The Beach
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | 4.79 (933 Votes) |
| Asin | : | B002OT6FMC |
| Format Type | : | |
| Number of Pages | : | 176 Pages |
| Publish Date | : | 2014-08-22 |
| Language | : | English |
DESCRIPTION:
This is the situation in Alex Garland's debut novel, The Beach. Human progress has reduced Eden to a secret little beach near Thailand. In the tradition of grand adventure novels, Richard, a rootless traveler rambling around Thailand on his way somewhere else, is given a hand-drawn map by a madman who calls himself Daffy Duck. Garland weaves a gripping and thought-provoking narrative that suggests we are, in fact, such products of our Western culture that we cannot help but pollute and ultimately destroy the very sanctuary we seek . He and two French travelers set out on a journey to find this paradise. What makes this a truly satisfying
"Poor Attempt at Asian Heart of Darkness" according to John Fitzpatrick. This novel starts off almost as a murder mystery when the narrator finds the corpse of a Scottish junkie who has apparently committed suicide in a sleazy Bangkok guesthouse and leaves a Treasure Island map behind showing a hidden beach paradise where hippies can spend all day getting stoned.The narrator teams up with a French couple and they find the place and become part of a community of hedonistic misfits. Of course, the so-called paradise is anything of the sort and eventually turns into hell as the isolated community tries to protect itself from outside. "The B**ch" according to Jacqueline. For the first time, I'm actually glad I watched the movie before I read the book. And not just saying that because it starred Leonardo DiCaprio. I was on the beach where the movie was filmed whilst reading this book.Alex Garland's original version was a much darker tale of miss-adventure in sun soaked Thailand. Corpses on the beach in Koh Phangan and a mysterious new character Jed were nowhere to be seen in the film. In fact, the most scandalous scene would be the sex scene with Sal, which was not in the book.Richard was impossible to like. His obsessions wi. "One of my all time favorites" according to E. Langhans. I read this book 12 years ago, and it is still one of my favorite books of all time! The story transports you to Thailand, and you feel like you end up knowing the characters intimately. Just when you think you know what's going to happen, Garland throws in a twist. If you are looking for a lovey dovey pleasantly gentle novel, move along. If you want a story that is engaging, thrilling, fun, and at some points will mess with your mind, read the Beach!
They discover the Beach, and it is as beautiful as it is reputed to be. Yet over time it becomes clear that Beach culture, as Richard calls it, has troubling, even deadly undercurrents.. Richard sets off with a young French couple to an island hidden away in an archipelago forbidden to tourists. There, it is rumored, a carefully selected international few have settled into a communal Eden. The Khao San Road, Bangkok - first stop for the hordes of rootless young Westerners traveling in Southeast Asia. On Richard's first night there, a fellow traveler slashes his wrists, bequeathing to Richard a meticulously drawn map to "the Beach." The Beach, as Richard comes to learn, is a subject of legend among the young travelers in Asia: a lagoon hidden from the sea, with white sand and coral gardens, freshwater falls surrounded by jungle, plants untouched for thousands of years