It is a long time since I’ve read The Wasp Factory and I remember finding it troubling at the time. This piece has helped me make sense of some of those feelings. I’ve never read any of his sci-fi but have made a mental note to maybe raid my husband’s bookshelf at some point and have a look.
Yes, that was my experience with it exactly. I remember being astounded by the twist, but other than that I just found it really frightening and mentally crossed Banks off my list of people I wanted to read. It feels like a really (stereotypically) masculine book to me, which is ironic if his aim was to critique imposed standards of masculinity. But I was about 14 when I read it so this is all very hazy.
I just read the Wasp Factory a few weeks ago (aged 54). I didnt find it very frightening, after all, what was shocking in the 1980s isn’t nearly so much 40 years later. It was an interesting read, well constructed, and his prose was fantastic. But OMG I can’t agree more about that last line of the book. I literally flushed with embarrassment for the author when I read it. What a clanger.
It is a long time since I’ve read The Wasp Factory and I remember finding it troubling at the time. This piece has helped me make sense of some of those feelings. I’ve never read any of his sci-fi but have made a mental note to maybe raid my husband’s bookshelf at some point and have a look.
Yes, that was my experience with it exactly. I remember being astounded by the twist, but other than that I just found it really frightening and mentally crossed Banks off my list of people I wanted to read. It feels like a really (stereotypically) masculine book to me, which is ironic if his aim was to critique imposed standards of masculinity. But I was about 14 when I read it so this is all very hazy.
I’ve never gone back to it, but I’m now thinking it might pay to read it with fresh eyes - just to see!
I just read the Wasp Factory a few weeks ago (aged 54). I didnt find it very frightening, after all, what was shocking in the 1980s isn’t nearly so much 40 years later. It was an interesting read, well constructed, and his prose was fantastic. But OMG I can’t agree more about that last line of the book. I literally flushed with embarrassment for the author when I read it. What a clanger.