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jonfaith's review against another edition
3.0
A delightful satire on international finance and investment, rife with high-grade one-liners and a morlaity axis which one hopes could be possible. Not a great effort from Iain but one worth one's time.
I've read that could be considered a proto-Culture novel, that such a qualification adds to the novel. I honestly don't know.
I've read that could be considered a proto-Culture novel, that such a qualification adds to the novel. I honestly don't know.
facsimiler's review against another edition
4.0
An interesting tale of manipulation and deceit...
Kathryn Telman is a Level 3 executive in a clandestine, global organization that calls itself The Business, which has survived for thousands of years with its roots in the Roman Empire. Level 1 executives are board members and all of them have personal wealth estimated in the billions.
Kathryn has risen quickly, and is one of the youngest people ever to achieve her current rank (she is in her late 30's). While ambitious and living a luxury, jet-set life of privilege, with her home in the hills above Silicon Valley, her life is now a far cry from her underprivileged upbringing in Scotland. Discovered selling candies at a high mark-up price, she chances to impress the wealthy and mysterious Ms. Telman, and is eventually adopted by her, with her mother's permission and support. Ms. Telman was a senior executive in The Business, and Kathryn had been groomed to follow in her footsteps.
Taking a sabbatical year to study new technologies, for which she has developed a reputation for the early identification of successful products and trends, Kathryn finds herself enmeshed in The Business's attempts to claim a seat at the United Nations by effectively taking over and running a small country.
As successful and as shrewd as Kathryn is, she still finds herself manipulated and lied to in order to further the goals of both The Business and some of its more senior executives.
All in all, this is a good read, full of Banks's trademark humor, thoughtful observations and darker undercurrents. I personally found the nature of The Business a little unrealistic: the way Banks describes it makes it sound like any large, acquisitive, multinational conglomerate—if a little more democratic in its internal operations than others—but doesn't explain how the organization maintains its secrecy. In practice, it must recruit people from other companies, but how does it prevent their operations from becoming known more widely known when their operatives choose to depart? We do not get to find out. Nevertheless, I'm sure conspiracy theorists will love the concept of The Business, and will even be able to conjure up one or two real-world matches.
However, I personally found the ending a little lame, and despite the opportunities provided by the plot, there is little in the way of menace or excitement.
Kathryn Telman is a Level 3 executive in a clandestine, global organization that calls itself The Business, which has survived for thousands of years with its roots in the Roman Empire. Level 1 executives are board members and all of them have personal wealth estimated in the billions.
Kathryn has risen quickly, and is one of the youngest people ever to achieve her current rank (she is in her late 30's). While ambitious and living a luxury, jet-set life of privilege, with her home in the hills above Silicon Valley, her life is now a far cry from her underprivileged upbringing in Scotland. Discovered selling candies at a high mark-up price, she chances to impress the wealthy and mysterious Ms. Telman, and is eventually adopted by her, with her mother's permission and support. Ms. Telman was a senior executive in The Business, and Kathryn had been groomed to follow in her footsteps.
Taking a sabbatical year to study new technologies, for which she has developed a reputation for the early identification of successful products and trends, Kathryn finds herself enmeshed in The Business's attempts to claim a seat at the United Nations by effectively taking over and running a small country.
As successful and as shrewd as Kathryn is, she still finds herself manipulated and lied to in order to further the goals of both The Business and some of its more senior executives.
All in all, this is a good read, full of Banks's trademark humor, thoughtful observations and darker undercurrents. I personally found the nature of The Business a little unrealistic: the way Banks describes it makes it sound like any large, acquisitive, multinational conglomerate—if a little more democratic in its internal operations than others—but doesn't explain how the organization maintains its secrecy. In practice, it must recruit people from other companies, but how does it prevent their operations from becoming known more widely known when their operatives choose to depart? We do not get to find out. Nevertheless, I'm sure conspiracy theorists will love the concept of The Business, and will even be able to conjure up one or two real-world matches.
However, I personally found the ending a little lame, and despite the opportunities provided by the plot, there is little in the way of menace or excitement.
thegrimtidings's review against another edition
3.0
Another perambulating book from Iain Banks. Similar to a (slightly better in my view) political book by him called Dead Air. The Business is a little less political: is it about politics of sorts, but doesn't make a direct commentary on it. Well, it's more subtle. I quite liked that about it. You may think from the description, a big nameless corporation called 'The Business' would obviously turn out to be the antagonist of this novel, and maybe you'd be right, but Banks makes it more nuanced than that.
The entity, 'The Business', is well-characterised. With a bit of commentary on its fictional history, its believably commercial interests, and the individuals and mechanisms at its disposal, you could believe this big mysterious holding company has been at the heart of world commerce for some years. At the time this book was written, 1999, I imagine there were obvious comparisons to the likes of Nestle, but this book has aged well enough to draw comparisons to more or less any multinational company nowadays. The Business wants a seat at the UN. Well, indeed, it and many multinational companies are richer and more influential than an uncomfortably large number of UN countries. So Banks has touched on an interesting message for his book, and which would have me recommend it to anyone interested in reading on such a topic.
That said, it's not an *engaging* read. The plot is heading in a general direction, but does so at no speed, and with no great purpose. It's not the sort of book that you reach for in any available moment. You have to force yourself to pick it up. There is no suspense, no tension, at all. For this reason I mark it down, as I think many would struggle to finish it. If you're in a reading slump before picking this up, you'd be in an even worse one half-way through it. It's the sort of book that brews on a bedside table. Fair enough, some books are like that, but it felt like The Business could've been a more interesting read if it wanted to be. And it would be a better one if it were.
Banks' usual wit shines through, of course. His writing is light-hearted in tone without being farcical. I loved Uncle Freddy's driving and the American guy who wanted to make an blockbuster film about the Mecca. Moments like that made the book worth reading, though Kathyrn as a protagonist was a very boring comedic lead. The outline of her character was interesting and she had her spicy moments, but she never felt real to me. Most of the time, she was a sort of centrist dad proxy. And I found the constant comments on how irresistible she was from other characters a bit annoying, though I suppose it could be a commentary/reflection of being a woman in big corporate at the time.
I sort of wonder what the point of Banks writing this book, and me reading it, was. It'd have made no difference to my life if I hadn't read it. That said, there were some interesting points and it was kinda feel-good at times, which is nice sometimes.
The entity, 'The Business', is well-characterised. With a bit of commentary on its fictional history, its believably commercial interests, and the individuals and mechanisms at its disposal, you could believe this big mysterious holding company has been at the heart of world commerce for some years. At the time this book was written, 1999, I imagine there were obvious comparisons to the likes of Nestle, but this book has aged well enough to draw comparisons to more or less any multinational company nowadays. The Business wants a seat at the UN. Well, indeed, it and many multinational companies are richer and more influential than an uncomfortably large number of UN countries. So Banks has touched on an interesting message for his book, and which would have me recommend it to anyone interested in reading on such a topic.
That said, it's not an *engaging* read. The plot is heading in a general direction, but does so at no speed, and with no great purpose. It's not the sort of book that you reach for in any available moment. You have to force yourself to pick it up. There is no suspense, no tension, at all. For this reason I mark it down, as I think many would struggle to finish it. If you're in a reading slump before picking this up, you'd be in an even worse one half-way through it. It's the sort of book that brews on a bedside table. Fair enough, some books are like that, but it felt like The Business could've been a more interesting read if it wanted to be. And it would be a better one if it were.
Banks' usual wit shines through, of course. His writing is light-hearted in tone without being farcical. I loved Uncle Freddy's driving and the American guy who wanted to make an blockbuster film about the Mecca. Moments like that made the book worth reading, though Kathyrn as a protagonist was a very boring comedic lead. The outline of her character was interesting and she had her spicy moments, but she never felt real to me. Most of the time, she was a sort of centrist dad proxy. And I found the constant comments on how irresistible she was from other characters a bit annoying, though I suppose it could be a commentary/reflection of being a woman in big corporate at the time.
I sort of wonder what the point of Banks writing this book, and me reading it, was. It'd have made no difference to my life if I hadn't read it. That said, there were some interesting points and it was kinda feel-good at times, which is nice sometimes.
bimblinghill's review against another edition
4.0
Another rather uneven novel from Banks, with enough qualities to earn 4 stars.
These qualities include a beautiful evocation of Thulaan, a Bhutan-like Himalayan kingdom and its dorky and well-meaning new ruler. There's also a clutch of other quirky characters and memorable scenes. Underneath is Banks' usual blend of cynicism and morality.
These qualities include a beautiful evocation of Thulaan, a Bhutan-like Himalayan kingdom and its dorky and well-meaning new ruler. There's also a clutch of other quirky characters and memorable scenes. Underneath is Banks' usual blend of cynicism and morality.
Spoiler
...I was left a bit disappointed that the titular 'business' was built up so extravagantly at the beginning, but not fully explored.singingreader's review against another edition
2.0
very light and lacking believable character development
sexist assumptions in parts
holiday reading but only just
sexist assumptions in parts
holiday reading but only just
arunsethi's review against another edition
3.0
Spent a lot of this book feeling gutted Banks is no longer with us. Such a fun writing style and well spun story. Pay off was a little disappointing but the journey was unique!
graygorilla's review against another edition
funny
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
queercharliereads's review against another edition
3.0
Actually, more like 2½ stars, but I couldn't bring myself to choose a two star rating for Mr. Banks.
I kept waiting for that moment when this would turn out to be an Iain Banks novel, but it never really arrived. This is possibly the first Banks novel that I’m really disappointed in and I’ve read damn near all of them (even Canal Dreams and A Song of Stone were more interesting), but this one was just… meh.
The premise is interesting enough, yes, and right up my alley with a clandestine and sort-of secret financial empire working behind the scenes to make money since forever. But what it promises it never really delivers and I really, really missed the darker and more grim side of Banks’ storytelling that I love so much about his non-SF novels.
But I read it and I finished it, but I think this will go back on the shelf, never to be re-read.
I kept waiting for that moment when this would turn out to be an Iain Banks novel, but it never really arrived. This is possibly the first Banks novel that I’m really disappointed in and I’ve read damn near all of them (even Canal Dreams and A Song of Stone were more interesting), but this one was just… meh.
The premise is interesting enough, yes, and right up my alley with a clandestine and sort-of secret financial empire working behind the scenes to make money since forever. But what it promises it never really delivers and I really, really missed the darker and more grim side of Banks’ storytelling that I love so much about his non-SF novels.
But I read it and I finished it, but I think this will go back on the shelf, never to be re-read.
aneel0's review against another edition
2.0
Surprisingly fast read. Finished most of it on a plane flight. Some interesting ideas relating to the structure of the Business itself, but not a lot of meat to the book. The Couffable plot-line seemed entirely tacked on to provide forward motion. I'm still of the opinion that Iain M. Banks books are vastly superior to Iain Banks books.
rdmathison's review against another edition
5.0
With The Business, Iain Banks has once again cemented his position as a master storyteller, as well as one of my absolute favorites. Though the narrative begins as a slow burn, it's the intricacy and depth that Banks infuses into his storytelling that truly grips the reader. The erudite prose and intelligent dialogues are both captivating and intellectually stimulating, making the journey worth every page.
Kate, our formidable protagonist, is a triumph of character development. Despite her immense wealth, she is both relatable and aspirational, navigating the complex world of the titular Business with grace and acumen. It's refreshing to encounter a character as vivid and compelling as Kate, who stands out not just for her corporate achievements but for her personal resilience and adaptability.
The Business itself, as an entity, is a testament to Banks' exceptional world-building capabilities. Its lore is deep, multi-layered, and reflects the underbelly of global commerce and power in ways that are both enlightening and at times, chilling.
What truly stands out in this novel, however, is its unexpected culmination. After a methodical setup that takes its time, the climax is startlingly different from what one might predict, proving Banks' prowess in subverting expectations.
In conclusion, The Business is a masterclass in sophisticated storytelling. It not only entertains but also challenges the reader, prompting deep thought and reflection on the interplay of power, commerce, and ambition.
Kate, our formidable protagonist, is a triumph of character development. Despite her immense wealth, she is both relatable and aspirational, navigating the complex world of the titular Business with grace and acumen. It's refreshing to encounter a character as vivid and compelling as Kate, who stands out not just for her corporate achievements but for her personal resilience and adaptability.
The Business itself, as an entity, is a testament to Banks' exceptional world-building capabilities. Its lore is deep, multi-layered, and reflects the underbelly of global commerce and power in ways that are both enlightening and at times, chilling.
What truly stands out in this novel, however, is its unexpected culmination. After a methodical setup that takes its time, the climax is startlingly different from what one might predict, proving Banks' prowess in subverting expectations.
In conclusion, The Business is a masterclass in sophisticated storytelling. It not only entertains but also challenges the reader, prompting deep thought and reflection on the interplay of power, commerce, and ambition.