Top reviews

• Bookseller review

  Paradise falls apart as more and more discover it...

  What makes this a truly satisfying novel is the number of levels on which it operates. On the surface it's a fast-paced adventure novel; at another level it explores why we search for these utopias, be they mysterious lost continents or small island communes. 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.

  Review by of the Milton Keynes Borders on 2009-01-26 15:43:18

• Bookseller review

  The Beach - Alex Garland

  The first book I couldn't put down.

  Review by of the Cambridge Borders on 2009-02-25 12:08:20

• Bookseller review

  The Beach

  Late at night in a seedy hotel, Richard is drawn into a strange conversation with a fellow guest. Through a narrow strip of mosquito netting he hears for the first time of a secret beach, an island Garden of Eden, hidden somewhere in the scattered islands of a Thai marine park. The next morning, Richard finds a map pinned to his door, and the man who put it there has slashed his wrists. The challenge is irresistible, and Richard sets off on a perilous journey in search of Shangri-La.

  Review by Sian of the Bournemouth Borders on 2009-04-15 13:01:38

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