Items related to The Tesseract
Gripping from the first pages, Garland's new novel is set over three hours during one night in Manila. With the pace and suspense of "The Beach", this novel intertwines three stories: the shady dealings of gangsters, the tautly and emotionally drawn tale of a Phillipino family and the violent lives of a gang of street kids, until their different lives collide in a shattering finale. It is beautifully written and unputdownable. 'Is Alex Garland the new Graham Greene? After "The Tesseract" the question needs to be asked ...a powerful narrative drive, exotic locations that unfold like a corrupt and mysterious flower, and a moody intelligence that holds everything together' - JG Ballard.
"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.
Review:
In The Tesseract, set in muggy, scary Manila, Alex Garland again proves himself the past master of the youth paranoia novel. His first novel, The Beach--a tale of Western tourists on a druggy Thai isle--was dubbed a Gen-X Lord of the Flies. It made him Britain's richest 28-year-old writer even before Leonardo DiCaprio starred in the movie version. Now Garland ups the literary ante with an intricate three-part crime-story structure that several critics have compared to Pulp Fiction (only without the jokes). It's hard-boiled yet lyrical, subtle yet simple. Garland has three sets of characters collide, as if in a devilishly devised model-train wreck involving real trains, and his Manila is more grittily realistic than his Thailand. The first protagonist is Sean, an English seafaring lad who's about to meet the gangster Don Pepe, who's upset because Sean's boss recently missed a protection payment. It's not just the tarmac-melting heat that accounts for Sean's sweaty state of mind. As Don Pepe's posse's footsteps get louder outside his room, Sean glimpses his face in the mirror "in a state of flux. Unable to resolve itself, like a cheap hologram or a bucket of snakes, the lips curled while the jaw relaxed.... Fear, Sean thought distantly. Rare that one got to see what it actually looked like." Garland's great gift is conveying such mental states with the economy and grace of a Muhammad Ali punch. One feels that Don Pepe is about to reach up from the book and do violence to the reader.
About the Author:
Next comes the entire, tensely compressed life story of Rosa, a rural beach beauty turned big-city physician. Rosa is tormented by memories of her first love at 16, a man who comes crashing back into her life. In the last section, Sean and Don Pepe's thugs literally crash into her life, along with the book's third star duo, tough street kids Cente and Totoy. The Tesseract's vivid images and breakneck chases make it unsurprising to learn that Garland started out as a comic-book author, though his second novel really bears comparison with Robert Stone's Dog Soldiers. --Tim Appelo
Alex Garland was born in London in 1970. He has written two novels, The Beach (1996), The Tesseract (1998) and an illustrated novella, The Coma (2003), in collaboration with his father. He has also written two screenplays, 28 Days Later (2002) and Sunshine (2007).
"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.
- PublisherPenguin
- Publication date1999
- ISBN 10 0140258426
- ISBN 13 9780140258424
- BindingPaperback
- Edition number6
- Number of pages352
- Rating
Other Popular Editions of the Same Title
Top Search Results from the AbeBooks Marketplace
Stock Image
The Tesseract
Seller:
Rating
Book Description paperback. Condition: Good. Seller Inventory # 0140258426-3-32024168
Buy Used
US$ 6.15
Convert currency
Stock Image
The Tesseract
Published by
Gardners Books
(1999)
ISBN 10: 0140258426
ISBN 13: 9780140258424
Used
Softcover
Quantity: 1
Seller:
Rating
Book Description Condition: Good. Item in good condition. Textbooks may not include supplemental items i.e. CDs, access codes etc. Seller Inventory # 00048147498
Buy Used
US$ 6.16
Convert currency
Stock Image
The Tesseract
Seller:
Rating
Book Description Paperback. Condition: Good. No Jacket. Pages can have notes/highlighting. Spine may show signs of wear. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less 0.57. Seller Inventory # G0140258426I3N00
Buy Used
US$ 6.18
Convert currency
Stock Image
The Tesseract
Seller:
Rating
Book Description Paperback. Condition: Fair. No Jacket. Readable copy. Pages may have considerable notes/highlighting. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less 0.57. Seller Inventory # G0140258426I5N00
Buy Used
US$ 6.18
Convert currency
Stock Image
The Tesseract
Published by
Gardners Books
(1999)
ISBN 10: 0140258426
ISBN 13: 9780140258424
Used
Paperback
Quantity: 1
Seller:
Rating
Book Description Paperback. Condition: Good. Connecting readers with great books since 1972! Used books may not include companion materials, and may have some shelf wear or limited writing. We ship orders daily and Customer Service is our top priority!. Seller Inventory # S_322976327
Buy Used
US$ 2.99
Convert currency
Stock Image
The Tesseract
Published by
Penguin Books Ltd, United Kingdom, London
(1999)
ISBN 10: 0140258426
ISBN 13: 9780140258424
Used
Paperback
Quantity: 1
Seller:
Rating
Book Description Paperback. Condition: Very Good. Gripping from the first pages, Garland's new novel is set over three hours during one night in Manila. With the pace and suspense of "The Beach", this novel intertwines three stories: the shady dealings of gangsters, the tautly and emotionally drawn tale of a Phillipino family and the violent lives of a gang of street kids, until their different lives collide in a shattering finale. It is beautifully written and unputdownable. 'Is Alex Garland the new Graham Greene? After "The Tesseract" the question needs to be asked .a powerful narrative drive, exotic locations that unfold like a corrupt and mysterious flower, and a moody intelligence that holds everything together' - JG Ballard. The book has been read, but is in excellent condition. Pages are intact and not marred by notes or highlighting. The spine remains undamaged. Seller Inventory # GOR003108920
Buy Used
US$ 1.00
Convert currency
Stock Image
The Tesseract
Seller:
Rating
Book Description Condition: Good. Good condition. This is the average used book, that has all pages or leaves present, but may include writing. Book may be ex-library with stamps and stickers. 0.57. Seller Inventory # 353-0140258426-gdd
Buy Used
US$ 9.88
Convert currency
Stock Image
The Tesseract
Seller:
Rating
Book Description Condition: Fair. Buy with confidence! Book is in acceptable condition with wear to the pages, binding, and some marks within 0.57. Seller Inventory # bk0140258426xvz189zvxacp
Buy Used
US$ 9.88
Convert currency
Stock Image
The Tesseract
Published by
Penguin 01/07/1999
(1999)
ISBN 10: 0140258426
ISBN 13: 9780140258424
Used
Softcover
Quantity: 3
Seller:
Rating
Book Description Condition: Very Good. This book is in very good condition and will be shipped within 24 hours of ordering. The cover may have some limited signs of wear but the pages are clean, intact and the spine remains undamaged. This book has clearly been well maintained and looked after thus far. Money back guarantee if you are not satisfied. See all our books here, order more than 1 book and get discounted shipping. . Seller Inventory # 7719-9780140258424
Buy Used
US$ 4.18
Convert currency
Stock Image
The Tesseract
Seller:
Rating
Book Description Condition: Very Good. Very Good condition. Shows only minor signs of wear, and very minimal markings inside (if any). 0.57. Seller Inventory # 353-0140258426-vrg
Buy Used
US$ 10.93
Convert currency