THE BEACH

Before committing suicide, a deranged Scot gives Richard a map of “the beach,” an Eden on an island near Thailand. Richard and a French couple find the place and begin a communal life--of work, sun and drugs--with about 30 others until a series of events causes it all to unravel. Michael Page adeptly captures Michael’s world-weary cynicism, as well as the often extreme emotions of the beach’s inhabitants. His first-person narration, while on target in conveying Richard’s personality, also manages to differentiate the other characters--no small task. This is a trip no listener will forget. M.A.M. ©AudioFile, Portland, Maine [Published: OCT 97]