- Hardcover: 240 pages
- Publisher: Viking (3 Sep 1998)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0670870153
- ISBN-13: 978-0670870158
- Product Dimensions: 21.3 x 13.5 x 2 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 2,073,122 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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More About the Author
Product Description
Product Description
Set over three hours during one night in Manilla, this novel intertwines three stories: the shady dealings of gangsters; the emotional tale of a Phillipino family and the family lives of a gang of street kids.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
Format:Hardcover
Entertaining but I would suggest sitting down and reading it in a short period of time. The historic development of the main characters can get confusing. The start of the book is gripping. If you're expecting another "Beach" then you'll be a little disappointed.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
145 reviews
16 of 17 people found the following review helpful
Easy to miss the point
23 Feb 1999
Format:Hardcover
I am surprised that so many people on Amazon did not like this book. The purpose of the novel is not to illustrate the Philippines for those of us who want to travel there nor is it supposed to be a mere thriller. Granted, it may be too complex and elaborate at a few points, but these points help serve the ideas behind the novel. It is about the chaotic nature of how lives come together for absolutely no reason and how we come to explain the tragedies that occur in our lives. Some of the characters use religion(corazon) while others subscribe to sciense (alfredo), but what I think Garland was trying to do was show how senseless life can seem at times and how we deal with that. It is very compassionate and mature, and for those who wanted more of "The Beach" I can only say that to expect that of an author is very narrow minded and not realistic. It you have the time check out The Tesseract because it is an interesting and unique read that is both exciting and intelligent.
12 of 12 people found the following review helpful
Very Tight.
10 Feb 2000
Format:Paperback
After spending all last year giving "The Beach" to friends and telling them how good it was, it's nice to finally have another book to rave about. Something about Alex Garland's writing really speaks to me. I finished "the Tesseract" felling as I had when I finished "the Beach", like it was a book I wished I'd written myself. Its simultaneous allowance for stark reality, comic-book fantasies and mythological backgrounds, is really stunning. There's so much to this book, and all the real-time action takes place in maybe half an hour. I don't think that this is better or worse than "the Beach", I just think it cements Garland's reputation as a serious writer of fiction for my generation, and I'm already looking forward to his next book.
15 of 16 people found the following review helpful
Brilliant...
17 Dec 2002
Format:Paperback
I wasn't sure what to expect after reading Alex Garland's incredible debut, The Beach. I was hoping for similar excitement and fast-paced adventure. Well, I definitely got that in spades! The Tesseract is so much more realistic and dramatic, and I was feverishly turning pages to find out how this tesseract would unravel.
Told in four parts, The Tesseract begins with Sean, a sailor on the shipping waters of Manila, waiting in a seedy, run-down motel for the gangster, Don Pepe, and his motley crew. Then the story switches gears entirely and begins the tale of Rosa, a woman who remembers her first love, Lito, through flashbacks. This part of the story is told gently and almost romantically. The next story follows two Filipino street kids, Vincente and Totoy, as they wander the streets of Manila in search of hand-outs and a little excitement. Finally, the fourth part, a gritty and fantastic conclusion, has all three stories violently entwined.
I'm positive this novel was no easy feat to write; however, Alex Garland has done it flawlessly. The stories within this novel are powerful and dramatic, some violent, one wistful and romantic, and all are stunning and solid. A perfect novel to pick apart and invoke energetic discussions. Some things might go over novice readers' heads (when one of the characters, Alfredo, waxes philosophic), but for the most part it is easily understood. A highly recommended novel about how your destiny can be shaped by strangers, and how forces beyond your control can come crashing into your life in a moment's notice. Brilliant.
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