The Beach

Rating:
Summary: This book is simply a must for everyone - READ IT
Review: I've never been a real fan of books and when my mate told me to read it I was hesitent, why should I read a book when i could be playing four player goldeneye, how could a book be that good, its only a book right. Wrong this book was better than any flim any computer game I have ever seen. You have mental picture of everything mentioned immediatly. Alex Garland creates an intercate plot, and drags you into it so that you can't put the book down. Just read it!

Rating:
Summary: Entertaining, innovative, but... mediocre
Review: Garland definitely engages with a dead-on perspective of the jaded backbacker scene, and the dialogue is sharp, but it eventually bogs down into silliness. Towards the second half of the book, the narrative sort of fades, and everything is carried along by one-liners and a recurring nightmare figure. It starts to feel staged, like a screenplay. Maybe that's the point? Anyway, it's certainly an entertaining book, but it also feels like it had the potential to be so much better.

Rating:
Summary: lord of the flies in gen-x format
Review: This was a really good book, and I loved it because it described something that i would never do, or never even come in contact with, so it was completely engrossing to hear about this lifestyle. You really got to know the characters and cast, like they were your classmates or something. The things i didn't like were that one: the characters seemed to adjust to the beach life way too easily, like it was nothing, which seemed unrealistic, and also i kind of wanted more of a little romance plot to develop between francoise and richard-you knew they wanted each other, and being on that island for so long without any female action, richard must have gone a little crazy!! I loved keaty, and the whole "bad squid" incident was gruesome but engrossing. It's a wild trip into the savage jungle life-a good, fast read.

Rating:
Summary: Richard could take Holden in a fight
Review: I think most of us in our early 20s can identify with Richard, because we all want some sort of unique experience upon which we can look back and use as an example in our attempt to prove we lived an interesting life. Garland reminds us, however, that we can take this quest for meaning too far, although he doesn't necessarily discourage us from making the trip. We have to find our own beaches and our own VCs. As such, "The Beach" is perfect for anyone who's trying to figure out who they are and what they want out of life. Plus, Hemmingway doesn't have any wicked action sequences.

Rating:
Summary: disappointing
Review: This book starts off well, but the last few chapters i had to force myself to read. I had to laugh when the 'mob' turned against him and started stabbing him ...a poor rip off of 'Lord of the Flies'.

Rating:
Summary: Magical,menacing and very readable
Review: Not what I was expecting at all, I was expecting a Rough Guide, hippy trail, travellers story but throughly enjoyed what Mr Garland produced....a riveting hippy turned horror story. I haven't read a book this quickly for ages. I'm just sorry that I didn't read it sooner. I wonder what the Trainspotting Team will do to this? I just can't see Leonardo in the main part.

Rating:
Summary: the best so far
Review: The constant dialogue of the lead character with himself is very interesting. Makes us conscious of our own dialogues going on in our own heads.

Rating:
Summary: fear and loathing in utopia
Review: This reads like a lonely planet guide to utopia, via joseph conrad's heart of darkness. it has the twists, bells and whistles of great adventure writing, the pop culture in-jokes, crisp dialogue, coming-of-age undertones and true narrative ease. maybe some of the mysterious characters needed more background (what's the story with mr duck anyway?), but neither that, nor the occasionally dull dream foreshadowing sequence (a couple too many there if you ask me) prevents this from being a standout read, especially for (you guessed it) would-be travellers and backpackers. couch potatoes please refrain.

Rating:
Summary: Thank you Alex Garland!
Review: Thank you Alex Garland for sharing your imagination, dreams, visions, believes and fears with us. Thank you for describing the most beautiful and darkest aspects of humanity. Thank you sincerely for writing this book.

Rating:
Summary: Nice try, but not even close.
Review: This book could have been a decent read; that is if the characters were even half realistic. They all are a group of pleasantly brain dead gen-x'ers who show no emotion at all. Only good part is the scenery. If you are looking for a fast read with a foolish plot and empty characters, try this book.