Reading 1001 discussion

This book is very dark and disturbing: it contains abuse and death of animals and children, so it's definitely not for everyone. The writing, however, is phenomenal - the way tension is built throughout the book, but especially in the last few chapters is masterful. The main character, Frank, is a 16-year-old psychopath, but Frank's narrative is as funny as it is freaky. I gave it 4 stars on Goodreads.

4 Stars

I didn't expect to enjoy this book as much as I did, from the description I was sure I would hate this and without the motivation of a Litsy readalong this would have probably sat in my TBR forever.

This book is not for everyone as it involves animal torture and the murder of children, but if you can make it through the first chapter it becomes and intriguing and compelling read.

Each new chapter reveals the family history that leads to Frank being how he is. The phone calls between Frank and his brother are frankly hilarious and the way Frank justifies his murders does give you something to think about.

It's a shame the ending is so abrupt as it left me thinking WTF instead of ahh I get it.

This book did not at all sound like something that I would enjoy, but when I saw a Litsy readalong and that it was on the 1001 list, I decided to give it a chance. It was dark and disturbing, with plenty of animal violence and murder, but I also really enjoyed it. The writing is incredibly suspenseful, and reading it just a chapter a day added to the suspense and anticipation. Each chapter slowly revealed pieces of Frank's and his family's history that kept me wanting to learn more. It was also much more humorous than I expected and the weird mix of violence and humor somehow worked perfectly together. I did wish that there had been a bit more to the ending, but in a way it fit the craziness of the whole story.

3 stars

This was headed to be a five star read for me. I liked the slow way the various mysteries unfolded - what happened to make Eric lose his mind, what the Wasp Favtory was, why Frank killed three people, what’s in the study... It was particularly fascinating to read an account by a very logical crazy person who contrasts himself with a disordered crazy person.

But I feel like the ending doesn’t at all work to wrap up the remaining mysteries: why did these two siblings both become the people they did? Why are both killers/torturers? What’s up with the father and why is he such a failure as a parent?

[When Iain Banks wrote this, maybe being raised in the wrong gender seemed like answer enough. But in the meantime, we’ve all learned far more about people raised in the wrong gender and they don’t go around killing people because of it. This all answers nothing for me about Frank, much less about Eric and the father. (hide spoiler)]

I liked that Frank is asked to bring his friends grapes when he is sick. This always strikes me as such a Scottish custom. Otherwise I didn’t get a very strong sense of place from the book.

4 stars

Disturbing, but so over the top and with enough black humour that it becomes not just bearable but entertaining and thought provoking. I'm not sure everything quite works, you definitely have to suspend some disbelief. The ending was not entirely satisfactory either. The twist was signalled clearly enough earlier on, but the sudden change in the protagonist's way of thinking was a bit jarring. But all in all a surprisingly enjoyable read.

Rating: 4 stars


I usually don't care for books this gruesome, but this was an exception. Had it been less gruesome, it would have definitely earned 5 stars. I especially appreciated the build of suspense and the dark humor.

read Oct. 2021

This was a stellar debut for Banks. I’ve owned this book a long time, but I always hesitated to start it because I thought it would be too much – horror isn’t my thing.

This novel falls into the category of Gothic horror, there is a lot of atmosphere and some minor harkening back to the action in Frankenstein. You are thrown off kilter right from the beginning of the book, with the deadpan narration of an unreliable narrator. Is this person a psychopath or is this in their imagination? You have no idea until the end (which I did have an inking about, but still was a major twist). There are definitely horrific events in the novel, but most of them are reported to us by the narrator (except for one awful one perpetrated by the narrator which was very hard to read). Banks wrote a real page turner that I couldn’t wait to get back to when I was forced to put it down. 4.5*

I got tired of the gruesomeness of this book pretty quickly and never really got past it. I could see what other readers found enjoyable about it, but this was really just not a book for me.
I gave it 3 stars on Goodreads.

****
I have been a fan of Banks ever since I discovered him with Complicity. Once again, I was not disappointed with The Wasp Factory; it clearly shows the fertile and versatile imagination of the author, at ease as well in science fiction as in the gothic mode. The latter pervades this novel narrated the main character, Frank, a 16-year old who at times appears older than his age, at other times inhabited by some intriguing mythology. He lives isolated with his father on an island off the Scottish coast. He carries a big secret: he has killed three times before the age of 10; and he explains his motivations throughout, while his brother Eric reappears suddenly in his life following his escape from a mental institution. This will all lead to a catarthic ending where an even bigger secret will be revealed. I didn't really see this ending coming, to be honest, credit to Banks's ability to weave simple, but solid plots with well hidden twists. The tension is maintained throughout the novel and, even with some more gruesome scenes, it is a page-turner until the end.