One of the defining novels of the nineties, ‘The Beach’ is a story about a young British man’s adventure to a tropical Thai paradise that has been untouched by tourism. Written by an infuriatingly young Alex Garland, who was only twenty-six at the time, the story is immersive and expertly paced. Just as you’re starting to get antsy that nothing much has happened, it all kicks off. You realise that in the same way the serene utopia of the beach was starting to bore Richard, its perfection wasn’t enough for you as a reader either, and when the illness, violence and betrayal come, you’re relieved. It’s a really clever way to portray that very human feeling of being bored and agitated at peace, even if the cost of chaos is high. Specific enough to be generation-defining, and universal enough to remain relevant, The Beach’s cult classic status still feels completely earnt. MG