Customer Reviews

The WASP FACTORY: A NOVEL

5 star:		(70)
4 star:		(45)
3 star:		(16)
2 star:		(13)
1 star:		(12)

 

 

This book was recommended to me by a friend, who said he loved its wicked sense of humor. Named one of the best 100 novels of the last century by The Independent, "The Wasp Factory" certainly seems to have a strong cult following, as most of the highly favorable reviews here attest, but I find all this rather baffling. While not by any means a terrible book, Iain Banks's first novel is simply too messy and amateurish to qualify as a great novel. First of all, enjoying this book requires that one have a high tolerance for detailed descriptions of cruelty to animals, including the mutilation and immolation of many rabbits and dogs. Some of the violence in the book is actually quite funny, and can be enjoyed on a certain macabre level -- such as the narrator's description of an uncle's suicide gone terribly wrong -- but most of it is simply too dark and literally described to be laughable. It often seems that Banks is trying to shock without really thinking of the larger implications of any of the book's violence. While I read "The Wasp Factory," I kept hoping for a denouement that would tie everything together and create a resonance that the bulk of the novel lacked. Unfortunately, all I got was a transparent twist that lent nothing to the events that had preceded it, and seemed designed only to shock. In truth, the novel's twist is no more profound than the climax of the slasher film "Sleepaway Camp." I got the feeling that Banks really felt he was creating something on the level of an O. Henry story, but what he ended up with is a book that reads like a juvenile poison pen letter to all of humanity, and little more.

"My dad's an eccentric.....I suppose I am, too....But it doesn't bother me. There are a lot madder people about the place" (Banks, 111).

Frank Cauldhame is a sixteen year old juvenile delinquent with a quirky, to say the least, personality. He's got a penchant for death, destruction, mayhem and mischief. He's also highly superstitious. Combine these aforementioned traits with intelligence, methodicism, and zeal, and you have a potentially dangerous character on your hands. Rather than shy away from this odd hodge-podge of personality traits, Iain banks chooses to dissect them, exploring various nooks and crannies within his book The Wasp Factory.

Among the ranks of American Psycho's Patrick Bateman, and Exquisite Corpse's Andrew Compton and Jay Byrne, Frank Cauldhame calmly and casually admits within the early pages of this book that he has killed three of his family members. From there, the reader follows a day in the life of Frank, in which animal slaughter, war games, and thoughtful introspection are the norm.

However, the eccentricities of Frank and his world would not be complete without and accompanying eccentric family. Frank's father, Angus, is quite and contemplative, exchanging only a few words with his son daily regarding the measurements of household items. Frank's older brother, Eric, however, chooses the more in-your-face approach with which to display his unconventional nature. Eric, placed in an asylum some time ago for setting fire to dogs and forcing children to eat worms, has escaped and spends a good chunk of the book finding his way back home to the family with whom he fits so well.

Ultimately, this book is about the secluded, egocentric, alternate world in which Frank creates his own uniquely personal reality shaped by his past experiences, relations, philosophy, ideals and intuition. As far from "normal" as these people may seem, you can't help but find the slightest connection with the characters (as repellent as that notion may seem). "All our lives are symbols. Everything we do is part of a pattern we have at least some say in. The strong make their own patterns and influence other people's, the weak have their courses mapped out for them. The weak and the unlucky, and the stupid" (Banks, 117). Clearly, Frank is none of those (at least from his own perspective).

I must admit, however, that I felt the plot was slightly less developed than it could have been. Some of the characters, including Jamie the Dwarf, and Frank's father, felt extremely one-dimensional. A quote on the back cover from The Independent claims that this is "One of the top 100 novels of the century." Though I found this to be an intriguing read, I wouldn't quite go that far. I simply didn't find the plot to be quite as "gripping" as other people have stated. Controversial, unsettling, and fascinating...yes. A definite must-read...not really.

I look forward to reading what else Iain Banks has to offer, as this was a decent debut from an author with a freshly intriguing voice. Hopefully he has expanded upon the solid foundation laid herein.

This is the first book by Iain Banks and the only one I've read. It is graphically violent and disgustingly twisted. It describes murders of young children and torture of small animals. And in all of this it manages to be a very captivating novel with an air of mystery that only resovles itself at the end of the book. Narrated by a psychopathic 16 year old boy, Banks takes the reader on a tour of a family with a psychotic past, a town where no one's dog is ever safe, and the mind of a killer. In the final chapters, the book switches it's focus, and the lines are blurred between victim and torturer. Because of the graphic descriptions of terrible acts (massacre of a group of rabbits, burning of dogs, the sight that drove Eric crazy) 'The Wasp Factory is not for everyone. But if you can wade through the blood and stomach the descriptions, you will end up with a story that will disturb and shake up your beliefs.

Oh joy, yet another tale of yet another twisted loner, raised by lunatics and shunned by society, hurtling towards an inevitable clash with reality. Being generous, this book is well-written and some of the gore is particularly memorable. However, I'm still trying to figure out the point of it all. In the concluding pages, Banks makes a final attempt to justify the story, but fails. Perhaps the best thing about The Wasp Factory is that it has less than 200 pages; that's why I gave it a 3 instead of a 2.

Banks is a literary master. His books are filled with incredible language, humor, suspense and detail. THE WASP FACTORY, narrated by teenaged Frank, is a surreal journey through the mind of a very disturbed boy in an even more disturbed family. Frank tells us of the gruesome measures he has taken to protect the island which he calls home. He also talks about the series of murders he has commmitted, his reserved, eccentric father, his friend, Jamie, the dwarf, and his revered but completely insane older brother Eric. It seems that Eric has escaped the hospital and is making his way back to the family home. We get glimpses into Eric's psyche through phone calls he periodically places to his younger brother.
I know that this novel originally met with a great deal of controversy. It actually seems rather tame in comparison to other slasher/gore novels. However, it is immensely disturbing to read as Frank gets closer and closer to discovering his true self just as Eric gets closer and closer to home. You'll find animal torture and killing in this one. The wasp factory itself is an amazing bit of literary creation; Banks is either warped or a genius (or a warped genius) to have invented this contraption! I liked reading this one. It is at times sad, unsettling, hilarious, numbing....a jumble of emotions to go along with the images and experiences of these characters. If you only know Banks for his science fiction, this is definitely worth checking out. If you haven't read Banks at all, stop depriving yourself of an incredibly talented author!

I found 'The Wasp Factory' enjoyable mainly for its ideas and certain aspects of its style. That is to say, I liked the Factory itself, I liked the sacrifice poles, and the accounts of the murders, and basically everything having anything to do with Frankie's odd, personalized occult system. I enjoyed the distorted sense of reality and the surreal atmosphere. And I was rather charmed with Frankie's father, a fascinating, well-painted, amusing, and somewhat creepy character.

Most everything else about the book annoyed or disappointed me in some way. My appreciation for Frankie's father didn't extend to his brother Eric, who didn't feel real enough and was WAY too cliche-insane, particularly in his (weak) phone conversations w/ Frankie. And Frankie himself didn't feel nearly as fleshed-out as he should've been: he always felt somehow off to me, as if the author didn't quite have a full handle on him.

In general, I liked the ideas and the style of the story, but I didn't like the way the text carried them. The writing felt a bit awkward and tell-tale-ish ("I went to the beach and then I did this and then I got tired so I rode my bike along the creek and when I got to the bump I jumped it like I used to as a kid and finally I got back to the house for lunch and ... etc. etc.) -- and at points it was flat-out boring. The atmosphere of the actual story and the style of the *writing* seemed somehow at odds with each other. I never felt quite as immersed or gripped as I felt I could have been, had the author known how to render his material more effectively.

I found the unusual ending of the book interesting in and of itself, but I didn't feel like the story had really built up to this particular revelation. In general I felt as if Mr. Banks had made up the entire story more or less as he went along, maybe going back to add in something here and there. It didn't feel very cohesively orchestrated as fiction.

When all is said and done, I did enjoy the book and am glad I picked it up. But I don't see why anyone would herald it as a "masterpiece" in any respect, aside from goth dorks who equate anything with a dark/mystical atmosphere with "brilliance." The ideas and details are strong, but the book as a whole is mediocre at best.

I was very curious about this book after reading the mixed reviews, so I checked it out from the library. The hardcover edition is only 164 pages, a short read. Yes, there are disturbing and graphic events in this work of fiction--but it is a work of fiction. I don't really understand the very vehement responses of some readers, one who even said she threw it in the trash. I am always surprised that people want to criticize and hide from violence described in novels, but they seem apathetic to horrible and abundant violence going on around us in the real world. Where is the outrage at real events? And why is it that people seem more disturbed by violence to animals than by violence to people? There are murders described in detail in the book, but the focus of the criticisms by readers was on what happens to rabbits and dogs. Don't get me wrong, violence to animals is disturbing, but I have a hard time understanding how people can obsess about cruelty to animals and gloss over homicide of children.

The book is written in the first person, so you really get into the mind of the main character, Frank. The story is very creative, fascinating, and has a surprising plot twist at the end. If you can stomach reading about violence and the extremely unfortunate events that plague this family, it's definitely worth reading. If you have a hard time with the dark themes and vivid and disturbing imagery, I advise not reading anything written by Iain Banks. This is the fourth book of his that I've read, and they're all like this. If you enjoy delving into human psychology through fiction, you'll enjoy his books.

It's not the violence itself that is shocking, but the cold, ruthless calculating which Frank does in planning his murders. If he were somehow transported to the island in Lord of the Flies, he'd be the only one left alive at the end of the book. In the end, I was more angry with Frank's father than with Frank. Read it to find out why.

I purchased this book based on how often it was recommended in the listmanias; I found this short novel both captivating and demented. The story is a first person narrative on a rather dysfunctional family located away from the general flow of humankind. The reader is presented with the thought processes and lifestyle of a sixteen year old murderer whose existence, beliefs and actions revolve around a childhood trauma; Banks does a fine, graphic, job of showing the results of that trauma. The story twists and turns, leaving you gaping at the end; the horror is in the believability that it exists. This is worth a reread just to see how Banks prepares the shocks and surprises. You'll definitely get the willies from this tale of madness.

This book was definetly everything i didn't expect. My South African uncle, who is of British decent as well as an illegal alien recommended this book to me last harvest season. The book's not very engaging in the first 40 pages, but afterwards, you better hold on to your hat. Because this baby's pulling out all the stops and ain't goin' to halt even if you cry for mama.

Iain Banks paints a somewhat absurd, but extremely entertaining portrait of a 17 year old named Frank. I will refrain from speaking about Frank, as anything i say will ruin the plot, which has been crafted with more twists and turns than an expert knot tier sees in a lifetime. The only downside to this book is that it never really captivates females, as it seems a bit male-orientated, which all changes in the end of book.

I've read a few other works by Iain Banks, and this is by far the best. For those of you interested in something a different, and an experience similar to having the top of your skull removed, brains thrown in a blender, set to frappe, and then reinserted into the bloodied, empty cavity, this ones for you. For all you other's out there who want to "play it safe", may i recommend the fine works of Dr. Seuss. Of course green eggs and ham doesn't sound very appetizing after the process described above.

Good day