Rating: 
Summary: brilliant
Review: I sat down with this book, and I did not - could not - get up until I'd finished. After five hours I was exhausted . . . but that really isn't the point. It's absolutely fantastic. Brilliant. Absorbing.
Rating: 
Summary: The Beach, a paradise ?
Review: I did not enjoy that book as the story is very slow and there is nothing very exciting happening but throught the last 30 pages ! In fact, the stroy relates a paradisiac island and all its advantages but has not meet my expectations; I lived and travelled in various countries but I do not see any point in living abroad stuck in an island where you do nothing but fish, swim, eat, sleep, smoke and play football on the beach. The only good point : it shows that even paradise can become devil, that there is no perfect world even when you do nothing but lazing around, which is the dream of many people : live in an island for the want of freedom and escape from the outside world. I hope the movie is a little better : at least, you still have the pictures, the music and the beautiful landscapes to keep you entertained and awake ! It is not by reading that book that you can increase your want for travelling; whenever I travel I want to mix with the people, the culture, which is just the opposite of what is going on in that book; This is probably a book for teenagers who have seen the movie starring Di Caprio and who wish to find the magie back into the book.
Rating:
Summary: Vietnam, Daffy Duck and a Beach. Brilliant!
Review: I read, 'The Beach' in 4 days (4 days! ) and thought nothing other than Fantastic. Its a fast-paced, thrilling adventure, that keeps you reading untill the very last line. The characters, sub-plots, and beach events are all written and described very well indeed and the meetings between Richard and 'Daffy' are amazing, with their love for Vietnam films providing the mind-blowing climax. Alex Garland keeps his chapters short and his dialogue at rapid-fire pace, providing some memorable encounters between various characters, making you laugh, wonder and admire, even hate various people. The Beach is more than an adventure novel, its a book that crawls to the depths of paradise, sometimes kicking you in the stomach leaving you in suspence, other times leaving you inspired, but always demanding 'just one more page', before you finally put it down, and can't stop thinking... 'i wonder what happens next if...' Overall its a brilliant book, each reader will decide on a favourite character and line spoken (its that good) and you will certainly want to read it again. "Paradise, and lots of it"
Rating:
Summary: If you haven't yet, please read this book
Review: This was the best book that I have read all year. It was fast paced, exciting, an adventure book that wasn't just a 'boys book'. The characters were intricate and human, you loved them and hated them and even related to them. I could not put this book down, it was fantastic, a modern Lord of the Flies but better.
Rating: 
Summary: Mrs. Kane, here is my review
Review: The Beach was an interesting book. I thought it had wonderful descriptive writing. The author, Alex Garland used great language to describe Mr. Duck. The story is something that sounds like it would be fun for a while, but overall, very scary. The main character, Richard is staying in a small hotel in Bangkok. The man in the room next door gives him a map to a secret island. Richard, and two others set off to find the island. The plot was a little far fetched but that just added to the excitement. I don't want to give away the ending, but believe me, you won't be disappointed. Alex Garland also wrote The Tesseract, and I'm thinking of reading that one, since this was such a great book. One thing about this book is that it has some mature themes in it, like suicide, drugs, and bad language. If that doesn't bother you, you should definetly read this book.
Rating:
Summary: A must read!
Review: What a great book All I can say is that I don't read a lot, mainly because I find it so hard to find a book that I can get into, but I was totally hooked on this book, and couldn't put it down. The main character Richard, comes across a map to 'the beach' and after crossing many hurdles manages to find this paradise, a perfect society in a perfect setting. This 'perfect world' is then distroyed in a way that can only be described as shocking, as we are taken back to the animal instincts of mankind Well worth a read, universal appeal!
Rating:
Summary: Don't see the movie first!
Review: I have yet to see the movie, but it couldn't possibly do this book justice. The way it was written gave a very unique perspective into the ,well, not so straight mind of a young traveller. It struck me immediately of a cross between a modern day "Lord of the Flies" with a bit of "American werewolf inLondon" thrown in (in the form of a reoccurring vision of a dead accquaintance). I have three small children at home and I still finished it in less than 2 weeks....a major feat for me! Non stop action will keep you reading. A definite keeper....hope the movie can measure up. READ THE BOOK FIRST.
Rating:
Summary: Top rate work - story, characters, and tone hit the spot.
Review: Many other reviews here have been comparing "Beach" to other books. Yes, there are shades of "On the Road," "Lord of the Flies," Michener's "Drifters," and maybe even a little "Sand Pebbles" thrown in. That's fine - I like new stories to remind me of other great tales. Good writing examples complement each other; it's not one book vs. another. And this is good writing. Garland keeps the basic story simple; it's easy to follow and relatively believable. One of the best things done is that Garland creates a sort of tension throughout the book. The reader is not able to relax and simply glide along. You know something's going to happen but not what or when (you do know, of course, that Richard will make it due to the first person narration). When things go wrong, they do so in a wild but logical manner. Nothing goes too far over the top with characters commiting improbable acts (read "A Simple Plan" for the exact opposite, though it's still a fine story). The dream sequences enhance the story, rather than annoy the reader as often happens. This is a modern tale of adventure that ranks right up there with other generation-defining work. I haven't seen the movie nor do I plan to, this is good enough.
Rating: 
Summary: Good First Effort
Review: The Beach is certainly an impressive effort for a young man still in his twenties. I can certainly understand the ecstatic reviews - especially from the younger readers - readers still void of real life experience. The story line however, is sadly reminiscent of the pop reality of the late sixties with all the same ingredients, youth throwing off the shackles of responsibility, unlimited drugs, and adventure in an exotic land. This read will have a special appeal for the feminine gender with its copious doses of love and affection, although the contrived relationships are base and deceitful in their entirety. I look forward to Garland's further efforts as he becomes more seasoned and begins to write for a broader and more mature audience.
Rating:
Summary: I am in Thailand and I'm 24
Review: I perceive "The Beach" as truly awesome. I think most people that could relate to Richard feel the same way. This is the book that speaks most directly to me to date. Well, sometimes I read other books, frustrated by the choices of the characters, and ended up don't give a damn, just flipping through pages to have an idea how it turns out. But with the beach it's like you were there. Richard and his friends are like some of your real life buddies. On the regard of plot and character developments, I won't dispute with the others who feel they are major drawbacks. For me, It's true Garland needs to work on that but don't forget he wrote a book that speaks directly to his audience--and perhaps to his audience only--what else do you want? A classic? Ah, common, you should have known better when picking this one up. All in all, I still couldn't believe someone would compare this one with the firm.
|
