The Beach
Published on 7. July 2016
Book
Paperback/Softback
464 pages
978-0-241-97656-2 (ISBN)
Description
Celebrate the 25th anniversary of The Beach, a classic story of paradise found - and lost, the book that inspired the major film starring Leonardo DiCaprio
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?
'Fresh, fast-paced, compulsive and clever' Nick Hornby
'A powerful narrative drive, exotic locations that unfold like a corrupt and mysterious flower, and a moody intelligence that holds everything together' J.G. Ballard
'A gripping adventure, and a fascinating jigsaw' The Times
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?
'Fresh, fast-paced, compulsive and clever' Nick Hornby
'A powerful narrative drive, exotic locations that unfold like a corrupt and mysterious flower, and a moody intelligence that holds everything together' J.G. Ballard
'A gripping adventure, and a fascinating jigsaw' The Times
Reviews / Votes
Fresh, fast-paced, compulsive and clever -- Nick Hornby A gripping adventure, and a fascinating jigsaw * The Times * 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 mesmerising, knuckle-clenching read * Maxim * Winningly compulsive, brilliantly conceived * Q * Garland's prose is stunningly lucid. Addictive and compelling * Spectator * A highly confident debut...this incisive novel may well come to be regarded as a defining text in the history of imaginative travel writing * Daily Telegraph * Alex Garland is writing a brand new kind of adventure novel. His style is dangerously simple yet altogether captivating -- Douglas Rushkoff An exceptional first novel...An action novel that provokes subtle responses, The Beach takes in ideas about man's inevitable progress from noble savage to social breakdown (and) the related tradition of nature versus art * The Times Literary Supplement *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Product notice
Paperback (UK-B)
Dimensions
Height: 195 mm
Width: 128 mm
Thickness: 35 mm
Weight
326 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-241-97656-2 (9780241976562)
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Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Person
Alex Garland was born in London in 1970. He is the author of two novels, The Beach, The Tesseract and an illustrated novella, The Coma, in collaboration with his father. He has also written screenplays for films including 28 Days Later, Sunshine, Never Let Me Go and Dredd. In 2015, Garland made his directorial debut with Ex Machina.