Name: The Beach
Rating: 4.070422535211268 (71 reviews)
ISBN: 9780141941448

Alex Garland

A 20th anniversary edition of this million copy bestseller, with a new introduction by John Niven: a classic story of paradise found - and lost. Richard lands in East Asia in search of an earthly utopia. In Thailand, he is given a map promising an unknown island, a secluded beach - and a new way of life. What Richard finds when he gets there is breathtaking: more extraordinary, more frightening than his wildest dreams. But how long can paradise survive here on Earth? And what lengths will Richard go to in order to save it?

The Beach

Beatrix

With nothing to see but a blurred foot of sea on either side of me, and each breath requiring a manageable amount of labour, I felt agreeably cocooned by a mildly dangerous world.

In the middle of that hellish night, with all the vomiting and groaning and flickering candle-fames, I wasn't expecting to find sweetness. It took me by surprise, that little oasis.

I felt like I'd been damned by a glimpse of paradise.

‘...OK.' I returned his smile, willing him to fuck off with all my heart.

honestly up there with my favourite books. amazing read, one of the best i’ve ever had.

evie coxon

Kirsten Kim

highly entertaining & well written. great delivery of realistic / or as realistic as a book about a hidden civilization on a mysterious island gets / plot pacing.

Beach

Patrick Book

ALEX GARLANDS CAREER IS SO INTERESTING. 

I probably would’ve liked this an awful lot in the 90s.

Best book I’ve read this year! Infinitely better than the film, have to wonder why they made the changes they did. 

Josh Dawson

edith w.

I tried my very best to like this book, twice, but I got no further than 100 pages each time. I've since wondered many times why this book was applauded. I still don't know the answer.

i got into this book slowly, reading the first few chapters over a week or so, and then spent four solid hours absolutely gripped until i reached the end at 3:00am. would definitely recommend.

avarni

god that was fucked up. 10/10.

i got into this book slowly, reading the first few chapters over a week or so, and then spent four solid hours absolutely gripped until i reached the end at 3:00am. would definitely recommend.

THE CLASSIC STORY OF PARADISE FOUND - AND LOST. Richard lands in East Asia in search of an earthly utopia. In Thailand, he is given a map promising an unknown island, a secluded beach - and a new way of life. What Richard finds when he gets there is breathtaking: more extraordinary, more frightening than his wildest dreams. But how long can paradise survive here on Earth? And what lengths will Richard go to in order to save it? 'A WHITE-KNUCKLE RIDE INTO THE HEART OF DARKNESS' SUNDAY TIMES 'LORD OF THE FLIES AND THE MAGUS LURK AT THE ROOTS OF THIS NOVEL, BUT GARLAND RESHAPES THEM WITH PANACHE INTO SOMETHING TERRIFYINGLY NEW' MAIL ON SUNDAY 'A MESMERIZING, KNUCKLE-CLENCHING READ' MAXIM

Sara Hakkoum

I really felt like I was in a different world when I was reading this book. I was living with this strange vibe during the time I was reading it. It was really amusing and gave me a new perspective on things.

Things in the story might have started getting messed up by the end, but that just added to the bittersweet strangeness.

It's the kind of book you can't put down. It's not really that fast-paced, but you can't stop turning pages.

I really liked Richard in the beginning, but then his thoughts started to get warped and he just seemed to be going crazy. The ending really surprised me because throughout the whole book I felt like Richard's crazy compared to everyone else, but in the end everyone lost their shit and literally went crazy. I guess paradise just can't exist on our planet.

The book was mostly enjoyable because of the different perspective and the spontaneity of the story. Despite all the craziness, it's strangely believable. Somehow, it's ambiguous. Different people interpret it in different ways. You can learn many things from this book depending on how you see certain things in the story. I'm not so sure how I interpret it. I just know it was a fun read full of adventure, laughs, and horror, with a few things I learned here and there. It really taught me to keep an open mind.

Josh Clement

Richard, backpacking around the globe in the great tradition of cheap travel, finds himself bedding down in Khao San Road, Bangkok. But his chance to rest briefly is suddenly and irrevocably destroyed when a perfect stranger called Mister Duck is killed in the room next door. Mister Duck had a secret - now it's Richard's. Armed with a map - and a name of great mystery and legend that possesses a simple majesty: Beach - our protagonist goes in search of a traveller's dream, a place where there are lots of drugs and a tolerant society that works together to maintain a life of inner peace and tranquillity. Only a select few will make it to the blissful seclusion of the Beach (Mister Duck, for one, has died) but in the great tradition of travelling bravado, or sheer stupidity, Richard decides to give it a go . . .

Sarah Escorsa

A very good read. I particularly enjoyed the writing, which was both original and interesting. Very good characterization and a fast paced, thrilling plot make this book a fantastic read. Too bad Danny Boyle made such an awful film out of it!

tim h

I read this on the plane traveling to Bangkok, where instead of beach-bodied island hopping cockroaches, I found 75 year-old British pensioners. No matter-- everyone feels like Leonardo DiCaprio in Thailand. Worth the read after seeing the film adaptation, as it's quite different. 3,500 out of a possible 5,000 thai baht.

Bill Mazza

Thought this was very...meh. Interesting idea, just didn't fall in love with it.

The beach

Dorian Avers

This book is a genre-bending trip. You should go into this knowing nothing and just settle in for the ride.

Hannah Myhre

Prashant Prasad

started off a bit iffy didn’t think i’d like it but ended up enjoying it a lot; was a fast read. realised i love novels where people lose their minds on an island. 
including:
island (huxley), treasure island, lord of the flies

Tora

Late at night in a seedy hotel, Richard is drawn into a strange conversation with a fellow guest. Through a narrow strip of mosquito netting he hears for the first time of a secret beach, and island Garden of Eden hidden somewhere in the scattered islands of a Thai marine park. The next morning, Richard finds a map pinned to his door, and the man who put it there has slashed his wrists. The challenge is irresistible, and Richard sets off on a perilous journey in search of Shangri-La.

The Beach

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