The Tesseract

Rating:
Summary: This "old lady" loves Alex Garland
Review: I'm not a 20 something but I loved both The Beach and this book. Garland's writing style sucks me in and his exotic locales and compelling action keep me reading. His books are unique and exhausting!

Rating:
Summary: very near yet very far
Review: Very fascinating but also very pretentious ---. It appears that the author has spent some time in the Philippines --- as he peppers the narrative with lots of Philippine words but somehow he misses the nuances and sometimes inappropriately uses words in context and thus falls flat when read by Filipinos. Of course I am sure that this book garnered or is garnering critical reviews especially of the depiction of scary and exotic Manila. But that's what it is really - it is an exotified Manila, close yet far from the truth. I didn't even finish the book - as soon as I was in the section where the the protagonist was instructed to go to Patay (Death) hotel, I put the book down. Who the hell in the Philippines would name a hotel that way? It's just makes a mockery of Manila which, given, is a very tired, dirty city.

Rating:
Summary: Better than a day at The Beach
Review: A much more mature novel than The Beach, which was a waste of time. I found the first part of the book, the gangster stories, somewhat tedious, but when I got to the story of Rosa I was solidly engaged.

Rating:
Summary: The Tesseract does a number
Review: Garland's follow-up to his highly acclaimed 'The Beach' proves to be just as compelling, yet infinitely more clever.

The three apparently separate storylines will of course prove to be linked - we all know this from the book's blurb - and the reader is urged to turn every page whilst hypothesising how Garland will do this. Whether or not he is entirely successful in his finale is a matter of opinion, but no-one can accuse him of not doing what he sets out to do.

To explain anymore would be to reveal plot details that are a joy to discover, held together by concise language and a fragmented structure which ensure a smooth, yet never boring, passage through the novel. Although the second story, concerning Rosa, is arguably the best, all three contain intriguing elements and a vague quirkiness which fascinates.

Although comparisons with Greene are abundant, it is actually reminiscent of Iain Banks earlier works, particulary 'Walking on Glass'. Liked that? You'll love 'The Tesseract'.

Rating:
Summary: a hip, literate thriller adobo
Review: Garland serves up a literary treat as tasty and Filipino in flavor as chicken adobo. A hip, literate, crime thriller both gripping and thoughtful. Nicely spare--a lot is conveyed (about plot and character) in few words. Only weakness is when Garland waxes overly metaphysical (e.g., forcing the tesseract analogy, or serving up post-modern existentialist cliches). Still very cool. (I will definitely go find a copy of The Beach.)

Rating:
Summary: A good depiction of the Filipino culture
Review: As a Filipino living in Manila, The Tesseract served as an interesting non-Filipino interpretation of the culture. Garland's relatively deep understanding of that is clearly seen. When I find myself in some of the places mentioned in the book or see a couple of street children the story becomes more alive and more real. For those of you who have read it, I have seen a couple of Totoys hanging around the McDonalds at Ermita.

Rating:
Summary: Absolutely rubbish!
Review: I do not understand how this type of book can be published. Its a painful reading, an empty story and a total waste of time.

Rating:
Summary: Staggering
Review: As great as I thought THE BEACH was, TESSERACT is twice as amazing. This book is as detailed and tightly woven in structure as any that I have read this year. It disappoints me greatly that Alex Garland still has yet to gain the widespread respect that he deserves in America. Garland is everything that Douglas Coupland, Bret Easton Ellis and Jay McInerney have never been. In my opinion, after only two books he has proven himself to be the great writer of his generation. This is a book that you MUST read. If you don't want to spend the $25 then get it from the library, but don't pass this book up.

Rating:
Summary: A second novel matured in style and of high intelligence
Review: It is extremely difficult to read an author's second novel - following a debut of sheer brilliance - without comparing it to the first. 'The Tesseract' is no exception: I found myself comparing it to 'The Beach' at regular intervals. Personally, I thought The Beach was a more enjoyable read but this in no way means that The Tesseract is a bad book. Garland's debut was of such a high standard that it would have been extremely difficult to better it. The Tesseract still rates as an excellent book. It is a very cleverly written novel - three stories that "collide in a shattering finale" (back cover). I often found myself nodding my head in admiration for intelligent comments and witty observations. There are pieces in the book that send shivers down the spine on account of their tangibility, a factor in common with The Beach. Where it does differ from the author's debut is the subjects that it deals with. I could also not help noticing that Garland's style had matured - it is a much cooler commentary. On the whole, I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who has read The Beach, but equally to those who are new to Alex Garland.

Rating:
Summary: original gifted author writes second outstanding book
Review: the precision and the absolute reality of the characters in this fiction makes me think of Goethe.the philosophy behind the book reminds Albert Camus.the style is like paintings by Seurat:shadows of information here an there finally give a complete picture.Einstein's relativity is not far.like a great wine with many flavors,this book leaves its mark in your mind