Product Description
COMPLICITY n. 1. the fact of being an accomplice, esp. in a criminal actA few spliffs, a spot of mild S&M, phone through the copy for tomorrow's front page, catch up with the latest from your mystery source - could be big, could be very big - in fact, just a regular day at the office for free-wheeling, substance-abusing Cameron Colley, a fully paid-up Gonzo hack on an Edinburgh newspaper.The source is pretty thin, but Cameron senses a scoop and checks out a series of bizarre deaths from a few years ago - only to find that the police are checking out a series of bizarre deaths that are happening right now. And Cameron just might know more about it than he'd care to admit ...Involvement; connection; liability - Complicity is a stunting exploration of the morality of greed, corruption and violence, venturing fearlessly into the darker recesses of human purpose. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (43)

Suspense to the Max in this Story so Sublime
This is a book I really loved. Imagine a newsman, a chain smoking Scottish newspaper reporter, who prays to Hunter Thompson as he zips along on speed. A guy addicted to computer games and the story. He has to get the story. In fact, his motto is, "Cover the Story" and he does it the way St. Hunter would have. I have just described Cameron Colley, a guy you're going to want to read about.

When this story opens Cameron is getting a lot of disturbing calls from an anonymous source, who refuses to stay on the phone long enough to give him very much information, but the info Cameron is getting is pretty spooky as it's all about mysterious deaths and conspiracies, real late night radio talk show stuff, but Cameron is buying it. He needs more and he gets it.

There is a lot going on in this book that I've read at least a dozen times over the years. In parts the tale is violent and squeamish, but it's always good, good enough for me to read again and again and that certainly ought to be good enough for you to read a least once. When it comes to suspense, Iain Banks is a master.

A good read, but nit the usual Iaan M Banks masterpiece.
Whilestill better than most contemporary fiction, this was a bit of a let down compared to the multi leveled masterpieces that our author pens as his sci fi alter ego. Very good.

Involvement, Connection, Liability
Iain Banks was born in Scotland in 1954 and published his first book - "The Wasp Factory" - in 1984. In the years since, he's won critical acclaim, topped best-seller lists and has even written Science Fiction books under the cunning nom-de-plume 'Iain M. Banks'. "Complicity" was first published in 1993, and is his seventh non sci-fi book.

Cameron Colley is a journalist based in Edinburgh. working for "The Caledonian". He has an eye for trouble, and enjoys using his articles to take pot-shots at the 'establishment' and big business. His past-times include alcohol, drugs and a computer game called "Despot" - one which sounds very similar to Civ II. Cameron's social circle seems quite small - there's William and Yvonne, a couple he met at university. The pair are married, though Cameron has no qualms about enjoying Yvonne (in as kinky a manner as possible) on a very regular basis. There's also Andy, who Cameron has known pretty much all his life. Andy has 'achievment' written all over his past - he was an officer in the Falklands War and was subsequently awarded the DSO. On leaving the army, he went into advertising - where he came up with the BIG campaigns for several global companies. After that, he then opened a chain of very successful shops, became obscenely rich...and then, strangely, dropped out. Andy is now living in a dilapidated old hotel (his own, naturally) in the Highlands - doing little other than drink and drugs, apparently..

Workwise, Cameron is quite possibly on the verge on something big : he has a mole feeding - "Mr Archer" - feeding him about five high-profile deaths within the nuclear and security services. All five victims died within two years of each other and, although all were officially written off as suicides, there have been rumours of something murky about the deaths. Cameron isn't the first to have looked into the story -however, he's hoping Archer's information will lead him somewhere. (If what's he's been told is true, it's quite possible it could lead to to Iraq).

Unfortunately, while Cameron's working on his mole-inspired story, another set of very high-profile individuals are finding themselves being assaulted and / or murdered. The problem, as it turns out, is that all the victims have been lambasted in one of Cameron's articles.

"Complicity" is definitely a book I'd recommend - which is hardly a surprise, given that it's been written by Iain Banks. Banks has a certain way of telling a story I enjoy - the occasional jump back and forward, and the hint of looking at something from a slightly different angle. Most of the book is told by Cameron ("I drive the car up the little single track road leading towards the low hills"), part of the book is also told about the killer. Although it does mean we know who's getting killed and how they're dying, practically nothing is given away about the killers identity.It's even (deliberately) vague about the killer's gender - for example, "you get to the bedside and raise the log over your head". Excellent stuff.

above-average page turner
This was the 3rd Iain Banks novel I have read.Wasp Factory was dark, twisted, but kindof a waste.Crow Road was long, poignant and quite moving.

Complicity is...well, somewhere in between.It reads more like a Thomas Harris (Red Dragon, Silence of the Lambs) and is pretty effective at maintaining the suspense level throughout.It was very imaginitive and Banks has a great mastery of language.

I think the main reason I'm only giving it 3 stars is because I never felt like we got a chance to really know the characters.Like the characters were all running around doing stuff just to advance the plot.The problem with that approach is that you never really care about the main character.I understand that Banks likes to use "human" characters that aren't all warm and fuzzy, but sometimes they are so unlikable that it kinda kills the story (see Wasp Factory.)In this case, the main character, Cameron, isn't an awful guy (in fact he's pretty "real") but he's just not quite likeable enough to really get me to root for him.The relationship with Yvonne (and her husband) was very interesting and could have been an even bigger part of the story.Those were the portions where you finally felt like you got to know Cameron.The other problem is that the involvement of Andy as a pivotal character, seemed like it was thrown in there way too late in the game.In the Crow Road, Banks really let the reader see the relationships between all the characters and this made the plot much stronger, and more intriguing.

I liked the changes in perspective and time.Banks always does this sortof thing well.I'm still a bit confused on one or two things, but not enough to ruin the experience.

All in all, a good compelling read that is still far superior to most of the drivel that fills the bookshelves nowadays.I just wish Banks would dabble in the literary genre more often, because he has the goods to write really great novels.

Fascinating Perspective
This is the first of Bank's non-SciFi novels that I have read.His Culture series of stories had me so roped in, I thought I would give his 'regular' fiction a try...I was not disappointed.

This is an action packed thriller that keeps changing the reader's perspective from a crusading murderer...to Scottish journalist (who is man with a number of flaws!).When describing the killer's actions, he keeps using 2nd person - such as 'You open the door' or 'You disarm the alarm'.So you are along for the ride in the passenger seat for each graphic misadventure.
I was quickly engaged by the characters, who are all well thought out. The main character is like an onion, with surprise after surprise becoming aparent as the layers are peeled back. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (16)

Iain Banks explores depth, tolerance, and stamina of human behavior
You've lived one nightmare.You continually dream other nightmares.Then circumstances put you into a situation that you wish was only... a nightmare.

World famous Japanese cellist Hisako Onoda, afraid of flying, takes the slow boat to her European tour via the Panama Canal.Civil unrest has forced her boat and three others to become marooned in Lake Gatun.Days pass slowly for Hisako... practice, dinner parties between the three crews, scuba diving, and a new love affair.

Then something happens to upset this pleasant order.This event cascades into a life-or-death battle, something skill in cello playing cannot help.Hisako must pull strength from her past, as a student activist, an ostracized youth, and a woman with a secret.

During her time in Lake Gatun, she dreams vividly of passions and trials.The lines between dream and reality become mixed at time, to Hisako's horror.

Banks concocts an engaging story of a woman with a past, and an unpleasant future.This novel, like The Wasp Factory: A Novel, reflects on what people can and will do in trying circumstances. I read the Abacus 1990 Great Britain edition, but I suspect there were no changes in other editions.

Canal Dreams

Iain Banks' mainstream work usually hinges on some aspect of unreality - psychosis, pseudo-history, the subconscious - and this one apparently centres on dreams, hense the title.You can read about the story and main character elsewhere, but nobody seems to have touched upon the apparent irrelevancy of the dreams, other than to highten the tension that Banks strives (and ultimately fails) to set up during this Panama-based tale of hostage situation.Most writers agree that dream sequences add little to literature, and this is the case with "Canal Dreams"; they seem to be present only to fill out this otherwise very short novel.They reveal nothing about the character, little about her present state of mind and don't advance the story by even a fraction.

The character development is unusually poor for Banks, who in every other novel seems to perform marvelously in this respect.The main character begins to be defined by her directionless childhood and the beginning of her adult like through her skills as a cellist.Then the last 100 pages suddenly reveal extreme and unlikely tragedies in her personal life, one after the other, that are almost totally unseeded during the early chapters of the novel.

It seems that as Banks' thriller turns into a slightly ridiculous action novel, he feels he has to justify his character's extreme actions by constructing a more and more sympathetic history for her.He fails in this respect too - you wonder if her implausible past is another of her dreams.But no.As if the trials during her period of capture by what at first appear to be Panamanian terrorists weren't enough.

The remaining characters are quite poorly drawn, and it hurts me to say it.It's disappointing, as a huge fan of Banks, to be merely distracted rather than wowed by one of his novels.His characters seem only to be defined by their nationality: Japanese, South American, North American, French.They wind up feeling flat, much like the characters in his more recent mainstream novel "Dead Air".

It's a fine read if you have a few long train journeys in your schedule, and its shortness is here a blessing as it means the disappointment is more minor for it.It's beautifully written and there are some imaginative and insightful descriptions, both of the main character in particular and of events as they occur.Otherwise it's unusually forgettable for one of Banks', nowhere near the standard of "The Wasp Factory", "The Crow Road" or "Whit".

5 / 10

Ably realised genre hybrid, but I admired this book more than I enjoyed it
Spoiler city: you have been warned.

Banks has pretty much got it all: he can do full-tilt action; he can create authentic characters a mile from stereotype; he can incorporate intelligent themes; he can shock; he can amuse; he can work to a clever structure. Oh, and he can write: his style is enviable. The question (with rare exceptions) isn't whether he can do it, it's what is he going do.

I wonder if this book was a response to all the stupid thrillers out there. Banks saying, sure, you can have the fun of a wronged lone figure taking brutal vengeance on some vile baddies, but you don't have to endure cardboard stereotypes and utterly predictable scenarios. Here he demonstrates this - and how.

For the first third of the book (even more given the constant flashbacks that often dominate the narration) you feel like you're in a slow moving bit of a chick novel (`not that there's anything wrong with that'). I don't know, something like Anne Tyler or Penelope Lively, where the focus is far more on character than action. Hisako is still one of Iain Banks' characters, and he doesn't tend to bother with everyman types, so she is a world famous cellist. But the stellar career is more a backdrop for piece by piece revelations about her life. Panama itself, we think, is also essentially a background: the political events of interest primarily in the way that they give Hisako an unexpected oasis of time (in an exotic location and with a new love interest) to pause and meditate. We learn a lot about Hisako. She's neither idealised nor demonised. Admittedly the other characters are fairly sketchy, and the relationships pretty shallow, but in one way that suits Hisako's perspective: she is fairly detached and introspective/selfish. She's just getting through her life with a mix of being active and passive. Like I said, a bit of a chick thing - ably done.

But then, in as much time as it would take `real' people's normal lives to be shattered by war, we find ourselves in an action novel. But the catch is we know the players a bit too well to `enjoy' it. The baddies are no worse or better than the usual, but far more chilling and nauseating because this doesn't feel like a pantomime (cf. Tom Clancy). Banks' books have some recurring ideas: one is the interaction between wealthy and impoverished cultures; another is warfare atrocities. I wasn't really expecting the latter to pop up again in this book. Thematically it is powerful, and perhaps redressing another misconception resulting from ubiquitous airport thrillers: in giving us wafer thin nasties to defeat, somehow evil people aren't quite real. In uniting a developed character with the sort of appalling abuse common in conflict, Banks makes it far more uncomfortable for the reader to keep the fiction at arms length.

What about the die-hard last few chapters? Does he get away with that? If he was writing this purely as an action sequence, sure. But does it undermine all the authenticity of the previous characterisation and setting? It is absurd for this cellist to become Schwarzenegger, much as it's gratifying for the reader to have her mete out some justice. Although he has gone to the trouble of giving her a plausible martial arts background and level of physical fitness (I don't quite know when she became so familiar with firearms though). I suppose it is a dream, but a site more powerful one than a stack of other thrillers. Also, perhaps, a dream of Banks to unite a meditative novel with an action movie.

But I suspect I enjoyed this book more in hindsight than in the reading. I like the idea of subverting the wildly common thriller format by centring it around the sort of nuanced character you expect in a `realistic' novel. Similarly I acknowledge the cleverness and self-control of his `Inversions', but, to brashly quote my own review of that book: "...I wonder if some of the pleasures for the reader have been sacrificed to Banks' ingenious if perhaps less satisfying structure..." The idea is nice, but is there a good reason these two genres are generally kept separate?

As a novel, Hisako's pre-Bruce Willis story is intellectually interesting but rarely engaging: we have a summaries of events rather than strong evocation (with some exceptions). There is a dreamlike quality to a lot of her story (as well as bona-fide dreams), and we might be surprised but are not really touched by her interactions. Few of us could empathise with her prodigy life, but the way it's told neither is there (consciously) the (hackneyed but evergreen) pleasure of a rags to riches climb.

As a thriller, well, Banks probably lost Forsyth and Follett readers before the action even starts. Even a card-carrying fan like myself found the constant time shifting irritating and forced after a while - but once Banks has decided on a structure, he won't budge. This is probably a strength and a weakness. On the one hand he undermines the thriller style with the realistic blithe massacre: in this situation people - even young Americans! - are powerless. But then he throws that realism out the window with Hisako's Hollywood vengeance.

So I don't think he's pulled off a satisfying thriller with bonus authentic characters, despite Hisako's authenticity and a tight, brutal conclusion that is as well done as any action scenes I've read. I respect the idea, I acknowledge his success in realising it, but I admire this book more than I enjoyed it.

Dream a Little Dream
Iain Banks first novel, The Wasp Factory, was published in 1984. In the years since, he's won critical acclaim, topped best-seller lists and has even written Science Fiction books under the cunning nom-de-plume 'Iain M. Banks'. He's also seen this book, "The Crow Road", adapted for television by the BBC in 1996. "Canal Dreams" is his fifth non sci-fi book and was first published in 1989.

The book's central character is Hisako Onoda, a world-famous cellist. As the book opens, Hisako is en-route from Japan to Europe, where she's due to perform in a series of concerts. However, as she's terrified of flying, she's making the journey by boat. Having travelled to Honolulu on the Gassam Maru, she then boarded the Nakodo - which was due to take her to Rotterdam via the Panama Canal. Unfortunately, due to `civil unrest' in the region - armed conflict between guerrilla fighters and government forces - the canal has been closed.Fro the moment, the Nakodo and two other ships are essentially trapped on Gatún Lake. Although they are hoping for the all-clear to continue their journey soon, the conflict I, unfortunately, coming closer.

There are elements of a thriller to "Canal Dreams", but the strength of the book lies in telling Hisako's story. She is a very well-developed character, though her past in only gradually given away - the book jumps backwards and forwards, looking at some of the key events of Hisako's life. It's a method that may take a little getting used to - especially if you haven't read anything by Banks before. However, for me, I felt it really added to the enjoyment of the book. Hisako's travelling companions aren't so well developed, and little is told of their lives, thoughts or motivations. However, as "Canal Dreams" doesn't set out to tell their stories this really isn't a problem - and I would absolutely recommend this book.

Short, sharp, shocking Banks
Although this is one of his weakest works, it's still Banks.And he really is a good writer.

Notably, there's plenty of reference in the novel to Japan.From my experience of having lived in Japan for some time, learning the language, culture and way of thinking, I notice that sometimes Banks is a little Orientalist in his references to Japanese culture.There are plenty of exotic cultural and by-the-numbers historical references to, for example sumo, samurai, the atomic bombings, student riots of the 60s and some textbook Japanese psychology.However, this seems to me to be like a garnish added to make it more believable to people who know little about Japan.Like another reviewer pointed out, it's like Banks wants to show his knowledge to the reader, but the effect is that the work has been written by Banks without having in-depth experience of the country and people and results in a gentle stereotyping.

However, Banks is an intelligent, reflective and enjoyable writer and I did enjoy the book.It's true that some of the characterisations are rather undeveloped but that doesn't necessarily make it a bad book.In particular, the unusual pacing is such that the narrative lulls for a while, relaxing, and then suddenly surges to an explosive but emotionally-stunted conclusion.

Banks is a writer that doesn't seem to tread old ground, creating surprising and thought-provoking fiction.I reckon that for those who like Banks work, it'll be 50-50 for whether you enjoy this or not, but I do recommend you try it. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Gave up half way through
I really wanted to like this book, I promise. It's a great premise, and Banks' fiction work is great. But I found the book boring. There's not all that much about whisky or distilleries, other than a seemingly endless count of passages that read something like "We woke up that morning and had another large breakfast at the Hogsbreath Inn, then went to visit Quoylesly, Bruighbladdach, and Dinglefoot distilleries. Let me tell you about this time I passed another car in my M5 before meeting up with more friends to drink beer and whisky....." There's no coherent narrative (yes, I am aware it is non-fiction), many of the anecdotes are just boring, I lost track of the names of all of his friends and relations. I sympathized with his anti-war sentiment, but his attitudes seemed mildly hypocritical given that he's driving around a bunch of fuel-hogs. I don't know, the book just wasn't worth it, so I stopped reading...

The author is a lucky bastard
When I discovered the existence of this book I knew I had to own it.I love Banks' books and I love single malt scotch; this book is the perfect amalgam of the two.Once I had it in my sweaty little hands and started reading I had a moment of doubt - a brief fear that it might prove to be self-indulgent on his part, puffed up to extend the page count.I need not have worried.The book does not pretend to be a comprehensive guide to either whisky or Scotland; it is one man's journey across his homeland sampling the product thereof in the company of his dear friends (and favorite automobiles).I like vintage cars, motorcycles, grand vistas, science fiction and whisky, but I think I'd enjoy this book even without all those links - Banks does a beautiful job describing the beauties of his homeland and the subtleties of a fine dram.

self-description epit-o'-me
I think the title of this book "Raw Spirit" is autobiographical, i.e., Iain is describing himself in his usual way of making puns where it suits him. Iain is someone who almost can't believe that he is making a living doing what he does (writing) while having the relative freedom to live life his way and on top of that get hired to go walkabout (mostly on wheels) through Scotland to drink single malt scotch.
He spends as much time reflecting on the Scottish roads and countryside, the Iraq war, British taxes, Australian red wine (of a specific bottling), Scottish cooking, favorite cars and motorbikes, the US President, firecrackers, and personal friends who accompany him, as he does on tasting single malt scotch whiskey. This is why I gave the book only 3 stars, because someone seeking more information on Scotch should go elsewhere, and that's the honest part of me as a reviewer.
OTOH, if, like me, you adore Penfolds Grange (I have the largest 3 decade collection in the East US), damn good scotch, well-engineered motor vehicles on twisty roads, close/old friends, & warped skiffy stories; and you hate the Iraq war, the 'dubya' President, the use of taxes for miltary and complete BS properness, then the rating for this book should be 5 stars. And it doesn't hurt that this book drove me to my fave stores to hunt rare SMs as well for a small fortune.
The fact that I like Iain's stories, particularly the skiffies, is just the best icing on the cake. Aside from the Glenfiddich Havana Reserve, that is. An' heer's tu ya.

Funny stories, some bits of useful information
I've never read Iain Banks before, so there is no bias in my review. I found the political rants in this book a little distracting but would probably go right along with a few friends throwing back a few drinks. I liked the stories and Banks has a lot of charisma. There is enough useful information in the book to get an idea about different Scotch whiskies and I'm tempted to take a tour of some of these places myself. As another reviewer said, this book could have used some more editing to make it better. If taken further this book could have been a bit more of an autobiography in an indirect way, because of all the background stories you get of Banks' life and insights into his beliefs. I only recommend the book if you are interested in:

A) comparisons of Scottish whiskies and distilleries;
B) getting an idea of what this author is like;
C) learning a bit about Scottish towns and geography;

Very funny
This is a travel book -- where the "perfect dram" is not just what you are drinking, but who you are drinking it with.It's highly entertaining, and despite just having come back from two weeks in Scotland, I want to go right back and see about much of what he writes about...I feel like I missed so much!

If you are looking for a book on whisky and distilleries, this isn't it.If you're looking for a book on enjoying whisky in your life, it's the greatest book written. ... Read more

Product Description
A little knowledge can be a very dangerous thing. Innocent in the ways of the world, an ingenue when it comes to pop and fashion, the Elect of God of a small but committed Stirlingshire religious cult: Isis Whit is no ordinary teenager. When her cousin Morag - Guest of Honour at the Luskentyrian's four- yearly Festival of Love - disappears after renouncing her faith, Isis is marked out to venture among the Unsaved and bring the apostate back into the fold. But the road to Babylondon (as Sister Angela puts it) is a treacherous one, particularly when Isis discovers that Morag appears to have embraced the ways of the Unsaved with spectacular abandon. Truth and falsehood; kinship and betrayal; 'herbal' cigarettes and compact discs - Whit is an exploration of the techno-ridden barrenness of modern Britain from a unique perspective. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (18)

Another gripping yarn from Iain Banks
As I continue to happily work through Iain Banks's work, this is another gem of a tale. The imaginative description of a religious cult seen through the eyes and experience of the story's seemingly I'll-fated heroine is highly entertaining, particularly when contrasted with the "blandness" of contemporary western society. Couldn't help but laugh out loud when the errant cousin's chosen "instrument" of choice is proffered. I particularly enjoyed the reading experience of a fast paced and well crafted storyline interspersed by evocative descriptions of places and people. Can't wait to continue my journey through the rest of Iain Banks work.

PENDICLES OF COLLYMOON
There are far too many novelists and novels in my own opinion. I started this one years ago and quickly gave up. However my curiosity was reawakened when the author came out the victor in not one but two upmarket quiz programmes a few days ago, so I tried again. It was worth it: this book improves as it goes along. I still think there is a certain amount of padding here and there. The reference to Scottish dishes with an Asian flavour - haggis vindaloo, tandoori stovies or some such - was amusing the first time, but the list on p201/2 in this edition is blatant word-spinning. The second paragraph on p176 is the kind of verbiage that articulate people fall into when their concentration is slipping. The incident of the attempted rape near the disused railway bridge is out of context - this part of the story is not about the narrator's experiences but about the locality, and it highlights an interesting aspect of the content of the book.

Banks is obviously fascinated by his (and my) native Scotland. The dilapidated railway bridge near the headquarters of the religious cult that is the central theme of the story was part of a line from Balloch to Stirling, as unlikely a route as was ever laid in the railway mania. I was intensely interested in what Banks told me about it, and to return the favour I can inform him that it made its junction with the line to Perth not at Bridge of Allan but at Stirling itself. I think Banks just loves saying `Gargunnock' and `Kippen' to judge by how often he mentions these villages, and he leaves us in no doubt of his fascination with the Pendicles of Collymoon just for its name. The setting is largely rural central Scotland with flashbacks to the Western Isles. The narrator also makes an Odyssey to London, Essex and the West Country in pursuit of a renegade cousin, and the patois of Glasgow and Essex, as well as the Texan grandmother's idiom and attitudes, are all reproduced with an acute ear for the way such speakers really sound. The scene-setting is really rather brilliant. Obviously there is no point in looking for realism in a totally fictional religious cult, but it gets more convincing as one becomes used to it. This is a work of imagination, but my attention was well and truly held by the truthfulness of the depiction of the London squat, the vendors of the racist newspaper and the various drivers with whom the narrator hitches a lift, even if there's just a suspicion that Banks is spinning the last of these out.

The book is full of wry humour, and very well put together after the opening chapters. The adolescent narrator gets through a lot of growing up in not many years, but the process is neither ridiculous nor squalid, both of which can be said about what happens to Richard Adams's poor Maia. Some of the writing is very good indeed, like the end of chapter fourteen, and some of the jokes are very good too, like the one about the IRS on p232. It would probably be wrong to pigeonhole this novel into some particular genre, but what it turns into more and more as the narrative progresses is really a detective story. What is really going on in this odd religious sect and what are some of its members really doing? Where did the narrator's grandfather come from originally? These issues are actually more central to the book than the whereabouts and exploits of the elusive cousin, which the story purports to be to start with but which turns into a clever entrée into more interesting sub-plots.

I found it very absorbing and very original as well as very clever and skilful. I read it as entertainment, fairly light in tone rather than `exploring issues', and I had finished it sooner than I expected to. One side-benefit to me was that it awakened a strong desire to explore a part of my native country that I have seen very little of. The area crossed by the sad little railway from Balloch to Stirling is of outstanding beauty by anyone's reckoning. If anyone reading this notice gets to the Pendicles of Collymoon before I do and can tell me more about it than I have just found out on the internet I shall be more than interested to hear.

Blah
Not one of his better books, in my opinion.Perhaps it's all a Scottish/British/European in-joke, but the whole book just seemed aimless and meandering.At least Song of Stone had its surreal and dreamy language.

The Whit and Wisdom of Banks
Iain Banks first novel, The Wasp Factory, was published in 1984. In the years since, he's won critical acclaim, topped best-seller lists and has even written Science Fiction books under the cunning nom-de-plume 'Iain M. Banks'. He's also seen this book, "The Crow Road", adapted for television by the BBC in 1996. "Whit" is his eighth non-sci-fi book, was first published in 1995 and comes with the subtitle "Isis Amongst the Unsaved".

The book's central character is Isis Whit, commonly called Is -though more formally known as Blessed or Beloved Isis. Isis is a Luskentyrian, a member of a religious sect founded by her grandfather, Salvador. Like him, she is very important to the faithful - she holds the position 'Elect of God' and is a future leader of the Luskentyrians. Home is High Easter Offerance - located in Scotland, on the banks of the River Forth. The book opens in May 1995, when Isis is nineteen years old and with the Festival of Love approaching. The Luskentyrians consider people born on the 29th of February very special - the Blessed Isis herself was born on that date. As a result, a Festival of Love is held every four years - at the end of May in the year preceding a Leap Year. As the end of May is nine months before the end of February and it is a Festival of Love, I'm sure you can figure out what happens at it...

Isis' cousin, Morag - while not strictly considered a missionary - has been living in London for six years. Based on her letters, it appears she has become a successful musician - an internationally renowned baryton soloist, no less. She had been due to return to High Easter Offerance for the festival, where she would have been the Guest of Honour. However, her most recent letter to the community includes the news that she has turned her back on her faith and will not be returning. One possible option was for Isis to take Morag's place as guest of Honour - something she wasn't entirely keen on. Instead, Isis is sent to London to try and rescue her cousin - the book tells the story of her journey and return.

This is only the second book by Banks I've read, the first being "The Crow Road". Like it, I found "Whit" to be very enjoyable. It's told entirely from Isis' point of view - she describes her journey, outlines her discoveries, explains her beliefs and tells the history of her sect. Luskentyrians avoid modern technology as far as possible - nothing at High Easter Offerance runs on electricity, for example. It's amusing, at times, to see her reaction to life in the 'modern' world. There are several very strong supporting characters - Yolanda, Isis' very colourful and hugely entertaining Texan grandmother, particularly stands out. The only disappointment is that some of them didn't make a bigger appearance. Highly recommended !

Quietly excellent
Apparently this isn't one of his more popular books, for reasons I can only speculate . . . in his other wildly criticized work (Canal Dreams) it's fairly obvious what the problems are and your tolerance for those problems is what will make or break the book . . . here any problems aren't quite clear and frankly I don't see any.The book isn't as "shocking" as other Banks book have been, either through the perverse or violent or whatever, but I don't think that's something he's known for as much as those are aspects of some of his novels.It's also a lot longer (I think only Crow Road tops it in pages) than most of his stuff and not as "literary" in style.It's fairly straightforward on the surface, almost earnestly so.But you know what?I like it.The novel tells the story of nineteen year old Isis Whit, the Elect of a what basically is a Cult founded by her grandfather in the middle part of the century, based around peace and love and some other stuff.They have a Festival every four years and her cousin Morag, who is to be the guest of honor, writes a letter stating not only is she not showing up, but she's given up the faith.So Isis goes out to find her but it's not as simple as that and by the time she's done she'll have found out a lot of unpleasant things.Banks gets credit for depicting the cult followers are normal people who are just looking for Truth, so to speak, and coming across as wacky, but essentially levelheaded, as opposed to a bunch of brainwashed zombies.He also gets credit for his sympathetic and balanced portrayal of Isis, who is somewhat naive and very devout but he manages to make her charming instead of annoying, her religious faith is seen more of a natural extension of her instead of a brick she keeps hoisting on people.If there's any big problem with the book it's that the other characters are not as three dimensional as she is and some come off as a tad one-note.Banks alternates the story of Isis' search with the history of the Order itself, weaving in the story and amending it constantly as Isis starts to discover that not all is what it seems.It also provides a look at British life at the end of the 20th century through the eyes of someone who has kept herself mostly separate from that life.Throughout he throws the poor girl into all sorts of amusing situations and tosses out revelations that are not so amusing and I found it a fairly fast and witty read, rarely dragging and consistently entertaining throughout.Perhaps it's not as incisive as it could have been, but it's deftly told and the twists and revelations all work (ie they make sense but they aren't immediately obvious) . . . except the fact that the narrator is the member of a cult the book is about as straightforward as they come.Maybe that turns people off from it.I don't know.I, for one, would recommend it to any Banks fan, it may not singlehandedly propel him to the ranks of the literary masters but it doesn't detract from his status as one of the finest contemporary novelists or otherwise take away from the fine work he's already done.This is merely an above average addition to an already distinguished body of work.No more no less. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (146)

the sting's going down
The perfect example of a book that was way overrated in the eighties and is somewhat 'meh' now. The three murders - especially the 'bomb on the beach' one is still pretty chilling. Reading this at 17 blew my mind (no pun intended) but re-reading a week back in my (ahem) mid-thirties, I realize what I took for incredible and shocking back then has become a little outdated now (compared to 'The Human Centipede' and what-have-you for the 'kids' nowadays.)Still worth a look for the sheer bizarre factor but not one for the squeamish.

excellent surprise ending
I was very curious about this book after reading the mixed reviews, so I checked it out from the library. The hardcover edition is only 164 pages, a short read. Yes, there are disturbing and graphic events in this work of fiction--but it is a work of fiction. I don't really understand the very vehement responses of some readers, one who even said she threw it in the trash. I am always surprised that people want to criticize and hide from violence described in novels, but they seem apathetic to horrible and abundant violence going on around us in the real world. Where is the outrage at real events? And why is it that people seem more disturbed by violence to animals than by violence to people? There are murders described in detail in the book, but the focus of the criticisms by readers was on what happens to rabbits and dogs. Don't get me wrong, violence to animals is disturbing, but I have a hard time understanding how people can obsess about cruelty to animals and gloss over homicide of children.

The book is written in the first person, so you really get into the mind of the main character, Frank. The story is very creative, fascinating, and has a surprising plot twist at the end. If you can stomach reading about violence and the extremely unfortunate events that plague this family, it's definitely worth reading. If you have a hard time with the dark themes and vivid and disturbing imagery, I advise not reading anything written by Iain Banks. This is the fourth book of his that I've read, and they're all like this. If you enjoy delving into human psychology through fiction, you'll enjoy his books.

intense
an intense, unique story of a family touched with madness, to varying degrees.

to address the critics here ... if you don't like a genre, don't read it. the fact that you don't like the genre doesn't mean it's not a good story. if you don't like the genre, it obviously biases your opinion of the book. everything from the cover to the jacket tells you this book isn't going to be lolly-pops and sunshine.

i'm a fan of ian banks writing sci-fi as iam m. banks. i picked this book up as a quick read and a gamble that i may enjoy mr. banks in this role. this is very different than his sci-fi, and shows his depth.

Do not read this book
Even thinking about this soul destroying book makes me feel icky. I recommend that you do not read it. I dont want to go into why, because I dont want to think about this book again and I wish I had not read it.

For the savvy reader: empty calories.
It really has nothing to do with the heads on the poles, the animal burnings, the fratricide or the maggots.

And astonishingly, no, I'm not giving anything away there.

As debut novels go, perhaps it's not written so badly. Certainly I've read worse -- far worse -- but something about Iain Banks' The Wasp Factory -- actually, a lot of things about The Wasp Factory -- leave behind a very, very unpleasant aftertaste.

Lord of the Flies, but with wasps. And many other far more gruesome things. Think of it that way.

Narrated by Frank Cauldhame -- far too, and mystifyingly close to Caulfield -- this black take on the coming of age novel is set on an island in (I believe) northern Scotland, owned by the Cauldhame family. Perhaps it's a river island, although I'm not entirely sure and to be honest, I don't feel like returning to the novel to double check.

Notice I didn't say black humor, or dark comedy. Although parts of it could make you giggle, if perhaps to relieve a bit of the anxiety caused by the novel's gory details. Sort of like the laughing hysterics one hears on a roller coaster.

I had many problems with the novel, not the least of which were the endless, but not quite coherent descriptions of the geography. There seemed to be quite a few sand dunes, but I never really knew where they were in relation to the Cauldhame house (you'll notice I shy from calling it a home), the bridge to the "mainland," or the various landmarks around which much of the narrative is structured -- places like the Sacrifice Poles, the Bunker and (of course) the Wasp Factory.

Frank also engages in a lot of running and jogging, ritualized behavior using icky fluids, quite a bit of tedious island reconnaissance, and it would have been helpful to have a better picture of his surroundings. This novel would have been served by a map in the front matter.

Although perhaps in the scheme of things it doesn't really matter. As is the risk with any novel told using a strict first person narrative, it's important for the reader to like, or enjoy NOT liking, the narrator. But I certainly never liked Frank, and at times hated him in an unenjoyable way. I found nothing to admire in his actions, and by the end of the novel, when everything there is to learn has been learned, I found my opinion never changing. A map can't solve problems like that.

YMMV.

I can't recommend this novel. It's a manipulative, disingenuous, not-so-deep book that I can't imagine would reward repeated readings. While there are dark themes here, and the novel went places quite imaginative in description and plotting (I can't deny there ARE moments I will likely recall years from now, if only for their shock value), it's just not very deep. I don't feel as though I learned anything reading this novel. And that's a deal breaker for me.

While it may not have been the case in 1984, the year of publication, in 2009, the novel is predictable and contrived for the savvy reader, much like TV movies seen a decade or so later often fail to age well for the savvy viewer.

But if you're in the mood for a twisted, gory read that Freud would have a field day with, then go for it. Just don't be mad when you realize, by this relatively short novel's final page, that it was nothing but empty calories. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (19)

Unstoppable Forces, Immovable Objects
Iain Banks first novel, The Wasp Factory, was published in 1984. In the years since, he's won critical acclaim, topped best-seller lists and has even written Science Fiction books under the cunning nom-de-plume 'Iain M. Banks'. He's also seen this book, "The Crow Road", adapted for television by the BBC in 1996. "Walking on Glass" is his second book and was first published in 1985.

The book is made up of three sub-stories and - though it might be difficult to believe - they all come together at the end of the book. Graham Park is the first character we meet - he's in the second year of his course at Art School in London. He moved up to the city from the country, and initially found the transition a little difficult. He'd taken no chances in `protecting' himself - he'd always been a little guarded, a little cool...a little bit too careful all round. Now, however, he's about to take a bit of a risk. On a Tuesday afternoon in late June, he leaves school with a collection of drawings under his arm. They all share the same subject : Sara Ffitch. Graham had been introduced to Sara by Richard Slater - the one real friend he's apparently made since he arrived in the city - and has been besotted with her since the moment they met. Sara has split from her husband, and has a biker boyfriend called Stock. However, having spoken to her on the phone that morning, Graham thinks that Stock is about to be shown the road - and that he's about in line to fill the position. As he walks from the school to her apartment, he looks back over how things have progressed between them...

Steven Grout, on the other hand, isn't having such a good day. He makes his first appearance losing his job with Islington Council. He had been working with the Highways Department and (unsurprisingly) his behaviour has been causing a great deal of concern. Finally, having attacked both a cat and a co-worker close to the Canal, his boss is making it quite clear if he steps out of line once more, he'll be sacked. Steven snaps, and - believing it to be some sort of victory over `Them' - quits. Unfortunately, finding himself out of work isn't Steven's only problem. He only walks on the cracks in the pavements, wears a hard hat at all times (to protect his head from accidents "they" - the Tormentors - have arranged) and believes he's under attack from a microwave gun (a secret weapon "they" only use at the most inconvenient times). That's not to mention the laser attacks from passing cars...although you can't see them or feel the lasers, he knows the Tormentors were take points off him with every strike. He believes he is actually one of the mightiest warlords in history, having fought a key role in the final battle between Good and Evil. Unfortunately, something had gone badly and he'd been sent to Earth, as both a punishment and a test. He's determined to win through, by finding both "the Key" and the Way Out...perhaps unsurprisingly, he expects to find a lot of his clues in his collection of sci-fi.

Quiss, meanwhile, is an old soldier who fought in the Therapeutic Wars - he has been imprisoned in a strange castle with Ayayi, a female who fought on the opposite side. Both have somehow managed to disgrace themselves, and the castle serves both as a punishment and provides a last chance of redemption. Working together to play a series of games they don't know the rules to, they are given achance to solve a riddle - if they provide the right answer they will be freed and allowed to carry on with their lives.

This is probably one of Banks less well-known books, and he has written better admittedly. It also seems that if he revisited some of the ideas he used here in later books - particularly with "A Song of Stone" and "The Bridge". However, that doesn't mean "Walking on Glass" should be avoided. However, don't let any of that put you off - it's still well worth reading. It's a bit of fun watching what happens, and trying to figure out how the characters are connected.

Walking on Glass
Walking on Glass is as underrated as it is brilliant. Iain Bank's enigmatic novel of artifice and the inherent failings of humanity has often left readers bemused and frustrated. This reviewer has littlemore to offer in terms of unlocking the complexities of this awesome book, save that part of Bank's brilliance is the way he never patronises his reader; choosing to tell his tale and allowing the books pervading theme of ambiguity to transcend from page to person.

It would be easy (lazy?)to dismiss Walking on Glass as three separate stories that are destined to collide, but in doing so one would negate the true symbiotic and symbolic facets that flow through the narrative.

Graham Park is a young man in love with Sarah ffinch, a mysterious, aloof woman he meets at a party. As he walks to meet her at her flat the story charts how Park met Sarah. And studies his growing, yet doomed, expectation.

The second character is Steven Grout a man with supposed delusions that he is trapped in a world that is not his, tormented by an enemy determined to keep him there.

And finally there is Quiss, a prisoner in a ramshackle castle; forced to fathom the rules to board games to win the right to answer the ultimate conundrum and set himself free.

Walking on Glass is a story of manipulation and isolation. It is a tale that challenges and teases human frailty; its characters trapped by their own sense of perplexity. Readers may find the lack of resolution unsettling, yet they will forever consider this a small price to pay for such an exhilarating read.

Superb!

Not the sum of its part, but what parts!
This was only his second novel so he's not exactly at the top of his game yet, but it shows quite a bit of ambition.It's a story divided into three apparently separate parts.You have one guy who's in love with this rather mysterious girl and it goes through how they met and how he falls for her.The second part involves a rather paranoid fellow who thinks that the world is out to get him and lives his life by that assumption.And the third . . . well the third part is weird.Basically it's two people in a castle (very reminicent of a certain famous fantasy castle) who have to play games that they don't know the rules for and by winning they get a chance to answer a riddle that might let them escape.Banks basically writes three excellent short stories and then attempts to link them by the end, which is where the tale starts to fall apart.The link between the first and second (non-weird) stories are a bit on the coincidental side but at least make sense, while the other links are really stretching it and comes off as more forced than anything else.However, as I mentioned all of the parts are excellent written and stand up fairly well on their own, the first story's revelations are surprising and overall that was the most emotionally involving story.The paranoid gent in the second story was interesting and his attempts to stay ahead of the ubiquitious "they" are sort of fun, in a "glad I'm not him" sort of way, but his story seems to serve no purpose in relation to the overall theme itself.And the last one . . . I don't know if Banks had started writing his SF tales at this point but the castle and the people in it, while borrowing from that certain fantasy castle I mentioned earlier, shows ten times of the imagination of the other parts and even other SF books.The other two stories make them novel interesting, the addition of the third part pushes it into "excellent" territory and basically made the book for me.Its revelations are also the most mind-boggling (I only guessed part of it) but again only have a tenuous relation to the rest of the book.So if you go into this as reading three quasi-linked short stories in one book, you'll find this is an excellent read and Banks certainly gets points for both trying and coming pretty close to pulling it off.Fortunately, he would get better with practice (see the structure of "Use of Weapons" which is nearly flawless).

Matrix, schmatrix... buy this book instead.
Everyone goes on an on about how 'trippy' the concept of the movie 'Matrix' is...I get so tired of those drooling troglodytes who grab me by the sleeve and say crap like: 'But... but man...the Matrix could be real and like we'd like never know it...the Matrix could like be an imaginary world in itself man... can like you dig it man?'The idea of the flimsiness of reality was probably tinkered with by some neolithic cave manwho, after eating an undercooked brontosaurus melt and a dozen mugaritas at the local TGI Fridays, reeling with stomach cramps and in the throws of feverish delusion looked at his buddy and said 'Like, man, like, what if none of this was like, man, like what if it wasn't real man? Wouldn't that be trippy man?"And the response then is the same as it is now, you look at your companion on the couch opposite you,smile weakly and nod, maybe throwing in a shrug.God, that thinking calls in mind attending a philosophy 101 class at the local junior college.But in all fairness,who's taken up the pen and tried their hand at penning their own work, and not once snuck in '....AND THEN HE/SHE WOKE UP AND IT WAS ALL A DREAM...'.It's a conveniant tool, even though it's painfully obvious.

So saying, before Matrix and Keanu's hammy overacting, I read a book called 'Walking On Glass'- and it is probably the trippiest, most disturbingly brilliant book on the nature of reality and the ties that bind us to that reality I've ever come across.If you're not into Kafka, or Borges, or someone like Kierkegaard, this book will bring a closer understanding of some of the horrors they try to come to grips with.Banks simmers down the essence of those three to leave you with a chilling look around you; the question 'What is real?' will take on alarmingly terrifying aspects.

Excellent
Abstract connections in plot, and imaginative.Very thrlling read with the usual shocking Banks-esquetwists in plot. ... Read more

Product Description
THE HUMAN FRONT is a sparkling SF alternate history story set in world that has been fighting WWIII since 1949. Leading a guerilla campaign against the Western Forces is the heroic, myhtic figure of Joe Stalin. And above the battlefields flying saucers fill the skies. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

When Does Right Go Wrong?
MacLeod has shown a fine sense of how to blend political philosophy with storytelling in his prior works. No less so here, with this tale of an alternate history where WWIII began in 1949, where Joe Stalin is the people�s revolutionary hero, atomic weapons have been used in many more places than Hiroshima, and the Americans are flying some very strange bombers with even stranger pilots.

The book follows John Matheson from a young boy through early manhood, tracing his awakening to the political facts of life. And like many young people, the inequalities and suffering that much of world must live with are open sores that he feels he can and should do something about. This is the entry point for MacLeod's exposition of political/revolutionary solutions, along with some rather sharp satire of figures that are almost deified in our world ("Hey, hey, JFK, how many kids did you kill today?"). These answers will disturb your sense of the correctness of the status quo, perhaps make you realize that there is merit in other political philosophies than your own. Very little of this is presented directly, but is rather shown as an normal outgrowth of Matheson's development and learning, from his days in school and college and later as a member of the revolutionary group The Human Front. MacLeod's envisioned world is believable, and its contrasts with our own highlight just how much the world's and your personal condition depends upon chance happenstances and events beyond any one individual's control.

All of this, about the first fifty pages, is excellent writing, but at the end of the book MacLeod turns away from what should be the logical conclusion to the story and instead chooses what felt to me like a dues-ex-machina resolution, (even though MacLeod has carefully planted clues to this early in the book), and a far too happy one at that. For me, this ending greatly lessened the strength of his earlier points. Those familiar with the various science-fictional treatments of alternate time-line scenarios will recognize in this ending an attempt to rationalize the paradoxes inherent in disturbing the past and will see parallels with books like Asimov's The End of Eternity and Dick's The Man in the High Castle, but what is missing from this ending is a proper resolution to the political questions raised in the earlier portion of the book.

Perhaps this novella should have been given a longer treatment, expanded to full novel length, and with this extra room there would have been space to fill in what I feel was missing to this ending.As it is, I feel that MacLeod has presented a sharply realized different world that can illuminate many of the problems of our world, but hasn�t really finished his story within that world.

--- Reviewed by Patrick Shepherd (hyperpat)

Fascinating blend of genres and ideas
First off, this isn't a typical Amazon title, rather it is the product of PS Publishing, which puts out limited, signed editions by various science fiction and fantasy authors. Specifically, "The Human Front" was limited to 400 hardcover and another 500 paperback copies, all of which have long since sold out from the publisher. That said, there are copies available on the internet, and fans of alternate history will definitely want to track this one down.

As I alluded to above, "The Human Front" is Ken MacLeod's take on alternate history, but anyone who knows MacLeod knows it will be anything but conventional. Actually, it does start off conventionally enough: it's the early 1960's and World War III has been raging with varying degrees of ferocity since 1949. Joe Stalin is a romanticized guerrilla fighter in the model of Che, and the Soviet Union has been beaten down to the point where the allies have installed a government in Petrograd.

Macleod rather cleverly juxtaposes roles in this world; in addition to Stalin, JFK is reviled as a butcher ("Hey, Hey, JFK, how many kids have you killed today?"). By so doing, he obliterates the myths of the past, and rather shrewdly, points out that historical interpretation is largely a function of the circumstances in which one lives, or more simply, a result of how the past turned out. While he is no apologist for Stalin (by any stretch) he creates a plausible reality where he is revered as a pragmatic, dedicated revolutionary, rather than reviled as a butcher. Thus removed from our known context he can create an absurd inversion that nonetheless sheds light on how we view our own heroes.

However, instead of following this believable alternate reality to a logical conclusion, MacLeod throws a curveball in the main character, John Matheson's, enigmatic encounter with one of the U.S.'s strange disc shaped bombers. Although the next twenty pages of narrative are fairly conventional, MacLeod has set the stage, and everything thereafter is tainted by this puzzling mystery.

To go any further would spoil the plot, but suffice it to say that the novel takes numerous bizarre twists before arriving at a fascinating ending. Specifically, unlike most Alternate History, which revels in an outcome discrete from reality, MacLeod attempts to reconcile his world to our own in a manner reminiscent of Philip K. Dick's "The Man in the High Castle". The mechanism of this reconciliation is completely original without being outlandish, and the statement made is simple but profound. In essence, MacLeod is arguing that we are all victims of circumstance, that, generally speaking, shaping the world's destiny is beyond the individual. Thus, it is left to each of us to live as best we can, in the hopes that the cumulative result is something better than where we started. At the same time, unlike much Alternate History, (and particularly what one would expect from such a politically conscious writer) MacLeod isn't entirely displeased with the path history has taken, and actually seems to find it better than many of the alternatives.

MacLeod packs more into the seventy-five pages of "The Human Front" than most authors do in novels four times as long. He has blended so many genres, I've lost count, and it's almost unfair to categorize it as Alternate History, in spite of the fact that it won the Sidewise Award for best Short Form Alternate History in 2001. Rather, MacLeod created a true SF hybrid, that evokes the best of many different themes. At the same time, he has written a character driven novel that explores some interesting themes around meaning and purpose. Ultimately, this is a work of literature in which the content far surpasses what one might expect from the length.

Jake Mohlman ... Read more

Product Description
This digital document, covering the life and work of Iain M(enzies) Banks, is an entry from Contemporary Authors, a reference volume published by Thompson Gale. The length of the entry is 3548 words. The page length listed above is based on a typical 300-word page. Although the exact content of each entry from this volume can vary, typical entries include the following information:

• Place and date of birth and death (if deceased)
• Family members
• Education
• Professional associations and honors
• Employment
• Writings, including books and periodicals
• A description of the author's work
• References to further readings about the author

Customer Reviews (8)

Nice buy for the price I buyed !
This Book is nice, the beging is a introduction about differents styles from diferents photographers and the rest a few information about real techniques of glamour photography and lighting

Excellent Purchase
Great source of general information to help the aspiring glamour photographer. Plenty of beautiful ladies throughout.

bit
nice book, but I'm in to digital, too bad,
If your intentions are to establish a portrait studio (sears or walmart type), learn the basics of lighting, or the basics of digicams, forget it.

misleading
I am a beginner, this book was not for me, waste of my time.
No info on digital, incomplete explanations regarding lighting setups in the pictures displayed.

great book if you own a 35mm
I was very impressed by the photographs, but if you own a digital camera I would not recomend this book. It's approach on digital photograhpy is very limited if any. It is more focused on promoting the photographers that helped complete the book than helping the reader learn something practical. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

why the forque
can i not get this or any other magnificent iain banks book for my kindle....words fail me... especially since banks is such a puter nerd

One of the better books from Ian Banks
One of the better books from Ian Banks. This one is engaging and readable with good character development. Some of his books are slow going but this one is not. I liked it. It is about a "Rock Star". See if you can figure out whether he is talking about a particular one.

Why does Frozen Gold not yet have a MySpace page?
Someone should get on that.(I mean, hey.If Wizard Rock can make it, why not FG?)

Liza-bet, do you love me ?
Iain Banks was born in Scotland in 1954 and published his first book - "The Wasp Factory" - in 1984. In the years since, he's won critical acclaim, topped best-seller lists and has even written Science Fiction books under the cunning nom-de-plume 'Iain M. Banks'. "Espedair Street" was first published in 1987, and is his fourth non sci-fi book

Daniel Weir is a very reclusive and hugely rich former rock-star. He played bass and wrote the songs for Frozen Gold, a Scottish band that had once sold records by the lorry-load. However, the band is no more and Daniel's involvement with the music business now goes no further than the occasional TV theme or film score - something just to keep his hand in. Despite his fame and wealth, Daniel seems to suffer from very low self-esteem : he comments several times on his bulging eyes, that he has a big, hooked nose and he's very conscious of his mismatched feet. (Both are huge, though one of them is a size bigger than the other). Seeing himself as a "mutant" - and believing that he scares children - has probably contributed to the stutter. He did manage a few romantic liaisons during his time with the band, although - in his own words - he "never expected to be loved". However, while he sometimes thinks fondly of his post-fame conquests, he never seems to have fully gotten over Jean Webb, his first girlfriend.

Nevertheless, despite the distinctive look, people may not necessarily recognise him now. In the public eye, he hid behind a big beard, big hair and a big pair of shades - all are now long gone. Few probably even knew his real name - as a star, he was known only as "Weird". (It was an old nickname dating back to the schooldays, when his name appeared as "Weir, D" on the school register). Nowadays, despite the rumours that he's living abroad - most of then started by himself - he's back living in Glasgow. Home is Mr Wykes Folly, also known as St Jute's - a building that looks exactly like a church (although it isn't one) with its own graveyard (but without any actual graves). There isn't any altar wine either, but there is plenty of eastern European beer and vodka. He seems to have pretty much lost touch with his former bandmates and he tends to avoid television, papers, radio for months at a time - so, for much of the book, it isn't clear if they're in the public eye. These days, even the two people who are his closest friends - McCann and Wee Tommy - apparently don't know who he really is. McCann is quite a character - he has quite definite communist tendencies, and after a number of beers has been known to enjoy a fight.

Two of the band's other members were (ahem) instrumental to the group's success - Crazy Davey Balfour and Christine Brice, the band's stars who shared the singing. Davey was everything Daniel wasn't - his dream was to be a real guitar hero, he owned all the flash cars, the big bikes and the planes. When Daniel first meets the band, he's fresh out of school and looking for someone just to perform his songs - he doesn't want to be in the group himself. The others, on the other hand, are making plans for university - though only the bass player follows through on that plan, amusingly going to music college. (Banks has another little joke, in casting the band's drummer as the most normal and sensible member of the group). Anyhow, with a free slot, Daniel also steps in as the band's bassist. When they subsequently sign for ARC Records, the songwriting credits for the first album are nevertheless split three ways. (However, he made sure they were credited to himself alone on future albums - the only intelligent decision he reckons he ever made).

As "Espedair Street" opens, it's 3am and Daniel is sitting at home waiting on a train arriving in Glasgow. Although the last twelve years have seen his life change more than he would ever have thought possible, the events of the last week have seen him decide to kill himself. Only for the day just gone, he might well have gone through with his decision - although his survival has been accompanied by what he calls "genuine financial suicide". The book sees him look back over what has happened - professionally, personally and romantically.

"Espedair Street" is definitely a book I'd recommend - which is hardly a surprise, given that it's been written by Iain Banks. Banks has a certain way of telling a story I enjoy - the occasional jump back and forward, and the hint of looking at something from a slightly different angle. Various things are mentioned early in the book - for example, The Great Contra Flow Smoke System and the Three Chimneys Tour - but it's quite some time before he fully explains what they were. Daniel, himself, I found to be a funny and rather endearing character - but one with a very low sense of self-worth. (He's not entirely sure he ever fully recovered from his Catholic guilt). Excellent stuff.

Another good Iain Banks novel
I've read most of Iain Banks's novels, and enjoyed all of them (that is, all of the ones I've read). He has great writing style - no cliches, good turns of phrase, lifelike characters, and lots of interesting ideas. This book's relatively straightforward compared to the others, with a pretty simple plot, but still enjoyable. I particularly liked the ending. So, four stars! ... Read more