The Beach by Alex Garland Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of The Beach
Book Review: A fun read...but a great book? Not hardly!
Summary: 2 Stars
I'm completely baffled by the effusive praise this book is getting from readers and critics alike. Is everyone just astonished that a member of the Game-Boy generation can write reasonably coherent prose? It was fine entertainment, but not much more. What was supposed to be so great about the beach anyway? Life there seemed tedious and superficial, so why should anyone care that it came to an end?Book Review: A generational statement
Summary: 4 Stars
Being just shy of generation x, I found this book enthralling. Not so much for the story, but for reading the first writer to truly capture what it means to be under thirty in the world today. Analogies between life and video games may seem trite to those of middle age, but they show the power that technology has had over the young adults of today. Comparisons between colors and tie-dye reflects a metaphor that not even children of the sixties would make, but shows the commonplace icon status that the revolutions of generations past hold today. The references to Vietnam raise for discussion the idea that this is how those under thirty see war at the turn of the millenium, not as a place where people distinguish themselves in broad daylight, but as a guerilla-like struggle of stealth. I think Mr. Garland does an admirable job of defining his generation without falling into the trap of simply painting them as disillusioned slackers.Book Review: A genre-bending classic that reads as easy as pulp fiction
Summary: 5 Stars
You're bound to read phrases like "paradise lost" and comparisons to William Golding's masterwork, "Lord of the Flies" (which is probably my favorite novel of all time) ad nauseum, but the bottom line is Alex Garland has created an engaging novel that hits the ground running and loses no steam until its conclusion. And, yes, it happens to be about an Eden-like island in the Far East and the characters' struggles to maintain order amidst splits in their group will remind you in places of Sir Golding's book.Because it moves so well, it will be easy to overlook how well-written it truly is. In one fell swoop, Garland captures the irresistible adventure of exploring "virgin" lands, the hitches involved in creating a miniature society that effectively governs itself, the difficulty of maintaining one's sanity in such a society, the horror of encroachment from outsiders and of exile by one's peers.
Throughout each chapter, Garland also proves a master of capturing moments that, at the outset, appear to be insignificant, but are really true litmus tests of character. Because of many such moments, everything about his characters and their interactions rings true. As a result, the story unfolds with easy grace and it leaves the reader feeling both entertained and affected.
Book Review: A glimpse into human nature
Summary: 5 Stars
This book is an example of man going insane. From the time when Richard (the main character) enters the Beach, you begin to notice changes in his personallity. I thought this was very clever, because you eventually see Richard change completely, and you're with him all the way. This may not be a book which discusses why we search out for paradise as much as an end result of paradise. Great book, obviously I reccomend it.Book Review: A good read...
Summary: 4 Stars
for any one, any age who has done a tour in SE Asia. Or not done a tour and wants to.