All hype? (The Beach - Alex Garland)

Member Name: robertjake

Product:	The Beach - Alex Garland
Date:	06/10/00 (24 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Interesting plot

Disadvantages: A little predictable

First of all, do not listen to the hype surrounding the book. This has obviously been generated by the film, but the book and film are very different. However, this is still a good read and is easily in the very good category. I read the book and was very absorbed from start to finish. It is well written, and flows easily due to the layout of the book, which is frequently interrupted by chapters.

The story is about a backpacker who visits a secluded island in the Far East after over hearing the story of the legend of the Beach. He finds an idyllic community of young people who work for each other and smoke lots of joints! However, as in Lord of the Flies, there is a division between the camp which lead to a rather sudden and dramatic ending - violence and escape from the island.

This is a good book and certainly worth a try. It is different from Lord of the Flies, yet it incorporates some of its better characteristics to good effect.

Summary: