Beach, The MP3 CD – Unabridged, August 11, 2015

I first saw the movie on DVD a couple of weeks ago. I found the movie extraordinary. It was so beautiful, mesmerizing, and intense. The plot, the casting, the acting, the scenery, the photography it all worked together seamlessly. After reading everyone's reviews I just had to read the book. You know the cliché: "If you liked the movie, you will love the book, it's so much better." Well, not necessarily in this specific case they are both excellent. If anything, relative to their own medium the movie is a better movie than the book is for a book. This does not mean the book is bad. It is still outstanding.The book was great fun to read, and is an incredible page turner. Actually, never reading fiction I am typically an incredibly slow reader (typically 35 pages an hour). But, in this case I found myself cruising effortlessly at speeds close to or over 60 pages an hour. And, I read the whole book (400 pages) in less than 3 full days, and that was during the working week. That's definitely a personal best for me in terms of speed and pretty close to a best in terms of enjoyment too.The book has a fairly universal appeal. I frankly don't have that much interest or respect in the type of dope addicted, hedonistic, vapid and meaningless culture described in the book. Yet, somehow I could relate very much to the characters. The plot was a complex mix of Robinson Crusoe, Lord of the Flies, Apocalypse Now, and the Drifters (by James Michener). It was the group dynamics, the power plays, the politics, and the hardship that made this story so interesting. The protagonists faced wrenching moral dilemma days after days. They are put in situations where they are no clear cut good or bad answers. Sometimes given the circumstances, the apparently cruel thing is the right thing to do. Most of the characters had few redeeming qualities by themselves, but as a society they became fascinating. They became a representative microcosm of the entire of humankind.The writing is so hip, that at first it is almost irritating. How many times can you read the four letter word in the same paragraph. For a while, you almost question whether people really do speak like that. But, the genius in the writing was that it was made to be adapted into a screenplay. Voluntarily or not, Alex Garland created a magical cash machine when he wrote this first novel. Twentieth Century Fox must have gone bezerk when they came across his story. After this book, Garland did not rest on his laurels as he soon wrote "28 Days Later" which was turned into one of the best Armageddon horror movies I have seen in the past few years.As you can tell, I can unequivocally recommend the book and the movie as well. Reading this book tempts me to read again both Robinson Crusoe and The Drifters.

This novel is narrated by a young man named Richard who is given a map to a mysterious paradise in Thailand by a stranger who acts weird before committing suicide. Richard sets off in search of the island with a French couple and he stumbles upon a sort of Edenic community who live near a beach and are almost completely self-sufficient and cut off from the world. This life of fishing, gardening, cooking, and carpentering soon leads to some drama, factionalism, and then brutal violence. This is an odd book, a mixture of influences like Apocalypse Now and Lord of the Flies but catering towards a kind of teenage wanderlust for backpacking through Asia. It has suspense, drama, personality conflict, and an exotic setting where the discovery of Eden and its violent overthrow all take place.

Reading 'The Beach' was a transformative experience for me, one that went far beyond the pages of the book. This captivating novel paints a vivid picture of Thailand's mesmerizing landscapes and the allure of off-the-beaten-path adventures. The story's rich descriptions and thrilling narrative ignited a sense of wanderlust in me that I couldn't ignore. It was the catalyst that inspired me to embark on my own journey to Thailand. The book explores themes of escapism, the complexities of utopian ideals, and the raw beauty of nature, all of which resonated deeply with me. The author's ability to transport readers to the hidden paradises of Thailand is remarkable. It's a tale that challenges the reader to think about the essence of travel and what it means to search for a place untouched by the modern world. 'The Beach' is more than a novel; it's an invitation to explore, to seek out the unknown, and to embrace the thrill of discovery. My trip to Thailand, influenced by this book, was an unforgettable adventure that mirrored the excitement and self-discovery found within its pages.

For the first time, I'm actually glad I watched the movie before I read the book. And not just saying that because it starred Leonardo DiCaprio. I was on the beach where the movie was filmed whilst reading this book.Alex Garland's original version was a much darker tale of miss-adventure in sun soaked Thailand. Corpses on the beach in Koh Phangan and a mysterious new character Jed were nowhere to be seen in the film. In fact, the most scandalous scene would be the sex scene with Sal, which was not in the book.Richard was impossible to like. His obsessions with vintage video games and Vietnam movies seemed to contradictory for a person who is willing to go native on a deserted island. He was weird, the loser kid in school no one wanted to play with. Etienne and Francoise, who I thought to be interesting, exotic characters, were barely in the story, cropping up every once in a while to ensure the reader didn't forget about them.Basically, it was the worst parts of the characters, their personalities and habits, amplified until your head explodes with into tiny paper lanterns burning across the sky in Thailand. Sitting on the actual beach, feeling the sand between my toes and the sun on my shoulders, occassionaly looking up expecting Leo beside me in Phuket, did nothing to bring some intensity to this story.It was very bland.