The Beach
- Author Alex Garland
- Narrator Alfie Allen
- Publisher Penguin Books Ltd
- Publish Date 7 July 2016
- Run Time 11 hours
- Format Audio
- Genre Modern and contemporary fiction, Thriller / suspense fiction.
Click to open directly in the xigxag app.
Flexible Pricing & Rewards For Listening
At xigxag, the more you read, the less you pay* on select audiobook and x-book® titles, as in the table below. Pricing updates automatically in the app and resets one year after your first purchase. And you can always find a selection of brilliant titles available for only £3.99.
*Only the full price titles you buy count toward your personal pricing tier. Full price titles don’t include Listen for Less or other books bought with a voucher or discount code.
Titles Purchased
- 1-5
- 6-10
- 11-15
- 16-20
- Over 20
Price per title
- £7.99
- £6.99
- £5.99
- £4.99
- £3.99
Listen to a sample
What to expect
Penguin presents the unabridged, downloadable, audiobook edition of The Beach by Alex Garland, read by Alfie Allen.
The classic story of paradise found - and lost.
Richard lands in East Asia in search of an earthly utopia. In Thailand, he is given a map promising an unknown island, a secluded beach - and a new way of life. What Richard finds when he gets there is breathtaking: more extraordinary, more frightening than his wildest dreams.
But how long can paradise survive here on Earth? And what lengths will Richard go to in order to save it?
Critics Review
A gripping adventure, and a fascinating jigsaw
Fresh, fast-paced, compulsive and clever
A white-knuckle ride into the heart of darkness
Lord of the Flies and The Magus lurk at the roots of this novel, but Garland reshapes them with panache into something terrifyingly new
A mesmerising, knuckle-clenching read
Winningly compulsive, brilliantly conceived
Garland’s prose is stunningly lucid. Addictive and compelling
A highly confident debut…this incisive novel may well come to be regarded as a defining text in the history of imaginative travel writing
Alex Garland is writing a brand new kind of adventure novel. His style is dangerously simple yet altogether captivating
An exceptional first novel…An action novel that provokes subtle responses, The Beach takes in ideas about man’s inevitable progress from noble savage to social breakdown (and) the related tradition of nature versus art
Garland has written a powerful and frighteningly believable novel
Precise and speedy prose, with good old-fashioned romantic adventure spiced up with deadpan authorial irony
About xigxag
Experience the best audiobooks with xigxag, an innovative and user-friendly audiobook platform designed for seamless discovery, purchase, and enjoyment of your favorite titles. Our flexible pricing model offers bestselling audiobooks for less, providing affordable prices and the best audiobook deals without requiring a subscription. Perfect for gifting, xigxag also features convenient audiobook gift cards and in-app audiobook gifting options.
Beyond the listening experience, xigxag stands as an exciting alternative to big tech, embodying a strong commitment to sustainability and ethical practices. As the only B Corp certified UK audiobook service, we ensure a guilt-free listening experience from a leader in audiobook innovation.
Effortlessly search audiobooks, access honest audiobook reviews that evaluate both the content and narration, and easily discover hidden gems. Whether you prefer to download or stream top audiobook titles, xigxag provides the best possible listening experience anytime, anywhere, on the UK’s best independent audiobook app. Discover the future of audiobooks today.