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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An admirably skilled, and truly originol book, 3 Sep 2000
By A Customer
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.
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7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Enjoyable, inventive stuff, though with too light a touch., 3 Dec 2001
I don't envy an author the task of writing a second novel, when the first has been deemed a post-modern classic. Yet, the manner with which Alex Garland set about this task with The Tesseract was inspired. Instead of trying to outdo, or repeat his previous efforts, he simply side-stepped them with this neat collage of interwoven short-stories. Each tale was a glimpse of a true life with its many intricate problems and joys. The initial character was extremely similar to that of the hero in The Beach, yet ultimately is the person we are the least sympathetic towards. His most touching portrayal is that of the Nurse, who we recognise, and subsequently empathise with the most. Yet it is the character of the homeless child which undermines all that had gone before it in the book. Up to that stage there was a deep sense of commitment to each individual to ensure that they were not stereotypes. Or that if they were then to twist them into a situation that makes their actions believable. The boy is not real, he is a tool with which to tie all those stories which had gone before him together. Unfortunately this was clumsily done. This flaw is almost rescued by the prescence of the shrink, trying to give meaning to the boy, almost but not quite.
I enjoyed this book thoroughly. The reason behind the criticism's I have given above is simple; it was so very nearly another classic. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoyed his previous work, and anyone who enjoyed Pulp Fiction who can also read.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
At first confusing, but ultimately gripping., 4 May 2004
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.
Bad points? Well, if you're not committed to reading this book when it starts veering off the track slightly then this will definitely be a hard read for you. I have read this book twice and fully understood and enjoyed it better the second time, getting to grip more with the characters and their individual situations. On the first read I found that I could not empathize with many of the characters and this made the final act of the book fall short of my expectations. "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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