The Tesseract Audiobook

" I went to a drop in medical centre today and got told there was a couple hour wait, but I could go for a wander and come back. I dropped into a nearby Salvation Army and picked up this book and another which will probably be as terrible. JG Ballard says on the rear "The most interesting novel of the year". Fuck. 1998 must have been a really shit year for novels. I almost gave it two stars, seeing as it served it's purpose fairly well, as waiting room reading material. You flip about a page per 30 seconds when the reading is this light. Still, horribly written, full of cliches, reads like a the schoolwork of a ninth grader who thinks he's onto something good because he read his older brother/barely-literate dad's Irvine Welsh/Chuck Palahniuck books. I haven't read 'The Beach', but I saw the shitty movie, and now doubt the book is much better after slogging through this rag. "

" Tarantino meets science geek. Very cool book! "

" Interestingly woven story examining socio-economic differences and life philosophies from various facets. Particularly enjoyable was the way memories are stitched into present action, much like the way life is. "

" One of my favourite books ever. Have read it several times and each time I enjoy it. Read it after you've read the Beach and you won't be disappointed. "

" Reads more like a group of short stories that are only loosely related. I was disappointed with this book especially after being blow away by "The Beach". "

" just finished this one today. really good book although i don't think alex garland could write a bad book. i love how the stories of the characters lives are perfectly interwoven in this story and i found that the characters, especially the more briefly mentioned ones held a lot of significance for me. this books a good eye opener and meant to be read more than once for sure. "

" Great action and social commentaries/local color, set in the Philippines. Short stories that all connect up into an explosive climax. Better than Garland's first novel, "The Beach" while very different. "

" Somewhat unintelligible. It went off on too many tangents that sent it spiraling out of control and into ennui. "

" Pretty good story overall. There were points where I was not too sure what was going on but overall it was enjoyable. "

" Not The Beach (definitely not Hemingway plaudit worthy as it has been suggested of The Beach) and not as clever as its title suggests. Breezed along but I just didn't find it interesting or emotionally involving. "

" Its unfortunate Alex Garland isn't producing any books like this these days. I recently read The Dew Breaker in a Multi-Cultural Lit class by Edwidge Danticat and was surprised to find out that she chose the same structure as Garland to craft her work. "

" It's written like a movie. Short chapters, short sentences. It makes me wonder how he knows Manila like that, because Recto is as familiar to me as Helsinki. It's not The Beach, but it was an okay read. "

" Very engrossing intertwining tale. Took awhile to get going, then couldn't put it down. Not too crazy about "The Beach"(same author), but this was impressive. "

" Narrative jumps about so much it's very hard to follow. "

" There is a solid story here and a really good ending. I just wish Garland's prose style was a little more engaging throughout. "

" I read this a while ago. From what I remember it was decent thriller. "

" Loved The Tesseract. Cannot recommend enough. Fast paced and again, intriguing characters. I think we should all petition Mr Garland to write another novel one day. "

" very different form the beach but really well written!!! "

" Fantastic plot -- three unconnected stories that come together in the end. I really love when that's well done! "

" I really liked his other book, The Beach, but this one was pretty lame. "

" A half baked affair filled with half baked ideas and half baked characters. So yeh the Beach was great but this was just painful. "

" The Beaches grubby younger sibling. nothing much to see here "

" I found the first third a bit offputting but once I was past that I was glad I stuck with it as it became a real pageturner, making me stay up ttoo late to finish it! "

" This book got me happily through an 8 hour delay in a tiny port in Greece, and was outstanding! "

" Although very violent, I like this format. You get to know different characters and eventually see how their twisted lives intertwine. "

" Just one of the many books I read during my travels in 2002. "

" Slow and plodding. Gave up. Learnt a long time ago not to continue with books if they don't grab you. Too many others out there! "

" Beautifully intricate story, woven by an expert hand. "

" I liked Mr Garlands book, "the Beach" better, but admittedly he did write this one when he was 19 years old. the title just didn't really make any sense in it's relationship with the storyline. "

" One of my favourite books ever. Have read it several times and each time I enjoy it. Read it after you've read the Beach and you won't be disappointed. "

" Too complicated to follow. I must be smart enough. "

" The Beaches grubby younger sibling. nothing much to see here "

" Another one that just sucked you in and kept you on pins and needles all the time. I was glad Don Pepe got shot. "

" Not as good as The Beach, but still 4 stars "

" Very moody and dark, but ultimately a fragmented read. Not Garland's best by a long shot. The Beach remains my favorite. "

" A good read, but not nearly as gripping as The Beach. That was a once-in-a-lifetime idea. Still, a good, quick read with some excellent points. "