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Wasp Factory (Hardcover)

by Iain Banks (Author) "I HAD BEEN making the rounds of the Sacrifice Poles the day we heard my brother had escaped ..." (more)

4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (80 customer reviews)

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Product Details

Hardcover: 256 pages
Publisher: Little Brown (Feb 3 2004)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0316858560
ISBN-13: 978-0316858564
Product Dimensions: 19,8 x 13,4 x 2,6 cm
Shipping Weight: 359 g

Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (80 customer reviews)

Amazon.ca Sales Rank: #1,232,822 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)
Popular in this category:
#3 in Books > Literature & Fiction > Authors, A-Z > ( B ) > Banks, Iain

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Product Description

From Amazon.com

"I had been making the rounds of the Sacrifice Poles the day we heard my brother had escaped. I already knew something was going to happen; the Factory told me."

Those lines begin one of the most infamous of contemporary Scottish novels. The narrator, Frank Cauldhame, is a weird teenager who lives on a tiny island connected to mainland Scotland by a bridge. He maintains grisly Sacrifice Poles to serve as his early warning system and deterrent against anyone who might invade his territory.

Few novelists have ever burst onto the literary scene with as much controversy as Iain Banks in 1984. The Wasp Factory was reviled by many reviewers on account of its violence and sadism, but applauded by others as a new and Scottish voice--that is, a departure from the English literary tradition. The controversy is a bit puzzling in retrospect, because there is little to object to in this novel, if you're familiar with genre horror.

The Wasp Factory is distinguished by an authentically felt and deftly written first-person style, delicious dark humor, a sense of the surreal, and a serious examination of the psyche of a childhood psychopath. Most readers will find that they sympathize with and even like Frank, despite his three murders (each of which is hilarious in an Edward Gorey fashion). It's a classic of contemporary horror. --Fiona Webster --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Review

'A Gothic horror story of quite exceptional quality...macabre, bizarre and...quite impossible to put down' FINANCIAL TIMES 'A mighty imagination has arrived on the scene' MAIL ON SUNDAY 'One of the most brilliant first novels I have come across.' DAILY TELEGRAPH 'Read it if you dare.' DAILY EXPRESS 'A brilliant book, barmy and barnacled with the grotesque.' NEW STATESMAN

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Inside This Book (Learn More)
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First Sentence
I HAD BEEN making the rounds of the Sacrifice Poles the day we heard my brother had escaped. Read the first page

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80 �valuations

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Commentaires client les plus utiles

5.0�toiles sur 5 Instant debut classic, Ao� 12 2009

Par	A. Mabley (Canada) - Voir tous mes commentaires (REAL NAME)

This review is from: The Wasp Factory 25th Anniversary Edition (Paperback)

WOW...that's basically how I can sum up this book. It was awesome and completely exceeded my expectations. I have this habbit of reading one star reviews of books before I buy them. Reason being, it tends to lower my expectations just a little bit. In the case of 'The Wasp Factoy' there were a lot of mixed feelings, so I wasn't sure what to expect, but what I got was definitely better than I had imagined. For this being Banks' first novel I have to say he hit it outta the park. The way he describes things in such vivid detail makes you feel like you are there on the island with this disfunctional (small) family. If I start going into detail about the plot I could go on for pages, not only that, it's hard to describe the plot without giving away the ridiculously smart and shocking ending. In a nutshell it's about a killer without a conscience and I find it to be a very beautiful novel and plan to read it again in the near future. If you like surprise endings then you will love this book. Pick it up, you won't regret it!!!

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4.0�toiles sur 5 You are cooking them, aren't you ?, Mai 9 2007

Par	Craobh Rua "Craobh Rua" (N. Ireland) - Voir tous mes commentaires (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

This review is from: The Wasp Factory 25th Anniversary Edition (Paperback)

Iain Banks was born in Scotland in 1954 and published his first book - "The Wasp Factory" - 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'.

Frank Cauldhame is sixteen yeras old and hasn't quite had what you'd call a typical upbringing. In fact, he doesn't officially exist : Frank was never registered, has no birth certificate, no passport and no national insurance number. The upside is that, as a result, he's never had to attend school - though he was educated at home by his father. (Angus, Frank's father, did occasionally embellish parts of the curriculem - for example, Frank believed for a time that there was a character called Fellatio in "Hamlet"). Angus is a scientist : the discipline is never clearly identified, though he does appear to be involved in the biomedical sector. These connections have also apparently allowed Angus to provide for Frank's medical needs - despite his son's official non-existance. (These needs were increased at an early age, following a devastating encounter with a dog). Angus' study is strcitly off-limits to Frank and is permanently locked - though Frank is determined to make it inside someday.

The pair are pretty comfortable, whatever it is Angus does for a living. They live on a small island, just off the coast of Portneil in Scotland. Frank never knew his mother, Angus' second wife, as she left shortly after he was born. (Apparently, she didn't care much for children). It's probably lucky for her that she didn't stick around : Frank has turned into a very strange kid whose values and beliefs don't really overlap with those held by 'normal' society. He's very fond of general destruction and killing - so far, he's dispatched two cousins, one brother and various animals. (He's yet to be caught out). He is also very inventive and has essentially created his own belief system - involving a Wasp Factory, some Sacrifice Poles and the Bunker (a pillbox on the beach, a relic from the Second World War). He also has his own name for various parts of the island, depending on what he's done there - for example, the Snake Park, Black Destroyer Hill and the Bomb Circle.

The events of "The Wasp Factory" take place over a couple of days - beginning with the news that Eric, Frank's half-brother, has escaped form hospital. (Eric was committed several years earlier, for setting dogs on fire). The book sees Frank looking back over hsi life, in the build-up to Eric's expected return. This isn't something that causes Frank any great amount of stress, despite the fact that Eric clearly still isn't firing on all thrusters. (Frank's is more than a match for his brother : the worrying this is that he sees himself as being the "somebody sane who still likes" Eric.) Unsurprisingly, the book can be a little gruesome at times and it isn't one I'd recommend if you're feeling a little queasy. However, if you're feeling up to a challenge, it's certainly well worth reading !

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5.0�toiles sur 5 Glad I found it., Jui 9 2002

Par	"nassic" (Valparaiso, Indiana United States) - Voir tous mes commentaires

This review is from: The Wasp Factory (Paperback)

I came across this book by accident, finding it at work one night. In about four hours, I had the book read. I read it again the next morning. It is a fantastic piece of literature, especially for teens and twenty-somethings.

It's about a boy, the feeling that he's missing something, and his "adventures" in finding out his truth in a completely different manner than books like Catcher in the Rye.

Bizarre, twisted, and great beyond measure. I have a new found love for Scottish literature.

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Commentaires client les plus r�cents

5.0�toiles sur 5 banks best by far
one of the few books which can stand up to rereading. the black humour and twisted original plot are never equaled unfortunately in banks subsequent work. Read more

Publi� le Mai 10 2002 par simon gurney

4.0�toiles sur 5 Disturbing...not for the faint of heart
This is the first book by Iain Banks and the only one I've read. It is graphically violent and disgustingly twisted. Read more

Publi� le Mars 30 2002

4.0�toiles sur 5 CULT CLASSIC
This probably would have been better as a short story or novella - hence sometimes you feel like Banks is padding out as if this was an English assignment. Nevermind. Read more

Publi� le Mars 30 2002

5.0�toiles sur 5 Powerful, disturbing debut by Banks
The jacket of the book alone--which is reprinted by Amazon here--was enough to get me to pick this novel up. Read more