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4.0étoiles sur 5
Ready, Willing and Abel, Janv. 23 2007
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. "A Song of Stone" was first published in 1997.
The book is set in the aftermath of what appears to have been a long and devastating war - though at no point is any indication of its causes, or even who was fighting. While the war itself may even be over - it's hard to tell, with no real communication between different parts of the country - it's left anarchy behind : food and fuel are scarce, while there are regular skirmishes between a number of roaming factions. The story is told by Abel, an aristocrat with a title - albeit, apparently, a minor one. As the book opens, he and his beloved Morgan are abandoning their castle - hoping to avoid the sort of people it would probably attract. Unfortunately, they are captured early in their journey by a band of partisans who - as Abel feared - viewed the couple's home as an excellent base of operations. Abel and Morgan are taken back to their home - now, as trapped by the castle's walls as they are protected by it.
The book is told entirely from Abel's point of view - "I wonder at the lieutenant and the history of her men". Gradually, hints of his former life are given, much of it involving the development of his relationship with Morgan. Little, on the other hand, is told of the lieutenant or her men - even their real names are withheld. The language and style used is very descriptive at times, lyrical and nearly pretentious in places. For all his attempts to romanticise his thoughts, his feelings and his past, however, I found Abel to be an increasingly dislikeable character : for a member of the nobility, there was very little noble about him. In fact, as the book went on, I wasn't even convinced Morgan felt any real warmth towards him. For someone who hasn't read anything by Banks, I'm not sure I'd recommend this as a starting point - "Whit" and "The Crow Road" would possibly be a better introduction. However, "A Song of Stone" is certainly worth reading.
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4.0étoiles sur 5
Beautiful language, powerful subject, Mars 13 2002
first off, let me say i have read all of iain banks' books and this is different. so dont expect sci-fi "culture" entertainment.that said, this is really a great book, brilliantly written with beautiful poetic language. while banks is always a good technical writer, this novel is by far the most lyrical and poetic in language. it is also somewhat harder to follow than most of his as a consequence, but i liked that it made you think a little. also, some aspects of the story are never stated outright but only implied obliquely through the actions of other characters or implications in the main characters interior monologue. again, perhaps a bit challenging for some, but i liked it and found it consistent with the dark, murky tone of the novel. the characters are so close and personal that it really touches you in a powerful way. it reminds me of "The Killer Inside Me" (Jim Thompson) in that way. this book is disturbing in many ways, but it is also Real. it is a powerful commentary both on age-old human nature and on recent history. the combination of the close first-person narrative and the disturbing topics can be too much for some, but i found it very stimulating. this is one of the few books i read in the last year that i still think about. the themes and images will be with you for a long time. disturbing and dark yes, but brilliantly written and very powerful.
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3.0étoiles sur 5
Disturbing...., Juil 17 2001
I haven't read any of Iain Banks' novels before I picked up "A Song of Stone" so I can't honestly say if it is his usual standard or if it's better or worse than his other works. Reading some of the other reviews on here, however, I do agree that he has a gift of making people feel uncomfortable. Abel's reflections on violence and incest was troubling to say the least. I thought the story slow-moving and felt like I was going around in the same circle the whole time, but perhaps that was Banks' intention to create a dismal atmosphere where one's trapped, and there's no escape except through death (for us, thankfully, the completion of the novel would suffice!) The underlying sexual tension with the female lieutenant was interestingly dealt with, however, and that was probably the only part of the novel where there was visible progress. I should need to read more of Banks' work to decide if I like him or not....if I have the desire to sink into depression again.....
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