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Summary: You will enjoy a language and mood of The Beach
Review: I have bought the book when I was travelling in Thailand this January and was on the way to Ko Samui island. So it is not a surprise I've got a special inspiration from this book. If you have been travelling in Thailand this book is a must. I am looking forward to see the movie. Though I don't think Di Caprio is a good choice to play Richard...
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Summary: Lord of the Flies, it ain't
Review: This is probably one of the worst books I have ever read!! THe story is very exciting up until they get to the beach. I kept reading, HOPING something would happen. Did it? NO. When writing the book Garland must've FINALLY realized the story was dragging so he decided to wrap it up in 3 pages. That was probably the worst ending ever written (hell, it was the worst book ever written).
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Summary: That sounds so cool.........
Review: This is a marvelous read. Sure, it brings up the Lord of the Flies - Heart of Darkness themes, but it is done in that fresh and easy-going style that is just loaded with pop references, dating Garland's age, which is the same as mine. If you like Bret Easton Ellis, you'll like Garland. Where Ellis rockets along on a methamphetamine high, Garland easily traipses on his marijuana daze. Even though he's English and I'm American, it's easy to identify with him, as he recalls various media references to Vietnam, mercenary TV shows, and even some musical lyrics. Remembering shows like the A-Team that are really obscure unless you were a young adolescent when aired(I.E. between 12-15 years of age) or even low-rated critically ignored almost obscure short run American programs such as Tour of Duty is testament to a mind that has been brought up in Western media, with a heavy Amercian influence, which I will easily admit is not always a good thing in many circumstances. The main character is gripped between his fantasy of living out the various Vietnam shows he has watched and surviving with his friends. At age 29, I was a mere toddler when the Vietnam War ended, so even with various news and media influence, as well as the dark grit of movies such as Platoon and Full Metal Jacket, which refuse to portray Vietnam as anything but horrific, there is still a 'rosy-glow' attachment to some of the things of Vietnam, no matter how inappropriate it is. Where WWII seemed honorable, and many children of veterans signed up readily for Vietnam, the children of these veterans are not so ready to submit to that reality of war. Instead, the bizarre fantasy of acting out the War is eerily understandable. It's participating without consequences and danger, and as we see Richard deal with in the book, fantasy and reality are still two very different things. Great book, and even given the nihilistic tendencies of many 'Gen-X' writers and quick wrap up to the book, it's still a very thought provoking adventure with the sort of moralistic themes of classic literature. A Classic? Ask me again in 10 years.
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Summary: Dreadfully shallow drivel
Review: I found this novel totally fatuous. It consists of a litany of adolescent fantasies about Vietnam, video games and dope. The comparisons with Graham Greene, John Fowles and William Golding just don't wash - this guy doesn't deserve to be mentioned in the same breath. Obviously there is a market for this kind of light read, but trying to pass this off as quality literature is ridiculous. I left my copy in a hotel room - I would be embarrassed to have someone find it on my bookshelves.
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Summary: So good, I read it in one sitting.
Review: I could not put this book down. In fact, as soon as I finished the book, I flipped back to the beginning and read the first 40 pages again. I have lent the book to so many friends, and bought it for others, just so I can talk to them about it. This is an awesome book. The best I have ever read.
Rating: 
Summary: A great weekend read, a classic page-turner
Review: I got recommended this book when I was on Koh Samui last year by a traveller who spent the previous year in the Golden Triangle. I didn't get hold of a copy until six months later. This seems to have been the right time to have read it because I looked forward to reading it. I must say it is a great read, but to mark it as a classic is going to far. I don't know, I feel slightly insulted by Garland's portrayal of the visitors to Koh Samui and Koh Pangyan and his heroes hollier-than-thou attitude towards them. I haven't finished the book yet (page 301), but I feel their whole mythos is fatalistic and flawed. Still I'm back in Thailand this year and I can't wait... Just my two pence! Read it! Its fun !
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Summary: The Lost Generation Finds itself an Author
Review: Alex Garland has succeeded in writing a modern day "Lord of the Flies" that is an original in it's own right. What "Rent" has done for Broadway, this book does for literature. I would dare to say that it is the only true classic to emerge in this decade and will surely be part of the reading list in every Modern Literature class for the next century.
Rating: 
Summary: Nice try
Review: It was good (for a first novel) but I've read better. I wouldn't have read it unless I had to for my writing class. It was hard to get into. It's not worth $13.00 I paid for. If you want to read it I suggest you borrow it from your local library.
Rating: 
Summary: The book was ok.
Review: The book was very interesting and i enjoyed it. I also recommend it to any one who loves to read.
Rating:
Summary: Strong thought involved storyline
Review: This book had a very strong opening with more than a few unexpected turn of events,which included a good build up to the ending. The book had an expanding storyline with a strong understanding of the novel.
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