A travellers story best read when travelling (The Beach - Alex Garland)

Member Name: cher_2004

Product:	The Beach - Alex Garland
Date:	29/10/09 (23 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Gripping story that can be read more than once

Disadvantages: You wont want to put it down.

The Beach written by Alex Garland.

Amazing film about a young backpacker named Richard travelling in Thailand, he meets some doped up odd ball in a shabby hostel and this odd ball reveals to him about this secret island just off Thailand and tells Richard about the magic of this place he called "the beach" Richard goes to bed that night thinking nothing more of it. The next day he finds a map pinned to his dorm door a map of how to get to the island drawn by Daffy (the oddball), he then finds that Daffy has killed himself. In this same hostel Richard has set eyes on a beautiful french girl who unfortunately is travelling with her boyfriend.

Richard shares the details of this map with the french couple and they decide to set out in search of this paradise island. Along there journey they come across a dope field which is manned by Thai farmers.

When they eventually get to The Beach they are met by mixed responses from the traveller inhabitants on the island, who are keen to keep their paradise a secret. Much of the film is focused on the island life and development as the island becomes an interest to some other travellers Richard had met along the way and given a copy of the map too. This doesn't go down well with the camp, or the dope farmers on the island.

I'm obviously not going to tell you then ending.

This book is a great read and much better than the film, though i do enjoy the film too.

If your heading off travelling this is a book to pop in your backpack.

Its a great travellers story.

I read first read this book 10 years ago sat in a hostel in Sydney kings cross. You are always able to trade books you have read with other travellers in these hostels, however once I had read this one I couldn't bring myself to trade it on.

I picked up the book earlier this year and sat down and read it again, and it was as gripping as the first time I had read it and I found it hard to put it down.

I love this book, and i love my copy of the book it travelled half way around the world with me and who knows what places it had been to before I got my hands on it.

If you love travel I think this is a book for you

10/10

Summary: Better than the film, but both are a must.