The Beach

£7.99

The novel of choice for any backpacker, traveller or Asia enthusiast, Alex Garland's The Beach was also recently made into a popular Hollywood film of the same name.
When a mysterious traveller slits his wrists in a Bangkok hostel, he leaves Richard a map to The Beach. Legend has it that The Beach is an island paradise where a select community lives in a state of blissful isolation. In search of discoveries, and in the tradition of grand adventure novels, Richard sets out on a journey into the unknown but - like the 'heroes' of his favourite Vietnam films - he must confront his own heart of darkness in the process. The Beach is not what it seems - paradise comes at a price.

Garland's descriptions of Asia and, ultimately, of our ideas of Asia, leave a deep impact on the imagination. His ability to describe the naturally stunning setting for the plot renders The Beach more than a paradise. And if on the surface "The Beach" presents itself as a fast-paced modern adventure novel, when the dream of the utopian island itself begins to crumble, the book brings us into darker understandings of reality and human nature itself.

Through a gripping and evocative narrative, Garland ultimately suggests that we are, in fact, such products of our Western culture that we cannot help but pollute and finally destroy the very sanctuary we seek.