The Wasp Factory (Year of Banks #1)

Hello and welcome to the first post of the “Year of the Banks”! If you missed what that is all about, here is the original post. The first novel up from Mr. Iain Banks is his first published novel, The Wasp Factory. Originally published in 1984, this book tells the story of “Frank” and the rituals he creates around his Scottish town and why he feels they help or how they are tied to the only three killings the main character committed. Throughout the novel you find out more as “Frank’s” brothers escape from a mental institution and his journey home. By the end of the novel, we find out that some of the things the main character is feeling were not his fault. This is intended to be a quick review and a non-spoiler synopsis. If you just want my quick verdict, I knew the writing was going to be clear and with a good voice, but the ending surprised me. This book isn’t for everyone and most writers that’s the way it should go. I thought I knew where it was going and how it was going to end, and I will say that by the end I did not see some of the twists and turns. It is not for the faint of heart, but a good read and start to my series this year – I would recommend reading it if you like dark and moody characters and horror stories.

Now let’s delve in. I want to stay relatively spoiler-free, but do want to use this section in my book spotlights to get more into what I did and didn’t like as a writer and fan of writing. Mr. Banks has a distinctive and charming writing voice, which both be clear and complex, and tends to come through in his writing sentence to sentence. Even though I personally am more a fan of his sci fi work in what I have read of his works, even with the dark and intense subject matter in The Wasp Factory, the clarity to his voice always keeps me reading.

The second aspect of this book that I enjoyed was the twists and turns at the end. I would describe this book to anyone who asked as “a Scottish young person’s American Psycho”. I kept that feeling through the end of the book. I was able to pick up on

various foreshadowing and plot hints throughout the book, which is always a great feeling while reading no matter what genre.

Lastly, I wanted to call attention to Mr. Banks’ descriptions. I feel that Mr. Banks has a fantastic way of writing which shares only just what you need and want to know. He doesn’t describe everything, just what matters and what affects the characters and us as his reader. There are not pages and pages about the stonework in the street…unless there’s a reason. While reading this novel, I always felt there was a point or something would come back. From the works of his which I have read so far, I believe that is one of Mr. Banks’s immense talents.

The first Year of the Banks book is done! Since this was Mr. Banks’s first novel and the other nine on the agenda are sci fi, I can’t wait to delve into the rest of my list. Whether you are just following this for fun or reading along, I hope you are getting a sense of joy about reading and writing through these spotlights. Next month’s Year of Banks post will be for Consider Phlebas, the first in his Culture series. See you next month!