Ciao - for people with opinions

Latest reviews Latest questions
Write a review Latest videos
Special offers
Home > Books > Fiction > Modern Fiction Books > T Modern Fiction Books > The Beach - Alex Garland

User Reviews

for The Beach - Alex Garland

Rating Summary based on 59 reviews

  • 5 Stars
    		41
  • 4 Stars
    		12
  • 3 Stars
    		3
  • 2 Stars
    		3
  • 1 Star
    		0

Detailed rating

  • Characters
  • How does it compare to other works by the same author?
  • How does it compare to similar books?
  • Readability
  • Story
  		• 4.2
  		• 2.4
  		• 3.7
  		• 4.5
  		• 4.4
Previous page Next page Page 1 of 6 | 1 to 10 out of 59 Review(s)
  • 72 of 72 Ciao users found the following review helpful
    Picture of carminator

    carminator

    5 Stars Lost on the beach! 25/03/2004
    User recommends the product

    Advantages Advantages Enthralling and imaginative

    Disadvantages Disadvantages Not everyone's cup of tea!

    Finally I have had time to read a book for pleasure, instead of looking for relevant quotes or reading for my degree. I haven’t read a book since I went on holiday last year and this book was a great way to remind me how much I love to read. I like lots of different genres of books as long as they keep me engrossed and keep me entertained. I like books I can relate to, books that strike a chord with me or just remind me of things in my own life. I had heard of the film the beach but never really watched it because I hadn’t really heard good things about it, I am glad that I kept to my guns now ... more
  • 30 of 30 Ciao users found the following review helpful
    Picture of nikcook

    nikcook

    5 Stars Son of a BEACH 30/07/2001
    User recommends the product

    Advantages Advantages Compelling read

    Disadvantages Disadvantages No need for stills from the film

    SON OF A BEACH. Fancy a good read. If so check out ‘The Beach’. Yes the same as the film starring Leonardo DiCaprio. I must admit that the thought of watching heart throb DiCaprio running around in a pair of shorts in paradise for an hour and a half did not inspire me to pop down to my local picture house. Then again, not being a great lover of books, especially novels, I am not quite sure why I picked up my girlfriend’s book at 6.30am while the rest of the campsite in Sheringham was sleeping. But as soon as I had read the first couple of pages, I knew that this was going to be one of those ... more
  • 21 of 21 Ciao users found the following review helpful
    Picture of DoubleFantasy11

    DoubleFantasy11

    4 Stars Beach life isn't what it seems... 23/01/2006
    User recommends the product

    Advantages Advantages Good story, easy to read, unique.

    Disadvantages Disadvantages Simplistic characters, graphic in places.

    It has always confused me why some people seem to hate the film version of The Beach so much - after all, watching a topless Leonardo DiCaprio for a couple of hours is no hardship! So I read the novel. I now realise what all the fuss was about. The unique elements of the novel are completely omitted from the film and the heartbreakingly subtle relationships between characters are made overt and crude. Richard is a young British traveller in 'backpacker land', Bangkok. He is staying at a hostel, watching the world go by and searching for adventure, when the man in the next room slashes his ... more
  • 19 of 20 Ciao users found the following review helpful
    Picture of emilystobbs

    emilystobbs

    5 Stars The highs and lows of Beach Life 22/03/2001
    User recommends the product

    Advantages Advantages Totally different from the film, you leanr a lot more about the characters

    Disadvantages Disadvantages sometimes confusing, i blame Mr Duck

    There's nothing worse than reading a book then seeing a movie adaptation that bears few,if any similarities. Luckily when I saw the film 'The Beach' I hadn't previously read the novel. I had been told how much better the book was and so I had to see for myself. To be fair, I thought the film was a bit weak although I liked the concept of the story. Surely the book had to be an improvement? The basis of the storyline is simple, an English backpacker called Richard (Leonardo DiCaprio, English?) is given a map by a suicidal traveller called Daffy. With his new found French friends Francoise and ... more
  • 5 of 5 Ciao users found the following review helpful
    Picture of ReiKo

    ReiKo

    5 Stars The Paradise in Mind? 11/09/2000
    User recommends the product

    Advantages Advantages Unforgettable experience of adventures and totally secluded paradise for the duration of the novel.

    Disadvantages Disadvantages The time it takes, although it is compensated by the amazing story.

    Being a novel of 448 pages it somehow deters many readers from reading it because it is too long or it might get boring. Wrong. The Beach, contrary to the movie starring Leonardo DiCaprio, is a gripping adventure, jam-packed with suspense and anxiety that it really takes your breath away. Richard comes across a map to the secret island of paradise. He and two others set off to find this paradise which is so exclusive and hidden from the real world that they could hardly imagine the thought of going home any time soon. However, being stuck on an island, facing the same group of faces each and ... more
  • 1 of 1 Ciao users found the following review helpful
    Picture of EdFear

    EdFear

    5 Stars Tripping the Beach Fantastic 13/09/2000
    User recommends the product

    Advantages Advantages Finger on the pulse, kept me glued!

    Disadvantages Disadvantages Um..... none!

    Whilst on holiday I was supposed to be reading The Lord of The Flies for school, but left it at home. I saw that someone had left The Beach in our holiday villa so I decided I'd read it as my sister said it was a brilliant book and much better than the film (which I liked). And how right she was. Alex Garland is a young man and so is really in touch with what young people do. My sister was in Thailand (where the book is set) at the same time and visited the same places in the book, he really has his finger on the pulse. His descriptions of tropical places leave your mouth watering and your ... more
  • 1 of 1 Ciao users found the following review helpful
    Picture of Nicola7

    Nicola7

    5 Stars Worth Reading 13/07/2000
    User recommends the product

    Advantages Advantages Descriptive

    Disadvantages Disadvantages Complex

    The Beach is an extremely descriptive book giving you vivid images throughout. I reccommend, however, watching the film first as it can be quite hard to understand and follow the plot. The characters are depicted very well throughout and the plot remains consistent. It tells the story of Richard, a traveller and his journey to a paradise island in Thailand. His journey is filled with obstacles and gives you a very real insight into the world of the travellers. The book can be quite complicated but if you read it till the end it is definately worth it. The book is much better than the film and ... more
  • 6 of 6 Ciao users found the following review helpful
    Picture of Jo_babe

    Jo_babe

    5 Stars Better than the film 20/05/2001
    User recommends the product

    Advantages Advantages Lots of different events occur

    Disadvantages Disadvantages The film isnt very good

    I originally bought the book to help me to understand the film which i had heard was pretty confusing. What i found was that the book went into more depth than the film and you were able to understand Richard much more. The book follows Richard as heb goes to Bankok seeking the perfect paradise. Unfortunately many other travellors are searching for the same thing and Bankok seems to have become a holiday destination;not what he was looking for. After a stoned scottish guy gives Richard a map to the perfect paradise, he gathers two french people, Etienne and Francoise. Together they help each ... more
  • 3 of 3 Ciao users found the following review helpful
    Picture of lec299

    lec299

    5 Stars Take me to the beach 21/12/2000
    User recommends the product

    Advantages Advantages great narrative, plot-line, depictions of charcters and places

    Disadvantages Disadvantages somewhat ruined by the film

    Alex Garland wrote 'The Beach' and was hugely successful in doing so. The film has come along, added alien plot-lines, and somewhat destroyed the superb narrative. If you haven't already seen the much-hyped film, please read the novel first. It is a stunning depiction of Thailand and very true to the country (having been there recently myself). He illustrates each character so beautifully in the novel, where as the film ignores and almost distances the audience from the character's history and personality. Crucial elements to the novel have been slashed from the film, ruining what makes the ... more
  • 7 of 8 Ciao users found the following review helpful
    Picture of Mouldy_Cheese

    Mouldy_Cheese

    5 Stars Damn good book, well worth a look. 15/04/2001
    User recommends the product

    Advantages Advantages Involving, stylish, great writing

    Disadvantages Disadvantages None?

    This is completely redone...my old one was a pile of poo. I have always been a good reader. I started off with The Secret Seven, moved on to The Famous Five, then progressed through The Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew. As I grew older, I started to read many, many trashy horror novels. Then, as I approached 14, I started on some mainstream adult reading – King, Koontz, Grisham. It was at this point, when I was starting to tire of the intelligently written but overall meaningless narrative of the aforementioned, that I found the book that has kept the title of ‘Mouldy Cheeses favorite ... more
Previous page Next page Page 1 of 6 | 1 to 10 out of 59 Review(s)