The Beach by Alex Garland Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of The Beach
Book Review: "To Each His Own"
Summary: 4 Stars
I've read the criticisms and I can understand why people have had negative reactions to the book. However, I cannot stop thinking about "The Beach." I was fascinated the whole read and was totally surprised by the ending. I didn't think the beach was paradise by any means but the story really held my attention. I guess it just depends on what you like to read.Book Review: 'you'll love it!' ..she said
Summary: 4 Stars
H. gave me this book saying; 'you'll love it', a must admit i read it passionately. after finishing it i mentioned to someone that i really missed (the hassle with) Sal, Duffy and Bugs... which is sort of funny; i think the superficiality off the characters (is that not quintessence on the Beach?) is not of matter since the focus is on their in-between relations, which are formed by the group itself. i was fascinated by those changes atmosphere and loved reading this 'light' and interesting novel.Book Review: 2/3 of a Great Book
Summary: 4 Stars
I enjoyed the first 2/3 of this book very much. I enjoyed its realistic view of backpackers in Asia. If you have travelled there, you have seen them. Always looking for the more hardcore place. China, Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia...always trying to out do the other. I found the book very entertaining until the last 70 or so pages. The climax or lack there of was a let down. The tension built and built but never reached its potential. A good book with a poor ending. I am curious to see the movie version.Book Review: 3 stars because, simply - I just didn't like it much
Summary: 3 Stars
There is so much great stuff in this book - a wonderful writing style, great characters, nicely described settings, and a distinctive voice of the younger generation. With all these elements, this should be a five star, hands down. But...well, I think the story just wasn't for me. As another reader said, I was ethusiastic for the first 60 pages, then found myself first dissapointed, then bored, with where the plot went. (Even the ending failed to creep me much.) I have a feeling the next guy over, however, would be enthralled - and that this rating is just personal taste. Read the book (I recommend it just for its writing alone) and judge for yourself.Book Review: 2 Stars
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.