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chrismd00's review against another edition
3.0
I like the works of Iain M Banks much more, but decided to try the author with this pen name in the straight fiction category. The Audible reader had a great Scottish accent. I thought the book was okay, but fairly forgettable.
calypte's review against another edition
3.0
It says more about me that I find it easier to suspend disbelief for aliens or elves than gangsters in the north of Scotland. And so, despite a masterful teasing out of the story, I couldn't help but find the whole thing a little pedestrian.
undomielle's review against another edition
3.0
Stonemouth is a stuffy small Scottish town, dominated by two competing, although not hostile, local gangster families. This is where the unbelievably annoying, egocentric and know-it-all protagonist, Stewart Gilmour, returns to attend the funeral of the old head of one of these families and to, unintentionally but inevitably, shake things up.
Iain Banks creates a haunting atmosphere of nostalgia, anxiety and suspense. His writing is perceptive and delightfully detailed, sprinkled with a dab of black humour and sarcasm and it really got me hooked from page one. I loved how everything felt gloomy and moist the Scottish way and as the narrative unfolded, the psychological strain got crazy.
Speaking of the narrative, it’s a very well written elegy on personal traumas, guilt, lust and hindsight. And sex and drugs and rock ‘n’ roll in a way. And I found it to be straightforward, completely believable and somewhat expected actually.
Overall, a well thought of, albeit typical crime thriller, with what turned out to be an ok mystery to be solved, and which was not ridiculously difficult to predict where it was going. I am definitely not the biggest fan of mystery fiction, and I figured it out with reasonable accuracy.
Hats off for the genuinely good fun, solid writing, even though I’m not awestruck by the story. I can’t think of anyone not enjoying reading Stonemouth on a rainy weekend, but because Iain Banks was so talented, I’m not buying he was aiming for a lot higher than that. Not with this novel.
Iain Banks creates a haunting atmosphere of nostalgia, anxiety and suspense. His writing is perceptive and delightfully detailed, sprinkled with a dab of black humour and sarcasm and it really got me hooked from page one. I loved how everything felt gloomy and moist the Scottish way and as the narrative unfolded, the psychological strain got crazy.
Speaking of the narrative, it’s a very well written elegy on personal traumas, guilt, lust and hindsight. And sex and drugs and rock ‘n’ roll in a way. And I found it to be straightforward, completely believable and somewhat expected actually.
Overall, a well thought of, albeit typical crime thriller, with what turned out to be an ok mystery to be solved, and which was not ridiculously difficult to predict where it was going. I am definitely not the biggest fan of mystery fiction, and I figured it out with reasonable accuracy.
Hats off for the genuinely good fun, solid writing, even though I’m not awestruck by the story. I can’t think of anyone not enjoying reading Stonemouth on a rainy weekend, but because Iain Banks was so talented, I’m not buying he was aiming for a lot higher than that. Not with this novel.
millen13's review against another edition
5.0
I was thinking of giving this 4 stars because I really, really liked it. But was it amazing? I had to think about that. I have read really amazing books by Banks: Whit, The Bridge, The Algebraist, and the story is not as jaw-dropping as those books. However, the story-telling, the picture-painting, the character development, the small herrings make this book amazing in its own right. Stories by Banks just seem to be perfect, down to the slight quirks in the dialog of the characters themselves. So yes, definitely 5 stars according to me.
ianbanks's review against another edition
5.0
Quite wonderful. A conventional "boy comes home" story with gangsters, a jilted bride, recreational substance abuse, architecture and structural engineering. Hint to future Masters candidates: make a tally of all the references to bridges, beaches, tides and the moon in the novels of the late Mr Banks and see what you can come up with. I'd do it myself but I'm lazy and always get distracted by the next paragraph. It's a little sloppy on the resolution and the tying up of loose ends (which is a problem with quite a few of Banks' books but it doesn't stop them being great) but a fab journey nonetheless.
dakegra's review against another edition
4.0
Banks does small town life in his own unique way. Beautifully written (the bit with the pop tart made me laugh out loud in the coffee shop I was reading it in) as usual. The plot felt a little thin by his usual high standards though. Still a lot of fun.
adunten's review against another edition
4.0
In case you were wondering (I was), the name of this book is simply the name of the town where it takes place, and which in a way is really the subject of the story: a small fictional town which sits at the mouth of the Stone river on the northeast coast of Scotland. In a Scottish brogue, it's pronounced something like, "Stoon-moath."
I've read a couple of Iain Banks' books now, and I'm noticing some trends, if two books can be said to make a trend: His stories are carefully crafted and unfold gradually and deliberately, doling out essential tidbits at intervals. This means they start slowly and take some time to really get into, but the pacing heightens the pleasure of seeing each piece of the story fall into place at its appointed time. And after building slowly to a critical mass, they end abruptly, like falling off a cliff. They touch on themes of regret and a painful past that haunts the present.
Stonemouth strikes me as first and foremost a romance, not in the bodice-ripper sense, but in the sense that this is a real love story. A love story which, like many of the great tragic love stories, shows us the destructiveness of love, lust, and jealousy, and how they can tear lives apart. But it's also very much a portrait of life in a small Scottish town. I can't help thinking Stonemouth would make a good movie, both because it's a relatively short, tightly crafted story, and because of the rich cinematographic opportunities it has to paint a picture of both parochial Scottish town life and the rugged Scottish countryside. That, and the possibilities offered by flamboyantly debauched friend and sidekick Bodie "Ferg" Ferguson boggle the mind.
All you need to know about the basic premise of the story is this: our hero, Stewart Gilmour, was exiled from his hometown of Stonemouth five years ago. He returns for a weekend for the funeral of an old friend, and his three days back in his old stomping grounds prove quite eventful. Old enemies, friends, and lovers will be encountered. Childhood memories will be re-lived. The nature of Stewart's crime and the precise chain of events which led to his exile are among the tidbits which are carefully parceled out. But there is, ultimately, some optimism, some hope that perhaps, after a high enough price in pain has been paid, the mistakes of the past really can be left in the past.
Unfortunately, Banks' female characters seem to be as flat and uninteresting as his male protagonists are richly realized and developed. Ellie Murston, the female lead and the focus of Stewart's thoughts throughout the story, is about as interesting as a plate of mashed potatoes. She's predictably beautiful, graceful, and sweet, accomplished at everything, and has no discernible personality at all. Her troublesome kid sister Greer is a far more fascinating character who could easily have a whole story written about her. Even the challengingly sexy Angelica is a worthier focus than vanilla Ellie.
Really, all of his central characters in this one are a bit hackneyed. There's the prodigal son, the perfect woman, the outrageous best friend/sidekick who's primarily there for comic relief, the resentful younger sibling who has grown up in the shadow of the perfect and adored older sibling, the over-protective older brothers...
Like other readers, I found the many pop culture, drug culture, and tech culture references jarring and a bit too glib. If you were wondering what time period the story is set in, you won't wonder for long. The story was written in 2012, and Banks wants to make sure you know it's modern day. It's all Rihanna, Cooper Minis, and Iphones. And to hear Banks tell it, you would think there's virtually no one in the town, at least not in the younger set, who doesn't get shit-faced on booze, weed, cocaine, or all three on any given night. I suspect Banks was trying a bit too hard to prove he can still stay in touch with the kids.
I've read a couple of Iain Banks' books now, and I'm noticing some trends, if two books can be said to make a trend: His stories are carefully crafted and unfold gradually and deliberately, doling out essential tidbits at intervals. This means they start slowly and take some time to really get into, but the pacing heightens the pleasure of seeing each piece of the story fall into place at its appointed time. And after building slowly to a critical mass, they end abruptly, like falling off a cliff. They touch on themes of regret and a painful past that haunts the present.
Stonemouth strikes me as first and foremost a romance, not in the bodice-ripper sense, but in the sense that this is a real love story. A love story which, like many of the great tragic love stories, shows us the destructiveness of love, lust, and jealousy, and how they can tear lives apart. But it's also very much a portrait of life in a small Scottish town. I can't help thinking Stonemouth would make a good movie, both because it's a relatively short, tightly crafted story, and because of the rich cinematographic opportunities it has to paint a picture of both parochial Scottish town life and the rugged Scottish countryside. That, and the possibilities offered by flamboyantly debauched friend and sidekick Bodie "Ferg" Ferguson boggle the mind.
All you need to know about the basic premise of the story is this: our hero, Stewart Gilmour, was exiled from his hometown of Stonemouth five years ago. He returns for a weekend for the funeral of an old friend, and his three days back in his old stomping grounds prove quite eventful. Old enemies, friends, and lovers will be encountered.
Spoiler
At least one of this cast of characters will die before the weekend is over.Unfortunately, Banks' female characters seem to be as flat and uninteresting as his male protagonists are richly realized and developed. Ellie Murston, the female lead and the focus of Stewart's thoughts throughout the story, is about as interesting as a plate of mashed potatoes. She's predictably beautiful, graceful, and sweet, accomplished at everything, and has no discernible personality at all. Her troublesome kid sister Greer is a far more fascinating character who could easily have a whole story written about her. Even the challengingly sexy Angelica is a worthier focus than vanilla Ellie.
Really, all of his central characters in this one are a bit hackneyed. There's the prodigal son, the perfect woman, the outrageous best friend/sidekick who's primarily there for comic relief, the resentful younger sibling who has grown up in the shadow of the perfect and adored older sibling, the over-protective older brothers...
Like other readers, I found the many pop culture, drug culture, and tech culture references jarring and a bit too glib. If you were wondering what time period the story is set in, you won't wonder for long. The story was written in 2012, and Banks wants to make sure you know it's modern day. It's all Rihanna, Cooper Minis, and Iphones. And to hear Banks tell it, you would think there's virtually no one in the town, at least not in the younger set, who doesn't get shit-faced on booze, weed, cocaine, or all three on any given night. I suspect Banks was trying a bit too hard to prove he can still stay in touch with the kids.
shonaholmes's review against another edition
3.0
Took me a couple gos to get into, but isn't that always the way with Banks? Worth it though!
thiefofcamorr's review against another edition
4.0
‘Stonemouth’ by Iain Banks is a slow, steady tale set in Scotland, about a man called Stewart Gilmour. Stonemouth is a town that’s run between two major crime families and the setting is described vividly when the plot takes us by the beach, or for a walk in the forest, as the characters discuss their issues. Iain Banks still thrives on wonderful description, that hasn’t lessened even slightly since his first novel, ‘The Wasp Factory’.
Though the plot may be slow, it’s also captivating and well told. Stewart – Stu – has been away in London for the past five years after being chased out one night – and maybe it would have been better if he never returned. He has returned for a funeral, and has obtained a declaration of peace for the time being from the largest crime family whom he did wrong… though perhaps not everyone agrees.
Review continues: http://sentientonline.net/?p=3334
Though the plot may be slow, it’s also captivating and well told. Stewart – Stu – has been away in London for the past five years after being chased out one night – and maybe it would have been better if he never returned. He has returned for a funeral, and has obtained a declaration of peace for the time being from the largest crime family whom he did wrong… though perhaps not everyone agrees.
Review continues: http://sentientonline.net/?p=3334
venkyloquist's review against another edition
3.0
Very few writers possess the clarity of thought as was possessed by the late Iain Banks. A clarity that is almost frightening in it's impact and visceral in it's hold. 'Stonemouth' grips the reader in clasp iron and even as the last page is turned over, leaves him gasping for more! There is a Stewart Gilmour lurking in the darkest recesses of each of us, plagued and haunted by our very own versions of a haunting Ellie Murston! Banks' untimely passing leaves the literary world much the poorer.