Richard is drawn into a strange conversation in a hotel. He hears of a secret island Garden of Eden hidden in the scattered islands of a Thai marine park. Next morning, he finds a map pinned to his door and the man who put it there has slashed his wrists. The challenge is irresistible and he sets off on a perilous journey in search of Shangri-La.
The Beach
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Amazon Review
In our ever-shrinking world, where popular Western culture seems to have infected every nation on the planet, it is hard to find even a small niche of unspoiled land--forget searching for pristine islands or continents. This is the situation in Alex Garland's debut novel, The Beach. Human progress has reduced Eden to a secret little beach near Thailand. In the tradition of grand adventure novels, Richard, a rootless traveller rambling around Thailand on his way somewhere else, is given a hand-drawn map by a madman who calls himself Daffy Duck. He and two French travellers set out on a journey to find this paradise.
What makes this a truly satisfying novel is the number of levels on which it operates. On the surface it's a fast-paced adventure novel; at another level it explores why we search for these utopias, be they mysterious lost continents or small island communes. Garland weaves a gripping and thought-provoking narrative that suggests we are, in fact, such products of our Western culture that we cannot help but pollute and ultimately destroy the very sanctuary we seek. --Amazon.com
Review
A gripping adventure, and a fascinating jigsaw (The Times )
Fresh, fast-paced, compulsive and clever (Nick Hornby )
A white-knuckle ride into the heart of darkness (Sunday Times )
Lord of the Flies and The Magus lurk at the roots of this novel, but Garland reshapes them with panache into something terrifyingly new (Mail on Sunday )
A mesmerising, knuckle-clenching read (Maxim )
Winningly compulsive, brilliantly conceived (Q )
Garland's prose is stunningly lucid. Addictive and compelling (Spectator )
A highly confident debut...this incisive novel may well come to be regarded as a defining text in the history of imaginative travel writing (Daily Telegraph )
Alex Garland is writing a brand new kind of adventure novel. His style is dangerously simple yet altogether captivating (Douglas Rushkoff )
An exceptional first novel...An action novel that provokes subtle responses, The Beach takes in ideas about man's inevitable progress from noble savage to social breakdown (and) the related tradition of nature versus art (The Times Literary Supplement )
Garland has written a powerful and frighteningly believable novel (Company )
Precise and speedy prose, with good old-fashioned romantic adventure spiced up with deadpan authorial irony (Guardian ) --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.
Fresh, fast-paced, compulsive and clever (Nick Hornby )
A white-knuckle ride into the heart of darkness (Sunday Times )
Lord of the Flies and The Magus lurk at the roots of this novel, but Garland reshapes them with panache into something terrifyingly new (Mail on Sunday )
A mesmerising, knuckle-clenching read (Maxim )
Winningly compulsive, brilliantly conceived (Q )
Garland's prose is stunningly lucid. Addictive and compelling (Spectator )
A highly confident debut...this incisive novel may well come to be regarded as a defining text in the history of imaginative travel writing (Daily Telegraph )
Alex Garland is writing a brand new kind of adventure novel. His style is dangerously simple yet altogether captivating (Douglas Rushkoff )
An exceptional first novel...An action novel that provokes subtle responses, The Beach takes in ideas about man's inevitable progress from noble savage to social breakdown (and) the related tradition of nature versus art (The Times Literary Supplement )
Garland has written a powerful and frighteningly believable novel (Company )
Precise and speedy prose, with good old-fashioned romantic adventure spiced up with deadpan authorial irony (Guardian ) --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.
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First Sentence
Vietnam, me love you long time. Read the first page Browse Sample Pages
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
Vietnam, me love you long time. Read the first page Browse Sample Pages
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
11 of 12 people found the following review helpful
By B. Wright
VINE™ VOICE
Format:Paperback
This book is very well-written, capturing the reader's attention from the start. A travel-fiction set in Thailand, following a backpacker as he searches for the perfect 'Eden', a place unsullied by other tourists; 'The Beach'.
For a first novel it's fantastic; it kept me going back and reading. I read half of it in one stint, but then had to slow down a little due to work. The characters are believable and the society in which they work is convincing too. It is funny (if you're into black humour...), witty, and human.
My only problem, possibly due to hype from the film (which I haven't seen yet...), was that I felt the book was building and building to a huge climax, and then when it got to the end I felt a little letdown and like the payoff I was expecting hadn't arrived. The book is definitely worth reading and I'd recommend it to anybody, but just don't go in with expectations. Chances are it will differ from them.
For a first novel it's fantastic; it kept me going back and reading. I read half of it in one stint, but then had to slow down a little due to work. The characters are believable and the society in which they work is convincing too. It is funny (if you're into black humour...), witty, and human.
My only problem, possibly due to hype from the film (which I haven't seen yet...), was that I felt the book was building and building to a huge climax, and then when it got to the end I felt a little letdown and like the payoff I was expecting hadn't arrived. The book is definitely worth reading and I'd recommend it to anybody, but just don't go in with expectations. Chances are it will differ from them.
9 of 10 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Paperback
I appreciate that a lot of people have enjoyed this book so don't want to go over the top with praise...I think the references to Vietnam give the paradise dark overtones i.e. paradise cannot last forever, history will scar and repeat. The knowledge of the main character that he is going crazy, psychosis, i believe is excellent and catalogues in depth how Richard is influcnced by his surroundings and the death of Daffy. Ultimately, most readers will not completely understand the connections between Vietnam and the beach, aside from the geographical location. I think this is part of the intrigue; the book is dark and mysterious and encourages multiple readings to try and understand it. Even if you only grasp the idea of the break-down of civilisation, the book is compelling and the description of Asia leave a deep impact on the imagination. If you do however, believe that the author is too-hyped up on Vietnam, read his second novel, The Tesseract and you will see a completely different type of book, though with a complex make-up. In short an excellent first novel and well-worth its money as it can be read so many times without losing the edge. On a lighter note, Leonado DiCaprio was a pathetic cast for Richard, with no dark side and a sad attempt at going round the bend.
14 of 16 people found the following review helpful
By L. Dablin
Format:Paperback
This has to be one of my favourite all-time novels. 'The Beach' is a stunning combination of an excellent plotline and a great style of writing.
Garland's first novel touches deep into the soul and draws parallels between modern life and war through themes such as the jungle and the contrast between paradise and hell on the same island. I don't know if Garland intended it - but I consdier The Beach to be one of the most meaningful books to come out of the 90's.
Garland's first novel touches deep into the soul and draws parallels between modern life and war through themes such as the jungle and the contrast between paradise and hell on the same island. I don't know if Garland intended it - but I consdier The Beach to be one of the most meaningful books to come out of the 90's.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Beautiful
Could be my favourite book. Incredibly written. Couldn't ask for anything more I missed my stop on the train I got so engrossed. Definitely worth a read
Published 14 hours ago by leah webb
5.0 out of 5 stars
Perfect Read pre:holiday
I'm off to Thailand in a month and so though 'what better book to prepare me for this trip!?'
Some of you 'traveler skeptics' may be thinking at this point 'why read a... Read more
Some of you 'traveler skeptics' may be thinking at this point 'why read a... Read more
Published 7 days ago by Stuart Gordon
5.0 out of 5 stars
Enjoyed it a lot
I overheard someone on the train talking about how this was their favourite book so I decided to read it and it certainly did not disappoint! Read more
Published 24 days ago by Emily Merryweather
5.0 out of 5 stars
Gripping
I have always been a fan of the film and I love Thailand. Quite why I have only just got round to reading the book is a little baffling really. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Mark Blackburn
5.0 out of 5 stars
One of my all time favourites, but with a massive flaw...
I've read this book about 6 times, have just finished it again, and loved it just as much as ever, which is why I've given it 5 stars - now, the massive flaw! Read more
Published 1 month ago by Terry Tyler
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Classic
This is a brilliant novel, which I read after watching the film (starring Leonardo DiCaprio). It is so much better than the film and also has an unexpected ending that the film... Read more
Published 1 month ago by TreasureChest
4.0 out of 5 stars
Well written and well worth a read
When reading this novel I couldn't help but hear DiCaprio's voice even though the character Richard in the book is supposed to be English. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Gurjit
5.0 out of 5 stars
Better than the film...
Stuff in the book that's really exciting...that they leave out in the film. extra things added in the film that make me dislike Richard...I like him in the book.x
Published 2 months ago by gee
5.0 out of 5 stars
quality
It was in brilliant condition and amazing quality. I was delighted when it arrived and was impressed with the condition.
Published 2 months ago by Haulier
4.0 out of 5 stars
Better than the film
I watched the film years ago & I was concerned it would spoil my reading experience. Not a chance, it is well written & it took me on a high octane adventure in Thailand. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Laura Rogers
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