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timinbc's review against another edition
4.0
If you're a broad-minded reader who has already read some books with disturbing scenes in them, you have a good chance of liking this book. It will also help to be familiar with the dry, dark, not-always-obvious aspects of British humour.
If you've read short blurbs about the book - some of which were right on the cover of the edition I read - you might be misled into thinking this is a pot-boiler shock-for-shock's-sake puddle of depravity. I just finished this book a few hours ago and as it sinks in my appreciation of it continues to grow.
It's easy to accept that a child placed in Frank's situation could grow up with all his moral dials set to the wrong numbers. Given that, his actions are as believable as those in "Lord of the Flies". He does some appalling things, but somehow they weren't as awful as I had been led to believe, and they actually made sense within the plot. Two of his three murders are sort of amusing in a twisted Edward Gorey sort of way. Brother Eric is delightfully menacing, and every few pages the plot thickens.
And occasionally Banks is fairly explicit about what aspects of society he's examining through this strange lens.
This is a very well plotted and written book, but you might dislike it and there's a fair chance you will hate it.
There's only one way to find out.
If you've read short blurbs about the book - some of which were right on the cover of the edition I read - you might be misled into thinking this is a pot-boiler shock-for-shock's-sake puddle of depravity. I just finished this book a few hours ago and as it sinks in my appreciation of it continues to grow.
It's easy to accept that a child placed in Frank's situation could grow up with all his moral dials set to the wrong numbers. Given that, his actions are as believable as those in "Lord of the Flies". He does some appalling things, but somehow they weren't as awful as I had been led to believe, and they actually made sense within the plot. Two of his three murders are sort of amusing in a twisted Edward Gorey sort of way. Brother Eric is delightfully menacing, and every few pages the plot thickens.
And occasionally Banks is fairly explicit about what aspects of society he's examining through this strange lens.
This is a very well plotted and written book, but you might dislike it and there's a fair chance you will hate it.
There's only one way to find out.
sylkeberloo's review against another edition
dark
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
spidermomsays's review against another edition
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
2.5
The writing was ok but this book really dragged for me despite several shocking events and the fact that it was under 200 pages.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Child death
amelia___'s review
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
zoecrook's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-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
4.75
seesalynne09's review against another edition
3.0
Outside of the animal violence I didn't really find this that disturbing. Maybe that says more about me than it does about the book!
weejman33's review against another edition
4.0
An obvious inspiration for King’s “Mr. Mercedes” reminded me that mental illness is a hell of a thing. Merry Christmas everybody.
august_18's review against another edition
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
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death
Moderate: Sexism, Alcohol, Racism, and Misogyny
Minor: Gaslighting
shawna_reads's review against another edition
dark
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
4.0
"All our lives are symbols. Everything we do is part of a pattern we have at least some say in. The strong make their own patterns and influence other people's, the weak have their courses mapped out for them."
16 year old Frank lives in a remote Scottish village with his father. His mother abandoned them years ago, his brother Eric is in a psychiatric hospital, and his father measures everything in their lives. Frank finds comfort in his daily rituals of strange acts of violence until news gets out that his brother escaped from the hospital.
The Wasp Factory is a slow burn character study told in first person narration. We follow Frank's day to day rituals, his interactions with his father and brother, and essentially, his psychopathic tendencies. His experiences are disturbing and shocking, and for someone who's behaviours aren't necessarily rational, he is very sure of himself. Frank definitely makes for a very interesting, remorseless character.
I wasn't expecting the shocking reveal at the end, although I had a *slight* suspicion a few pages right before it. It really put things into perspective, but I wish it was explored more as I felt the story ended abruptly after that.
Overall, this was a dark, disturbing story.
16 year old Frank lives in a remote Scottish village with his father. His mother abandoned them years ago, his brother Eric is in a psychiatric hospital, and his father measures everything in their lives. Frank finds comfort in his daily rituals of strange acts of violence until news gets out that his brother escaped from the hospital.
The Wasp Factory is a slow burn character study told in first person narration. We follow Frank's day to day rituals, his interactions with his father and brother, and essentially, his psychopathic tendencies. His experiences are disturbing and shocking, and for someone who's behaviours aren't necessarily rational, he is very sure of himself. Frank definitely makes for a very interesting, remorseless character.
I wasn't expecting the shocking reveal at the end, although I had a *slight* suspicion a few pages right before it. It really put things into perspective, but I wish it was explored more as I felt the story ended abruptly after that.
Overall, this was a dark, disturbing story.