Reviews tagging 'Transphobia'

The Wasp Factory by Iain Banks

20 reviews

lizardgod's review against another edition

dark sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

• I really can't decide if I hate this book or not, on some aspects, the trans representation is decent for the book's genre yet the only reason Frank is trans in the first place is due to trauma. It is interesting that the view of not aligning to the gender he was raised and the struggles with masculinity is more accurately depicted than most books written by actual trans authors. This book is honestly really good to me and my written summary does not do the book justice. It does take effort to start but it escalates very quickly once you realize what's going on. Also it starts with a lot of cryptic symbolism however all of it makes sense by the end instead of having to figure it out based on personal interpretation/author inference, a feature I personally enjoy in books.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Murder, Mental illness, Fire/Fire injury, Excrement, Dysphoria, Domestic abuse, Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Body shaming, Medical trauma, Injury/Injury detail, Torture, Stalking, Sexism, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Physical abuse, Gore, Emotional abuse, Child abuse, Transphobia, Violence, Vomit, Toxic relationship, and Animal cruelty

Moderate: Ableism, Alcoholism, and Incest

pablollopez's review against another edition

challenging dark slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Violence, Emotional abuse, Animal death, Transphobia, Sexism, Sexual violence, Animal cruelty, Murder, Child death, Child abuse, Terminal illness, Mental illness, Grief, Torture, Physical abuse, Misogyny, Medical trauma, Gore, Forced institutionalization, Domestic abuse, Death of parent, Death, Cursing, Body horror, and Blood

owlribbon's review against another edition

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Fire/Fire injury, Child death, and Murder

Moderate: Transphobia, Sexism, Misogyny, Violence, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Suicide

lainerly's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense slow-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

4.0

huh

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Fire/Fire injury, and Gore

Moderate: Racism, Ableism, and Transphobia

emilycantreadx's review against another edition

dark sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• 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: Animal cruelty and Animal death

Minor: Transphobia

possumpages's review against another edition

dark slow-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

This book is heralded as an extreme horror classic, with lots of praise piled onto it for its writing and themes. However, I felt that the twist at the very end of the book spoiled any minor enjoyment I had had up until that point. I recognize as a book written in the 80's by a scottish man you cannot expect

transgender issues

to be handled well; however, how hamfistedly it was handled when, in fact, the twist could have been done SO WELL wrecked it for me, personally. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Transphobia, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Violence, Mental illness, and Fire/Fire injury

pirateenthusiast's review against another edition

dark medium-paced

• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

It was certainly captivating and the writing itself was pretty good, but the plot of the book left a LOT to be desired, and most of it seemed to be written more for "shock" value rather than any sort of substantial contribution to the characters. It wasn't the worst thing I've ever read, but I certainly wouldn't recommend it to anyone. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Body horror, and Violence

Moderate: Transphobia, Ableism, and Misogyny

Minor: Forced institutionalization

oneinamili's review against another edition

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? Yes

1.0

Not for me. I didn't see the point of the ending and it took me forever to get through this book. Graphic descriptions can work for me but what was in The Wasp Factory just felt like it was there for little more than shock value.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Transphobia, Medical trauma, Ableism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Misogyny

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail and Murder

amyattleir's review against another edition

dark mysterious 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

2.0

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Content Warnings

Minor: Transphobia

sarah984's review against another edition

dark mysterious slow-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

1.0

I know that a lot of people found the deaths in this book disturbing, but everything in the book was so whimsical and divorced from reality that it really had no effect on me at all. Extreme misogyny and weird transphobia but that's not surprising in a serial killer story.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Medical content, Misogyny, Murder, Torture, Transphobia, and Mental illness

Moderate: Excrement, Forced institutionalization, Racism, and Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Rape and Suicide