The Wasp Factory: A Novel
3 journalers for this copy...
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
"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 is one of those books that you will either like or hate. I liked it. A lot. Dark and disturbing but not for the sake of being dark and disturbing. I was sucked into Frank's strange, strange world and glad to be sucked into it. But I was even happier that I could leave it in the end. A warped, violent, but oddly touching novel.
I'm sending this off to time-traveler today. When you're in the mood for something strange but good, pick this up.
Getting this in the mail today was such a great surprise. I like the sound of this one, and it's a nice size trade paperback, too. Thanks a lot, petaloka. I can't wait to read it!
This was a good book. I'm glad I waited and read this when I was in the mood for something bizarre. It was a pretty intense story and as it neared the end I couldn't turn the pages fast enough.
Journal Entry 6 by time-traveler at Bizarre Fiction Bookbox, A Bookbox -- Controlled Releases on Friday, July 31, 2009
I selected this from time-traveler's Bizarre Fiction bookbox.
