Sunday, June 22, 2008

The Wasp Factory (Iain Banks)

The Wasp Factory follows life of 16-year-old Frank, a truly sadistic and disturbed kid who likes to torture animals and has to date, killed three people (all children that are related to them), lives with their dad whose brother Eric has just escaped from a sanitarium.

When I was recommended this book, I was told that there was going to be a twist, so, all the way through, I was trying to guess it. I thought that the twist was going to be that Frank never killed those three people. Whilst that could be true (we only have his word to go by, after all), the twist is even more audacious and much more original than that, and it was doubly ironic considering how Frank spent a lot of the novel going on about how much he hated [them]. I was a bit bemused by it.

The book itself is like watching a catfight; not pretty, but impossible to draw your eyes away. The imagery of how he tortured the rabbits was disgusting, but the bit that practically had me reaching for the sick bucket was when Frank described the ordeal that his brother went through when tending to a baby at the hospital. It. Was. Horrible.

Although The Wasp Factory never quite reaches the levels of gleeful sadism that I dreaded, due to me having high expectations for the wickedness, I was still thoroughly disturbed and shocked by it. Frank is one of the most macabre yet interesting literary characters I’ve read about (he sees death as natural and feels no qualms about killing, yet felt compelled to kill his cousin to balance out the numbers in terms of gender), Banks creates him excellently and builds their world and their mindset. It’s an unpleasant book and thus unlikely to make it on my list of favourites, but it’s a fine Gothic tale that receives my recommendation – if you can brave it.

9 comments:

Kayleigh said...

Yay I'm glad you took my recommendation. I was 12 when I read it which says many things about me. I found Frank to be fascinating and totally original, even moreso because of THAT ending. I never saw it coming, how could anybody?
If you are still looking for suggestions, something that also features Scottish adolescents in turmoil is The Cone Gatherers by Robin Jenkins. There's a lot of great stuff about beauty and acceptence in it I think you might like.

anahit said...

I don't want to read this particularly, but now I'm so intrigued as to what the twist is. I'm trying desperately to find the plot details and ending online, but for once people have respected spoiler laws!! grr...

anahit said...

just found out the ending. bloody hell that's a twist!!

and it is incredibly random that i'm so interested in a book that i don't want to read. *shrugs*

Emma said...

Yeah, it's an amazing twist, isn't it? It put everything I'd just read for 240 pages into perspective, and I had to think it all over.

The Mighty Pierre said...

I found out halfway through that there was a twist. Once I knew one was coming I did guess what the twist was but not how it would be revealed or how it wouldcomeabout. That only makes sense to those who have read it.

I found it an interesting read but found the scenes where he killed the children disturbing and not in an at all pleasant way. I cannot see me reading any more of his novels.

Anonymous said...

The many, many reasons Guys love girls 1. They will always smell good even if its just shampoo 2. The way their heads always find the right spot on our shoulder 3. How cute they look when they sleep 4. The ease in which they fit into our arms 5. The way they kiss you and all of a sudden everything is right in the world 6. How cute they are when they eat 7. The way they take hours to get dressed but in the end it makes it all worth while 8. Because they are always warm even when its minus 30 outside 9. The way they look good no matter what they wear 10. The way they fish for compliments even though you both know that you think she's the most beautiful thing on this earth 11. How cute they are when they argue 12. The way her hand always finds yours 13. The way they smile 14. The way you feel when you see their name on the caller ID after you just had a big fight 15. The way she says "lets not fight anymore" even though you know that an hour later.... 16. The way they kiss when you do something nice for them 17. The way they kiss you when you say "I love you" 18. Actually ... just the way they kiss you... 19. The way they fall into your arms when they cry 20. Then the way they apologize for crying over something that silly 21. The way they hit you and expect it to hurt 22. Then the way they apologize when it does hurt. (even though we don't admit it)! 23. The way they say "I miss you" 24. The way you miss them 25.The way their tears make you want to change the world so that it doesn't hurt her anymore..... Yet regardless if you love them, hate them, wish they would die or know that you would die without them ... it matters not. Because once in your life, whatever they were to the world they become everything to you. When you look them in the eyes, traveling to the depths of their souls and you say a million things without trace of a sound, you know that your own life is inevitable consumed within the rhythmic beatings of her very heart.We love them for a million reasons, No paper would do it justice. It is a thing not of the mind but of the heart. A feeling. Only felt. This chain started in 1997. It is a love chain letter. In an hour you are supposed to send it to 25 people. It is easy, just look into chat rooms and find them. Ayway, send it to 25 people in 1 hour. Now here comes the fun part. You then say the name of the person you like or love and then the person will say "I love you," or "Will you go out with me? "NO JOKE!!!!! NOW THE CONSEQUENCES The consequences are: If you break the chain letter, you will have bad luck in future relationships. If you don't break the chain, then you will be a happy camper!!! CoNgRatULaTioNs!!! You have been chosen to participate in the LONGEST and the LUCKIEST chain letter on the Internet! Once you read, this letter you must IMMEDIATELY (meaning within the hour) be sent to 25 people. After you send it, make a wish and it will come TRUE. YOU MAY NOT WAIT FOR A CERTAIN TIME TO SEND IT........ REMEMBER, IT MUST BE SENT TO 25 PEOPLE WITHIN 1 HOUR, OR YOUR WISH WILL NOT COME TRUE! If THIS CHAIN LETTER IS CONTINUED UNTIL THE YEAR 2006, IT WILL BE PLACED IN THE GUINNESS BOOK OF WORLD RECORDS! PLEASE CONTINUE IT NOW!!! *WARNING* IF YOU DO NOT PASS THIS ON, SOMETHING BAD OR WORSE WILL HAPPEN TO YOU: *NOTE* THE MORE PEOPLE YOU SEND THIS TO THE MORE LUCK YOU WILL HAVE IN YOUR LOVE LIFE. IF YOU BREAK THE CHAIN LETTER (IT HAS BEEN GOING SINCE 1997) YOU WILL HAVE BAD LUCK WITH YOUR LOVE LIFE FOR SEVEN YEARS. THIS IS NO JOKE. GOOD LUCK!!!!! *BUT* Copy and Paste this email, DO NOT forward it!!

viagra online said...

I'd like to understand how embracing technical debt works for you with a cross-functional problem team and prototyping. .

Anonymous said...

Hehe, I was looking up the plot to The Wasp Factory and this is the first option that came up, and my name is Anna, so when I saw that it said "Anna, Look!" I was like...uhh..ok as you command 0___0 And i'm glad I read it, this is a great review, it made me want to read the book and I went out and bought it today :'-)

Emma said...

Hope you enjoy it honey! And you're always welcome back to a blog which shares your name ;) x