The Beach

Rating:
Summary: My favorite book of the last 100 I've read
Review: I loved everything about this book: crystal clear writing, terrific pacing, well-developed characters, serious themes, moral ambiguities, beautifully described setting. It is hard for me to believe that a 26 year old can write a book with this degree of mastery of the art. I'm a 50 year old. The themes for me were as relevant as any I've read in a long time and much more entertainingly evoked than I had anticipated.

Rating:
Summary: lost in the wilderness of one's own mind
Review: Given the hype this book has recieved, I expected a magical mystery tour, but instead I found myself with a novel that sputters it's way through an uneven tirade of sex, drugs, murder, and eventual insanity. It tries and fails to portray the "supposed" enligtenment of one character, aka, the rest of us, "Generation X", in a prettily wrapped package! Don't buy the hype! Garland started his novel with a level of extreme potential, but leaves the reader puzzled as to the ultimate point of this novel's journey. If you're into the sprituality and duality of human character-buy it. If you are into a good book to read that doesn't make those of us in our 20's look lost-then don't bother.

Rating:
Summary: Read this book and get ready for a rush of adrenaline.
Review: 'The Beach' is a chilling, suspenseful adventure. This book has been made into a Hollywood film starring Leonardo Dicaprio. 'The Beach' is based in Thailand, my home. Richard, a young English man is on vacation in Thailand and receives a map to the beach by a dead man. Richard befriends a french couple, Ettiene and Francois. The three of them set off to the beach for the adventure of their lives. I haven't told you much about this story for I want you to find out for yourself the surprises, shock, awe, sadness and chill this book will give you. This book is very hard core, it has a lot of swear words. But I think this adds to the flavor and texture of this novel. I reccomend this book to teenagers and adults. Even if you aren't the adventure type, this book may change your mind. Not only does this book give you an adrenaline rush, but it is also thought-provoking. It makes you think about how tourism can hurt the edge, the paradise, the nature of islands around the world. But it is also makes you think deeply about the meaning of life, the human psychology, the use of drugs, the savageness of humans and social breakdown. You will not put this book down until the last word is read. I have never read a novel like this for it is very unique. It is very easy to read yet complex. When I looked at the cover of this book, I checked it out of the library right away. The cover had a dark edge to it and was very interesting, so I knew I had to read this book. Some images on the cover shows some of the important characters, feelings and place of 'the beach.' Read this book and be ready for a rush of adrenaline, be ready for something new, something you will remember forever. This book will reach a part of you, a part you never knew you had.

Rating:
Summary: I have never been so misled by reviews
Review: This book isn't worth spending time writing a long review. I was looking forward to a book set in one of my favourite parts of the world, but anyone who has travelled in SE Asia can see the flaws in the story, descriptions and settings straight away. All I can assume is that the reviewers have never themselves been to Thailand or anywhere remotely like it, and just accepted all the romantic and inaccurate drivel without question. It is so naive I found myself laughing many times.

Rating:
Summary: ????????????
Review: I can't believe I wasted my time actually reading this thing, After seeing some of the rave reviews I stuck it out til the end, puzzling that somewhere in this excuse for a novel there would be something worth reading sooner or later. What is particularly galling is the readers in Amazon who found Garland's book The Tesseract to be a letdown from this one. I read Tesseract first, and after I got past the first part of the story found it extremely engaging. The movie industry should forget about giving Leonardo de Caprio a day at The Beach. This novel reads like the script of a made-for-TV movie: cliched, strung out with just a enough teasers to keep you watching until the next commercial.

Rating:
Summary: Wet fart of a book
Review: I don't know why this book has such glowing reviews. Perhaps the backpacker slime that enjoyed this novel shuold write Timothy McVeigh for further literary advice.

Rating:
Summary: Garland's Limited Vision of Paradise and its self destructio
Review: Okay, maybe I'd heard too much about this book before I read it. Like when I finally saw Big Ben only to find it covered in scaffolding. Watching the brouhaha it inspired in my book club, reading the reviews, I expected much, much more from Garland. Is this the best he can do? Then I tried to cut him some slack--hey, he's only 26. But then, at 26 (24--whatever) if anything I had even more imaginative visions of what paradise on earth would look like. Work details? Give me a break. No natives allowed? Sounded more like a foreign military base than paradise. And that it was supposed to be so secret, yet they found it so easily (having to swim to it was an interesting twist, granted. Nevertheless, they made it there in a trice). And just as quickly it all falls apart. Much like the book. And that annoying Daffy--something to fall back on. Come on! This is NOT a great book. Mediocre at best. 2 stars--as generous as I can be. He's young. I wanted to like it. I really did.

Rating:
Summary: Interesting and exciting
Review: I truly enjoyed reading this book. I got the feel of the Generation X version of Lord of the Flies -- which I also loved. Very hard to put down. This book is very different from the types of books I normally choose to read, I'm glad I found it and can't wait for the movie. Highly recommend it!

Rating:
Summary: When you start you're stuck...that's how the story goes.
Review: Alex Garland is here telling the story of young people searching for adventure, what happens when they get it and finally how they handle it. An English bloke called Richard is given the map to the secret beach during his travelling in Thailand. Not knowing exactly what they're doing they finally come to the Beach, which is inhabited with people who've lived there for years, it was paradise when the got there but after a while an apple was eaten and the only question is how long it will last?

Rating:
Summary: Mixed Feelings
Review: At the beginning The Beach is a gripping mystery that immediately throws the reader into the story. However, as the plot (or slight lack thereof) unfolds, it becomes increasingly evident that the story is going nowehere and the character development is weak. Except for a few exciting scenes here and there, the novel lacks in truly mind-boggling adventure or intellectual stimulation. The way Garland reaches inside Richard's mind is enticing, and his use of imagery paints a vivid picture. But a stronger plot and less down time in the action would help to further establish the underlying utopia-gone-awry-with-the-influence-of-pop-culture theme.