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The Beach
 
 
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The Beach (Paperback)

by Alex Garland (Author)
4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (285 customer reviews)

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1 new from £39.27 342 used from £0.01
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Paperback (Film tie-in edition) 483 used & new from £0.01
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Product details

  • Paperback: 448 pages
  • Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd; New edition edition (26 Jun 1997)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 0140258418
  • ISBN-13: 978-0140258417
  • Product Dimensions: 17.8 x 11 x 3.4 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (285 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 48,890 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    Popular in these categories:

    #4 in  Books > Fiction > Authors, A-Z > G > Garland, Alex
    #69 in  Books > Fiction > Contemporary Fiction: 1970 Onwards > Lad Lit

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Product Description

From Amazon.co.uk
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 --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Amazon.co.uk 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

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The Beach
66% buy the item featured on this page:
The Beach 4.3 out of 5 stars (285)
The Beach
22% buy
The Beach 4.5 out of 5 stars (2)
£4.76
The Beach [2000] [DVD]
6% buy
The Beach [2000] [DVD] 3.3 out of 5 stars (49)
£4.48
Chasing Dreams
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Customer Reviews

285 Reviews
5 star:
 (177)
4 star:
 (55)
3 star:
 (23)
2 star:
 (10)
1 star:
 (20)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.3 out of 5 stars (285 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Only Just Found This, 27 Jun 2007
I had heard of this book but only decided to give it a go because it was a perfect partner with You Are Here (Steve Horsfall). The Beach is in many respects a modern version of "Lord of the Flies". The premise of the story focuses on Richard, a young traveler in search of a hidden beach were there are white sands and clear waters and a life of luxury waiting to be found. Eventually paradise falls apart as more and more discover it. Excellent, I will now try the film although I'm told it's not so good.



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7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Welcome back to the valley of death, 4 Jan 2001
By A Customer
This review is from: The Beach (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.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Not quite 'Eden'..., 27 April 2007
By B. Wright (Gloucester, UK) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
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.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars The Beach
This is an amazing read and I would highly recommend it. Although the film has slight variations from the book both are enjoyable. Read more
Published 3 days ago by S. Young

5.0 out of 5 stars Wheres Jed
Dont you hate those people who say I read the book first and the film was a let down. I cant rememeber in which order I read them but I liked them both. Read more
Published 24 days ago by Philo Eastwood

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Read
After the movie the book is a welcome pleasure to read. The obvious comparison to the Viewtnam war and the narrative on the delicate social structure that exists at the beach add... Read more
Published 17 months ago by The 12th Monkey

5.0 out of 5 stars fantastic
This is a book i always wanted to read and i am really glad that i got round to it. The book is exciting from the first page and i couldn't put it down. Read more
Published 18 months ago by F. Hassan

5.0 out of 5 stars Fab book!
The film is ok, but the book is excellent, well worth reading and very difficult to put down. A fairly light read and great if you don't like anything too heavy going.
Published 19 months ago by Londoner

5.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyed it despite everything
Very mixed reviews about this book. It was defiantly unlike any other book I've read. There are many sub-plots that don't lead into anything and questions left in my mind at the... Read more
Published 19 months ago by Merlin

3.0 out of 5 stars A good read
I read this when I was 18 and thought that it was brilliant- however when I read it a few years later I found it weak in places. Read more
Published 21 months ago by Victoria H. Gillespie

2.0 out of 5 stars Don't believe the hype
Reading through the book it's clear there are people who are tacking on meaning to this book which has very messages. Read more
Published on 23 May 2007 by Christjian

4.0 out of 5 stars A must-read for every teenager
The Beach was the first book I ever absolutely fell in love with. It is a book that EVERY teenager should read. Read more
Published on 12 April 2007 by Sam J. Ruddock

5.0 out of 5 stars Truely Brilliant...
I LOVE this book. I loved it so much I read it in 2 days, with little time to sleep!

Its the journey this book takes you on that makes it so fantastic, you are right... Read more
Published on 24 Mar 2007 by J. Thomas

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