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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
33 of 35 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
This is out of print? Why?,
This review is from: Complicity (Hardcover)
The fact that Iain Banks isn't more widely read in this country is almost criminal and this book just emphasizes how wrong that is. Easily one of the best books of its' year, of any year, for that matter, at first glance it seems to be a standard thriller/mystery, with the unlikable (somewhat) journalist at its core, and some weird murders. But Banks spins a plot that's so knotty you miss the obvious, like the best mysteries the solution makes you go "Why didn't I see that?" Plus his command of the language is heads and shoulders above anyone else around, the characters seem to have more than three dimensions, the flashbacks literally tingle with realism, you don't read this story as much as you're drawn into it. Fortunately it's fairly short, or you'll find yourself neglecting family and friends trying to finish it in one sitting. It's quite possible. And yes, there are some brutal moments but the scary part of it is that it's nothing worse than you'll have read in your local newspaper. And the ending is nigh perfect, as good as they come. Having read Banks' science-fiction books I wasn't sure what to expect from his "regular" fiction but except that one genre has spaceships and ray guns, there's little difference, it's the same top quality. Read anything with this guy's name on it and harass the publishers until we get more of this guy's book in this country. You'll be glad for it.
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A Reminder of the Darker side of Western Culture,
By
This review is from: Complicity (Paperback)
This is a presentation of an alternative moral viewpoint but wrapped up as a murder-mystery. As a murder mystery it's entertaining though not brilliant. As a pointer to alternative views of our Western society it is thought provoking.
It's not a novel for people with weak stomachs. The murders are gruesome, a characteristic of Banks writing, though the violence is not gratuitous; it's there for a reason. Nor is it for those who suffer nightmares easily. It is certainly not for those who accept what authority, be it legal, religious or moral, tells us to think. It is a novel for those who are prepared to think what mainstream society believes unthinkable. It's a novel that provokes thought about the inequitable, brutal, and irrational culture that Western society has become. For those with an open, enquiring and above all a suspicious mind this will add fuel to any distrust of authority. Don't expect to be uplifted, this is as dark as it gets, but then that's how the world is turning out. Read it and think..... while you're still allowed to.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fascinating Perspective,
By
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Complicity (Paperback)
This is the first of Bank's non-SciFi novels that I have read. His Culture series of stories had me so roped in, I thought I would give his 'regular' fiction a try...I was not disappointed.
This is an action packed thriller that keeps changing the reader's perspective from a crusading murderer...to Scottish journalist (who is man with a number of flaws!). When describing the killer's actions, he keeps using 2nd person - such as 'You open the door' or 'You disarm the alarm'. So you are along for the ride in the passenger seat for each graphic misadventure. I was quickly engaged by the characters, who are all well thought out. The main character is like an onion, with surprise after surprise becoming aparent as the layers are peeled back.
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