X-Book

The Beach

Click Buy to Log in and see personalised pricing.

Send as a gift Get in the xigxag app
How does xigxag pricing work?

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
The Times
Fresh, fast-paced, compulsive and clever
Nick Hornby
A white-knuckle ride into the heart of darkness
Sunday Times
Lord of the Flies and The Magus lurk at the roots of this novel, but Garland reshapes them with panache into something terrifyingly new
Mail on Sunday
A mesmerising, knuckle-clenching read
Maxim
Winningly compulsive, brilliantly conceived
Q
Garland's prose is stunningly lucid. Addictive and compelling
Spectator
A highly confident debut...this incisive novel may well come to be regarded as a defining text in the history of imaginative travel writing
Daily Telegraph
Alex Garland is writing a brand new kind of adventure novel. His style is dangerously simple yet altogether captivating
Douglas Rushkoff
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
The Times Literary Supplement
Author Alex Garland
Narrator Alfie Allen
Duration 11 hours
Release Date
ISBN 9780241976029
Format Audiobook
Publisher Penguin Books Ltd
Genre Modern and contemporary fiction, Thriller / suspense fiction
Availability AU, GB, IE

More from the same

Author

Narrator

About xigxag

xigxag is an independent, UK-based audiobook platform and the UK’s only B Corp certified audiobook company. We offer nearly 150,000 audiobooks, all with professional human narration. No AI-generated voices. xigxag is rated an Ethical Consumer Best Buy for audiobooks and a top-rated ethical bookshop.

There is no subscription. You buy the audiobooks you want, you own them permanently, and prices start at £8.99. The more you listen over the year, the less you pay per book, and there is always a selection in Listen for Less from £3.99. You can also send audiobooks as gifts using our audiobook gift cards or in-app gifting.

Every audiobook on xigxag has honest reviews covering both the book and the narration, and our community features make it easy to share what you are listening to, discover what others recommend, and find your next listen.

Download or stream on iOS, Android, or in your browser. Browse the full catalogue at xigxag.co.uk.