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olliegee02's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
anatomydetective's review against another edition
2.0
I thought I owned this book because it was on one of those 1001 books one should read type lists. The whole time I was reading it, I kept asking myself, "What in the world is so special about this novel that it would make such a list? I'm pretty sure there Banks has better books, and there are certainly better books in the world..." I didn't realize that I'd confused it with [b:The Information|380017|The Information|Martin Amis|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1327653211s/380017.jpg|809435] by Martin Amis. The names are similar and both authors are British, okay? We all make mistakes. Even if I'd figured out my mistake, I was already committed to this rather bland novel. This book was so heavy handed with the "strong female protagonist" trope that I was nodding off regularly. Read the Culture series, not this.
saranaisling's review against another edition
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
My first Iain Banks fiction, I enjoyed it - thought was a bit slow and the thriller element could have been expanded upon. Definitely see it as a prequel to the Culture books which is really cool
ambiiumm23's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
ianbanks's review against another edition
3.0
Quite ordinary: Breezy plot and globe-spanning story but a bit too jolly where there needed to be more tension. I thought Kate was an excellent protagonist but the story itself was too slight, as though Banks had fallen a little too much in love with the idea of the Business and what it encompassed to tell a truly gripping story of how it could be ripped off from the inside.
captainfez's review against another edition
3.0
You know those books that you read and enjoy while you're reading them, but when you're finished you struggle - even when it's only days later - to recall much about them?
The Business is one of those books.
I've put off reviewing this for a while largely because I wanted to write something worthwhile, but was finding it difficult to think of anything to say about the work. So now: let's get to it.
It's an airport novel. Let's be frank. It's designed to be inhaled and forgotten, I think, so it's fitting I bought and read it while on holiday. The writing isn't bad, by any means, and the story is so-so - it's just that it fails to leave much of an impact, which is a shame given the setup Banks provides.
The book is told from the perspective of Kate Telman, an executive in a shadowy, eons-old corporation known only as The Business. The Business is keen to own a nation state, so that it can have access to the workings of the United Nations, so there's a geopolitical slant to what could otherwise be just a fairly standard shadowy-cabal-rules-world-secretly-until-this-character-rises-up kind of work.
Unfortunately, the blurb (or the imaginings you're having based on the blurb) is probably more ultimately satisfying than what we're given. There's plenty of memorable scenes (almost crashing in a tiny mountain state, SCUD-collecting stories) and characters (though they tend towards the stereotypical: inscrutable businessmen, faintly daft avuncular types, sleazy Princes who have a heart of gold, really) but I just wasn't too sold on the story, or on Telman's character.
The lead's background is well drawn, but some of the day-to-day descriptions seem a bit forced. She's someone I really liked, and wanted to learn more about, but I couldn't escape the feeling that it was a dude writing a woman without really asking any what it's like.
Essentially, the story seems to boil down to a kind of factional contest within The Business, which was a disappointment. It seems a waste to have an all-powerful conglomerate (and an undeniably interesting stolen-tooth opening) and then to have the bulk of the story focus on territorial pissings. The ending sort of stumbled along, and I was left with the distinct impression that Banks had a great idea for a story, but then phoned it in when he had to actually write the fucking thing.
It sounds like I'm pretty down on this. I am, I guess - not because it was bad, but because it could be so much better. It's still enjoyable in a holiday/waiting room kind of mode, but so is candyfloss: it doesn't bear much reflection afterwards, and you probably wouldn't want to have to chew through it every day.
The Business is one of those books.
I've put off reviewing this for a while largely because I wanted to write something worthwhile, but was finding it difficult to think of anything to say about the work. So now: let's get to it.
It's an airport novel. Let's be frank. It's designed to be inhaled and forgotten, I think, so it's fitting I bought and read it while on holiday. The writing isn't bad, by any means, and the story is so-so - it's just that it fails to leave much of an impact, which is a shame given the setup Banks provides.
The book is told from the perspective of Kate Telman, an executive in a shadowy, eons-old corporation known only as The Business. The Business is keen to own a nation state, so that it can have access to the workings of the United Nations, so there's a geopolitical slant to what could otherwise be just a fairly standard shadowy-cabal-rules-world-secretly-until-this-character-rises-up kind of work.
Unfortunately, the blurb (or the imaginings you're having based on the blurb) is probably more ultimately satisfying than what we're given. There's plenty of memorable scenes (almost crashing in a tiny mountain state, SCUD-collecting stories) and characters (though they tend towards the stereotypical: inscrutable businessmen, faintly daft avuncular types, sleazy Princes who have a heart of gold, really) but I just wasn't too sold on the story, or on Telman's character.
The lead's background is well drawn, but some of the day-to-day descriptions seem a bit forced. She's someone I really liked, and wanted to learn more about, but I couldn't escape the feeling that it was a dude writing a woman without really asking any what it's like.
Essentially, the story seems to boil down to a kind of factional contest within The Business, which was a disappointment. It seems a waste to have an all-powerful conglomerate (and an undeniably interesting stolen-tooth opening) and then to have the bulk of the story focus on territorial pissings. The ending sort of stumbled along, and I was left with the distinct impression that Banks had a great idea for a story, but then phoned it in when he had to actually write the fucking thing.
It sounds like I'm pretty down on this. I am, I guess - not because it was bad, but because it could be so much better. It's still enjoyable in a holiday/waiting room kind of mode, but so is candyfloss: it doesn't bear much reflection afterwards, and you probably wouldn't want to have to chew through it every day.
tasadion's review against another edition
4.0
Another reviewer pointed out that this is an airport novel, and I agree. However I do think that it is a particularly fine example of the style. The plot runs on rails, the characters and settings are good fun, and the plot is efficient, nothing is wasted, and the final ending is neat and not over done.
All that said, there are still some excellent conversations (as is so often the case in Banks' novels) that make you think about your relationship with the world and the choices you make.
It's good fun, and while it does not have endless depths, It does cause you to think a little, and that is what makes it such a clever little story.
All that said, there are still some excellent conversations (as is so often the case in Banks' novels) that make you think about your relationship with the world and the choices you make.
It's good fun, and while it does not have endless depths, It does cause you to think a little, and that is what makes it such a clever little story.
parentheticals's review against another edition
3.0
writing was good but I didn't enjoy it very much because it wasn't as plot-driven as I like my books to be.
cwgrieves's review against another edition
3.0
A really clever book. Good plot and well written. I would have given it a higher rating, but I felt it was just a little slow and a bit bland in parts. Still a decent read though