Customer Reviews

Whit

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Apparently this isn't one of his more popular books, for reasons I can only speculate . . . in his other wildly criticized work (Canal Dreams) it's fairly obvious what the problems are and your tolerance for those problems is what will make or break the book . . . here any problems aren't quite clear and frankly I don't see any. The book isn't as "shocking" as other Banks book have been, either through the perverse or violent or whatever, but I don't think that's something he's known for as much as those are aspects of some of his novels. It's also a lot longer (I think only Crow Road tops it in pages) than most of his stuff and not as "literary" in style. It's fairly straightforward on the surface, almost earnestly so. But you know what? I like it. The novel tells the story of nineteen year old Isis Whit, the Elect of a what basically is a Cult founded by her grandfather in the middle part of the century, based around peace and love and some other stuff. They have a Festival every four years and her cousin Morag, who is to be the guest of honor, writes a letter stating not only is she not showing up, but she's given up the faith. So Isis goes out to find her but it's not as simple as that and by the time she's done she'll have found out a lot of unpleasant things. Banks gets credit for depicting the cult followers are normal people who are just looking for Truth, so to speak, and coming across as wacky, but essentially levelheaded, as opposed to a bunch of brainwashed zombies. He also gets credit for his sympathetic and balanced portrayal of Isis, who is somewhat naive and very devout but he manages to make her charming instead of annoying, her religious faith is seen more of a natural extension of her instead of a brick she keeps hoisting on people. If there's any big problem with the book it's that the other characters are not as three dimensional as she is and some come off as a tad one-note. Banks alternates the story of Isis' search with the history of the Order itself, weaving in the story and amending it constantly as Isis starts to discover that not all is what it seems. It also provides a look at British life at the end of the 20th century through the eyes of someone who has kept herself mostly separate from that life. Throughout he throws the poor girl into all sorts of amusing situations and tosses out revelations that are not so amusing and I found it a fairly fast and witty read, rarely dragging and consistently entertaining throughout. Perhaps it's not as incisive as it could have been, but it's deftly told and the twists and revelations all work (ie they make sense but they aren't immediately obvious) . . . except the fact that the narrator is the member of a cult the book is about as straightforward as they come. Maybe that turns people off from it. I don't know. I, for one, would recommend it to any Banks fan, it may not singlehandedly propel him to the ranks of the literary masters but it doesn't detract from his status as one of the finest contemporary novelists or otherwise take away from the fine work he's already done. This is merely an above average addition to an already distinguished body of work. No more no less.

There are far too many novelists and novels in my own opinion. I started this one years ago and quickly gave up. However my curiosity was reawakened when the author came out the victor in not one but two upmarket quiz programmes a few days ago, so I tried again. It was worth it: this book improves as it goes along. I still think there is a certain amount of padding here and there. The reference to Scottish dishes with an Asian flavour - haggis vindaloo, tandoori stovies or some such - was amusing the first time, but the list on p201/2 in this edition is blatant word-spinning. The second paragraph on p176 is the kind of verbiage that articulate people fall into when their concentration is slipping. The incident of the attempted rape near the disused railway bridge is out of context - this part of the story is not about the narrator's experiences but about the locality, and it highlights an interesting aspect of the content of the book.

Banks is obviously fascinated by his (and my) native Scotland. The dilapidated railway bridge near the headquarters of the religious cult that is the central theme of the story was part of a line from Balloch to Stirling, as unlikely a route as was ever laid in the railway mania. I was intensely interested in what Banks told me about it, and to return the favour I can inform him that it made its junction with the line to Perth not at Bridge of Allan but at Stirling itself. I think Banks just loves saying `Gargunnock' and `Kippen' to judge by how often he mentions these villages, and he leaves us in no doubt of his fascination with the Pendicles of Collymoon just for its name. The setting is largely rural central Scotland with flashbacks to the Western Isles. The narrator also makes an Odyssey to London, Essex and the West Country in pursuit of a renegade cousin, and the patois of Glasgow and Essex, as well as the Texan grandmother's idiom and attitudes, are all reproduced with an acute ear for the way such speakers really sound. The scene-setting is really rather brilliant. Obviously there is no point in looking for realism in a totally fictional religious cult, but it gets more convincing as one becomes used to it. This is a work of imagination, but my attention was well and truly held by the truthfulness of the depiction of the London squat, the vendors of the racist newspaper and the various drivers with whom the narrator hitches a lift, even if there's just a suspicion that Banks is spinning the last of these out.

The book is full of wry humour, and very well put together after the opening chapters. The adolescent narrator gets through a lot of growing up in not many years, but the process is neither ridiculous nor squalid, both of which can be said about what happens to Richard Adams's poor Maia. Some of the writing is very good indeed, like the end of chapter fourteen, and some of the jokes are very good too, like the one about the IRS on p232. It would probably be wrong to pigeonhole this novel into some particular genre, but what it turns into more and more as the narrative progresses is really a detective story. What is really going on in this odd religious sect and what are some of its members really doing? Where did the narrator's grandfather come from originally? These issues are actually more central to the book than the whereabouts and exploits of the elusive cousin, which the story purports to be to start with but which turns into a clever entrée into more interesting sub-plots.

I found it very absorbing and very original as well as very clever and skilful. I read it as entertainment, fairly light in tone rather than `exploring issues', and I had finished it sooner than I expected to. One side-benefit to me was that it awakened a strong desire to explore a part of my native country that I have seen very little of. The area crossed by the sad little railway from Balloch to Stirling is of outstanding beauty by anyone's reckoning. If anyone reading this notice gets to the Pendicles of Collymoon before I do and can tell me more about it than I have just found out on the internet I shall be more than interested to hear.

Whit is the story of Isis, a girl who has grown up inside a puritanical religious cult based in Scotland. Isis is a leapyearian, having been born on the 29th April, which is of special significance to the religion. Because of the importance of Leapyearians, every four years 9 months prior to 29th April the community has a festival of love, where free love reigns in the hope of generating more babies born on the special date.

Star-turn at the forthcoming festival will be Morag, the cult's most fancied daughter. Unfortunately, she has gone AWOL, and will not come home to take her place. Isis is sent out into the world of the Unsaved to find the apostate Morag and bring her back to the fold in time for the festival.

At first, it seems this search will be the book's plot. However, there's a more sinister plot afoot and she discovers that her community isn't quite as peaceful as she had believed.

Isis struggles to comprehend the real world and there are a number of comical moments. She's a very likeable character despite her frequently absurd views and actions. Throughout the book, she integrates more and I was hoping that by the end she'd see the error of her ways. Even though she gets to the truth in the end, she doesn't completely reject her religion. She, and through her Iain Banks, debates whether presenting the difficult truth is preferable to maintaining happy ignorance. Just how much truth she is prepared to tell is left for us to decide.

This is an amusing and mainly lighthearted read. Isis is a sympathetic and engaging character though some of the others are less well created. With this book, Banks is attacking religion, making it clear that the foundations of a faith are not always as secure as believers may think and articles of faith are often as much the creation of internal politics as they are significant visions or revelations. He also makes us consider the contradiction that while cults are widely acknowledged as being false and often dangerous, it is sometimes hard to see much difference between them and other more respectable faiths. But Banks does seem to concede that even if the reasons for the way of life are wrong, the way of life itself may have value. Isis may reject her faith but she does not want to destroy her community.

I enjoyed this book. It wasn't as thrilling as Complicity, but it was entertaining and had a happier ending. My only criticism would be that some of the characters could have been given more life.

"Whit" is (as of early 1997) the most recent "straight" fiction novel of Iain Banks (who also writes science fiction under the transparent pseudonym Iain M. Banks). Many of Banks' books contain violent undertones- or overtones- but "Whit" is an exception: a first person narrative of "Isis", a key member of a small Scottish religious cult.

The story concerns Isis' travels in the "ordinary world" (present day), seeking to recover a lost member of the flock. Along the way, Banks cleverly reveals the beliefs and history of the cult, inevitably leading to dark secrets which will challenge Isis' faith.

I suspect that Iain Banks' popularity is mainly confined to Britain. This book, along with "The Crow Road", is a good place to start with his writing. Isis' story combines good writing, a well thought out narrative within a mystery framework, and an interesting point of view: although many cult beliefs border on ludicrous, Isis' beliefs are not only genuine but well considered. Hers is not a blind faith. Highly recommended.

Iain Banks first novel, The Wasp Factory, was published in 1984. In the years since, he's won critical acclaim, topped best-seller lists and has even written Science Fiction books under the cunning nom-de-plume 'Iain M. Banks'. He's also seen this book, "The Crow Road", adapted for television by the BBC in 1996. "Whit" is his eighth non-sci-fi book, was first published in 1995 and comes with the subtitle "Isis Amongst the Unsaved".

The book's central character is Isis Whit, commonly called Is - though more formally known as Blessed or Beloved Isis. Isis is a Luskentyrian, a member of a religious sect founded by her grandfather, Salvador. Like him, she is very important to the faithful - she holds the position 'Elect of God' and is a future leader of the Luskentyrians. Home is High Easter Offerance - located in Scotland, on the banks of the River Forth. The book opens in May 1995, when Isis is nineteen years old and with the Festival of Love approaching. The Luskentyrians consider people born on the 29th of February very special - the Blessed Isis herself was born on that date. As a result, a Festival of Love is held every four years - at the end of May in the year preceding a Leap Year. As the end of May is nine months before the end of February and it is a Festival of Love, I'm sure you can figure out what happens at it...

Isis' cousin, Morag - while not strictly considered a missionary - has been living in London for six years. Based on her letters, it appears she has become a successful musician - an internationally renowned baryton soloist, no less. She had been due to return to High Easter Offerance for the festival, where she would have been the Guest of Honour. However, her most recent letter to the community includes the news that she has turned her back on her faith and will not be returning. One possible option was for Isis to take Morag's place as guest of Honour - something she wasn't entirely keen on. Instead, Isis is sent to London to try and rescue her cousin - the book tells the story of her journey and return.

This is only the second book by Banks I've read, the first being "The Crow Road". Like it, I found "Whit" to be very enjoyable. It's told entirely from Isis' point of view - she describes her journey, outlines her discoveries, explains her beliefs and tells the history of her sect. Luskentyrians avoid modern technology as far as possible - nothing at High Easter Offerance runs on electricity, for example. It's amusing, at times, to see her reaction to life in the 'modern' world. There are several very strong supporting characters - Yolanda, Isis' very colourful and hugely entertaining Texan grandmother, particularly stands out. The only disappointment is that some of them didn't make a bigger appearance. Highly recommended !

Whit looks at a religious cult in contemporary Britain, and a teenage girl's travel and discovery of her family's history.

Banks has described himself as an "evangelical atheist", and is famous for dark and awesome plotting. We might expect an apocalyptic cult and gruesome secrets.

They're not here, and I think the restraint makes the book much better than going for outright shock. (If you want Aum Shinrikyo or Heaven's Gate you know where to get it.) This is a much more gentle and sympathetic look at the beliefs and life of a person as ordinary and extraordinary as any other.

It is perhaps not Banks's best, but it's still very good. If you liked his Culture books but are afraid the "straight" non-sf books might be too dark then this could be a good place to start.

Perhaps Mr. Banks is mellowing a little - and I don't think that is necessarily a bad thing. This tale still explores what appears to be his theme of choice - the misfit protagonist discovering the world and undergoing personal change to integrate this with their own unique perspective. Wonderfully written, with a convincing character arc for Isis Whit, a facsinating journey through contemporary culture, and an intriguing conclusion. Most enjoyable.

As with all of his books, Whit is a meticulously (indeed somewhat over) plotted work. The plot, however, is utterly superfluous. The real strength of this book is Bank's gift for character and for episode. For such a modern work, the book has a form, and reflects themes, familiar from the earliest British novels. The simple country soul journies to London, and, on the way, is involved in a series of colourful (and sometimes bawdy) adventures. In the end her simplicity proves to be a match for the faux sophistication of those who wish to prey upon or otherwise exploit her. The book wants to be clever, but just can't stop itself being damn good fun

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Mormons) - founded by Joseph Smith with the publication of the Book of Mormon in 1930 - now counts 14 million members among its ranks. It just took that initial vision to get things started.

Whit is author Iain Bank's attempt to recreate the religion-birthing process. Isis is a thrid-generation Luskentyrian, a religious sect formed 40 years earlier when her grandfather had a startling and profound vision. Isis is also an Elect of God, given that she was born on the Leap Day of a Leap Year. The Luskentyrians have a special, procreation-themed Festival of Love in May prior to a Leap Year, to maximize the chances that other children will be born on this auspicious day. In the novel, Isis' cousin Morag is scheduled to be the featured guest at the upcoming Festival, but Morag has sent a message that she will not be there. Further, Morag apparently is leaving the Luskentyrians. And Isis is sent to investigate, and convince Morag to return.

Whit is an entertaining yarn, and the storyline of a developing religion makes it even more interesting.

As I continue to happily work through Iain Banks's work, this is another gem of a tale. The imaginative description of a religious cult seen through the eyes and experience of the story's seemingly I'll-fated heroine is highly entertaining, particularly when contrasted with the "blandness" of contemporary western society. Couldn't help but laugh out loud when the errant cousin's chosen "instrument" of choice is proffered. I particularly enjoyed the reading experience of a fast paced and well crafted storyline interspersed by evocative descriptions of places and people. Can't wait to continue my journey through the rest of Iain Banks work.