical of Garland readers entertained. "The Tesseract" is a good read if you are committed to follow the twists and turns and flashbacks the story throws at you. The book is very cleverly written and has some dark underlying humour throughout. My advice is that the book is worth buying; however a second read is most probably required to get your head around some of its more confusing aspects and to also appreciate the way in which Garland has moulded the different stories into one.
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