Reviews tagging 'Animal cruelty'

The Wasp Factory by Iain Banks

177 reviews

saintgroovy's review

4.5

challenging dark reflective medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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This is a uniquely dark and detached story, and taking the journey throughout daily life and memory with Frank gives insight into the psychopathic mind. You’ll find yourself confronted with the most monstrous of human behavior, while tackling Franks complete apathy towards his own actions. At times it’s funny how easily Frank justifies doing something terrible, and the roundabout ways he explains the need for cruelty.
I think the themes of gender identity and masculinity lead to such a complicated conclusion, not only for our narrator but for us. Do you hold sympathy for a person who is incapable of feeling any themselves? 
This is a story of both a victim and a perpetrator, who in the end holds no deep feelings about anything at all. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Torture, Violence, Dysphoria

I think there’s so much to be said about Frances and how she thinks about herself and how she justifies murdering people with her own victimhood. Ultimately it’s no different than the thousands of reasons she gives us during the book, it’s just the best reason she could have been given. It’s shown over and over that she enjoys herself the most when she’s perceived to be the victim of tragedy, because she gets sympathy without any effort. But in the end- Her father was always as deeply a monster as her, and her brother. What a messed up story, I love how much it’s made me think

mark_74's review against another edition

5.0

challenging dark emotional funny mysterious sad tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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This is a very dark story. Take heed of the content warnings as they probably don't do justice to how vicious and grotesque this is in places. At the same time though I couldn't stop reading it, it is as fascinating as it is disturbing. I've actually read this three times now, leaving a long gap between each so I can recover, and I still love it and loathe it as much as I did the first time. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Death, Gore, Mental illness, Misogyny, Violence, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Fire/Fire injury

azrealz's review

3.5

challenging dark tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

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A pretty dark, but interesting book. I like Ian Banks's writing style, and he did a good job with keeping me hooked, and having well done reveals. But not an easy book to read 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Violence

readerofdafuk's review

4.5

dark tense slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Hot damn this was a fucked up little book of a fucked up kind and family and Jesus christ I never want to meet this kid in an alley. Like the twist at the end was interesting, but idk if that really explains everything about the fucked up little mind that Frank has in his head

The part with the wasp factory was probably the most disturbing part 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child death, Death, Gore, Misogyny, Violence, Blood, Murder, Fire/Fire injury

kelsiepixler's review

4.0

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Sexism, Torture, Violence, Medical trauma, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Fire/Fire injury

Moderate: Gore

Minor: Transphobia, Forced institutionalization

hollowfran's review

3.5

dark mysterious tense slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: N/A

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Mental illness, Violence

biobeetle's review against another edition

3.75

challenging dark emotional mysterious slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child death, Death, Gore, Mental illness, Misogyny, Murder, Abandonment, Alcohol

Moderate: Ableism, Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Dysphoria

Minor: Body shaming, Suicidal thoughts, Pregnancy

louiepotterbook's review

4.0

dark medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, Dysphoria, Injury/Injury detail

Honestly with all the warnings I listed it still doesn’t feel like enough

janiceo's review

2.0

dark sad slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Child death

aliteracja's review against another edition

4.25

dark sad tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child death, Mental illness, Medical trauma, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail