The Wasp Factory by Ian Banks Thread

crotalus667

Well I think the title of the thread says it all , the subject of the wasp factory has come up in two different threads so I thought Id start one dedicated to discussing it , I’d also suggest that this is not a thread for people that have yet to read it (as it may spoil it for you),

Any way I’ve just finished it 5 minutes ago and WOW what a book im still digesting the ending , would any one care to share their thoughts on the book ??

Tree

poorly written but compelling. i'd recommend it for a quick read but warn ppl about the standard of writing, came on in leaps and bounds since then. his culture novels are amazing.

Hermy

I had heard so much about The Wasp Factory prior to reading it that when I actually got around to reading it I was left wondering what all the fuss was about. I'm not saying that it was a bad book but maybe I allowed my expectations to get the better of me.

crotalus667

Hermy wrote: »

I had heard so much about The Wasp Factory prior to reading it that when I actually got around to reading it I was left wondering what all the fuss was about..

I know what you mean I have learnt at this stage to ignore the over hyping that surrounds some books , still it was a bloody good read even if it was a bit short , plus it’s one of the few books that I have read in a while where I didn’t see the ending coming

Shryke

Well I just finished this and I have to say the first thing I noticed was it wasn't anywhere near as graphic or deplorable as I thought it would be. There was no real torture. There was some killing of animals but it if a person were to analyze it then some deaths were humane. Others not so but still the protagonist didn't indulge in actual animal cruelty, only in the killing.
It was a short read and often times humorous. The main character was deranged but not without reason I suppose. It wasn't a bad read or a very good one but over all I did enjoy it. I wouldn't call the writing poor but Banks has improved a good bit along the way. There is that one really horrific scene, y'know, What Happened to Eric. At this stage I would use a vomit smily if there was one. I don't mind things being graphic. I didn't blink at American Psycho, in fact I thought it was great, really enjoyed it, but that was really awful. It didn't stop me having lunch mind but it was damn repulsive.
So to sum up, it's a decent read but nothing I would have picked up if it wasn't for Banks Culture books or for the mad hype surrounding it.

pwd

It was published in 1984 or something.
That's why it doesn't live up to the hype about how unsettling it is.
Authors like Irvine Welsh have risen the bar a lot in writing disturbing fiction and the like since then.
I read it a long time ago. I liked it but didn't find it disturbing.