The Beach by Alex Garland Book Review

Released: 14^th October 1996

Genre: Fiction, Travel, Drama

Before Alex Garland became a prominent screenwriter and director, he made his start with The Beach, a simple but effective novel of misadventure in an idyllic paradise. The author released two other novels over the next eight years, but this one remains his most well-known.

The narrator is a young man named Richard; while backpacking across Thailand, he stumbles across a strange Scotsman nicknamed Daffie Duck. Daffie gives him a map to a secluded beach untouched by tourism and much of human civilization. Richard partners up with a French couple and other international travellers to reach the location and they fall in with a group of islanders. At first, their long stay is peaceful and relaxing, a simple self-sufficient lifestyle; but problems start to arise, creating tensions within the group. This is further exacerbated by armed gunmen at a nearby cannabis farm and the risk of the beach being discovered. The book is broken up into many shorter chapters and in the case of the audiobook, none of them stretch longer than fifteen minutes. It’s very easy to pick The Beach up and come back to it later.

With a stunning lagoon, tall waterfalls and a plentiful supply of fish, the characters remain in the titular location for some time. Through Richard’s eyes we get to know the other characters who are all quite distinctive; this includes Sally and her boyfriend Bugs, the de-facto leaders of the islanders and other backpackers who have built their lives in the area. Etienne and Francois have a larger role with Richard attracted to the latter throughout. Cultural references also line the chapters at many points and with the novel releasing in 1996, some of these are easier to spot than others. Richard will sometimes slip into drug-addled hallucinations, a free-wheeling activity that sometimes turns sinister, especially in the final act. Those expecting more violent twists will need to temper their expectations as The Beach is more of a slow burn.

Recommended?

YES: The Beach works because of its grounded plausibility; Garland avoids the supernatural and makes Richard a relatable narrator with clear feelings and opinions. It’s much more focused on drama than set pieces, but you can still feel the tension creeping in.

(The Beach was also adapted into a 2000 film directed by Danny Boyle and starring Leonardo DiCaprio as Richard)