The Wasp Factory

What's this? A book review? From that_ginger_kid? Surely not! That guy only knows about films and television shows. He can't read! He can only look and take mild notes for reveiws! A tiny bit out of his comfort zone I do believe!

Well, yes. I am doing a book reveiw, and yes, I also know that I have been reveiwing everything that moves lately. So i recognise all these facts too so just shtum and let my carry on with my mindless ramblings and criticisms. Anyway, the book I chose to reveiw is one that I picked up about a year ago but only actually finished last night. Not becasue I'm a slow reader, but becasue I re-read so many chapters of this book to make it far more understandable to my massive, ginger mind. You see what's happening? I'm actually putting off reviewing off this book. I think it is less because this is a bad book and more becasue the book is going to be extremely hard to reveiw without ruining the ending which is easily worth the 244 pages to get there.

Okay, here I go. A book review. That just sounds wrong to be perfectly honest but I'm going to try. 

The boring, admin stuff first, sorry. The Wasp Factory is Iain Banks first published novel with Abacus Fiction. Back in 1990. Originally finished in 1985, the novel has had a 25th anniversary edition published in 2010 and apart from that it has only had a meagre 25 reprints. Now, I have only a basic knowledge of publishing, but from what I gather: Popularity = more reprints. So, by that logic, 'The Wasp Factory' must be pretty damned good then!

Before i actually start to the reviewing part of the review, I feel I have to tell you why I picked this book up. It's not particularly relevant to the book or it's events but I dont care, I thought it was interesting. So you're going to sit right there and read it! Sit back down! I dont care if you want a coffee! You will learn about my tale, then you may leave, and only then! ....ok? Thankyou. Well, in the Strattford-Upon-Avon branch of 'Waterstones' I was amilessly wandering around the fiction area when SIT BACK DOWN! a boo flops onto the floor in front of me. I picked it up, and put it back on the shelf from where, I at least thought, it came from. In doing so I knocked a copy of this off the shelves. As I picked it back up, I read the blurb. And i bought it. And here we are. And yes, now you can have your cup of coffee. 

Ok, the book. That's why we are here isn't it? Ooh new game! Spot the obvious filler material! It's very easy actually. E-mail me any filler you can find. Rightio. 

In one word, the book is a wow. But a wow with a hint of confusion. The plot is, in all meanings of the word, bonkers. Not Dizzy Rascal bonkers which seems to be very myeh and samey, but more lunatic asylum bonkers. It all makes sense as you progress through the pages but as you start you get a very weird, apparently nonesensical references to 'sacrific poles' and 'The Factory' that tells our protagonist of events that will happen. Of course, there is no way that you would expect to understand every reference that have been woven into the plot fromt he very beginning, but we would at least expect a small introduction or scene setting. Nothing of the sort will be in store for the next 244 pages. The plot is complex, twisting, winding and looping. It works so very well that I actually...well... stole the idea for a GCSE paper. But that's how you learn, so I'm claiming it was collaboration.

The style of writing that Banks uses is very strange. It has all the features of normal english, very standard of the literary canon. But the syntax of the elements is so jilted and off centre it just works. I love the jaded nature of his grammar, the complex subtleties in in sentence. Noun phrases that take up paragraphs in simple sentences, lack of emotive language and the pages that go by without any speech or action all give the writing a very strong power and feeling. Re-reading that I sound like a complete nonce, but it is all true. I am deeply upset that I actually have slowly turned into one of those book critics that I despise. Over analytical and obviously, deeply, hated the book but know that the audience disagree so cover there true feeling with empty words from the symantic feild of english language.

Ok. The plot is brilliant, and the twist at the end is so well hidden but obvious it is facepalm inducing. If, after reading the book you read it again, you can see all the clues that you disregarded as being part of the strange style of writing and the strange lives of the characters, who actually are described in such detail and you create such an emotional link you actually empathise with them at then end.

In conclusion, a very quick conclusion: 'The Wasp Factory' = Good. Very good. Not a perfect book. A perfect book would have skittles packet dispensers on the back page, and the pages themselves would be made of silent paper.

But as it stands, this book actually does have a jam stain on the back, just above the barcode, and the paper its printd on does feel very silky, so i will have to credit them for that much at least. 

I don't expect you to run off an buy this book, but if you ever see it on offer, go for it. It really is worth it. I got my copy for less that £4 (Hooray for christmas gift cards) so I reckon Amazon will have it even cheaper. It's not a life changing book, but it will make you very very happy that you are not a character created my Iain Banks.

Over and out.

oh, p.s. I love Iain Banks' beard. I want one like that but in ginger.