A review by alexg87
The Algebraist by Iain M. Banks

3.0

'The Algebraist' suffers from the same problem as a lot of Banks' recent novels: length. The story being told here is not especially complex and he has managed before to create a believable and fascinating world in far fewer words (take a look at 'The Player of Games' or 'Feersum Endjinn', for example). While I love his prose, pushing through 'The Algebraist' was difficult at the best of times. The best word to describe it would be 'sprawling', and while it does a great job at creating a wide and detailed universe it's very light on plot. It tells a very simple story, but does so with an enormous amount of expositionary baggage which slows the narrative down to a crawl. I've come away from it with a real appreciation for it, of course, but I can't help but feel as though a writer as skilled as Banks could have produced something just as good in a couple hundred fewer pages.

I enjoyed it and am once again left with a sense of awe at Banks' expansive ambition and imagination, but only in hindsight. 'The Algebraist' was more a chore than an enjoyable reading experience, but in the end I suppose it was worth the effort.