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The Wasp Factory

Iain Banks

Start date: November 10, 2017

Finish date: November 22, 2017

Why we're reading this: [The Wasp Factory by Iain Banks
4.5★

The Wasp Factoryis the bizarre, imaginative, disturbing, and darkly co…more
[close] [The Wasp Factory by Iain Banks
4.5★

The Wasp Factoryis the bizarre, imaginative, disturbing, and darkly comic look into the mind of a child psychopath. Meet Frank Cauldhame. Just sixteen, and unconventional to say the least.
"Two years after I killed Blyth I murdered my young brother Paul, for quite different and more fundamental reasons than I'd disposed of Blyth, and then a year after that I did for my young cousin Esmerelda, more or less on a whim. That's my score to date. Three. I haven't killed anybody for years, and don't intend to ever again. It was just a stage I was going through."

"I had been making the rounds of the Sacrifice Poles the day we heard my brother had escaped. I already knew something was going to happen; the Factory told me."
Those lines begin one of the creepiest Scottish characters and novels that I have read in some time. Frank Cauldhame, is a weird and scary 16 year old who lives on a tiny island connected to mainland Scotland by a bridge. He maintains grisly "Sacrifice Poles" to serve as his early warning system and deterrent against anyone who might invade his territory. Those that choose to push their luck soon find that any luck they had had run out. If the author was going for shock value he achieved it with flying colors creating characters carrying out some really sick and violent acts... the ultimate dysfunctional family. This book is NOT for the faint of heart or stomach.

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Dec 18, 2016 Pallavi Sareen rated it really liked it · review of another edition

I finished this at 4 am in the morning. So of course, I had nightmares and horrible horrible images in my head for the rest of the ~~night~~ morning. What a weird book. It totally messed up my head, to the point that I had to take a break to gather my thoughts and digest what I was reading. This is NOT for the people who can't stomach animal cruelty and murder of children (I thought I was one of those people but apparently I've got nerves of steel).
You read that blurb?
You're curious, intrigued. A b I finished this at 4 am in the morning. So of course, I had nightmares and horrible horrible images in my head for the rest of the ~~night~~ morning. What a weird book. It totally messed up my head, to the point that I had to take a break to gather my thoughts and digest what I was reading. This is NOT for the people who can't stomach animal cruelty and murder of children (I thought I was one of those people but apparently I've got nerves of steel).
You read that blurb?
You're curious, intrigued. A book about a killer, a psychopath. It's gonna be one of those mindfuck books you assume.
SO SO WRONG!
Basically this book is an insight into the head of a psychopath. It is messed up on so many levels. In the beginning I was confused, but I just rolled with it. But as soon as I'm halfway through, I can't believe myself.
My actal thoughts at that time would be , "What the hell am I reading?" "Shit, no.no ..no... don't let that happen. Well fuck it happened. What the hell is Eric's deal? His father is shady. Racist and sexist. I don't like Frank. But I'm very very curious."
And one constant thought throughout. How the hell did the author imagine all this?
It was bizarre. The way it is all normalized. I think that's what I found the most disturbing. One minute, there are all these dark murderous sadistic rituals going on, the next Frank and his father are having casual dinner. Even the way Frank and Eric's relationship is portrayed. I know they're psychos and yet I'm thinking, "Aww he cares about his brother (who was in a mental institution btw)" Does this make any sense? Absolutely not. And that's messed up.
It's like the book is a maze with mysteries and secrets you want to unravel, so you just accept the rest of sickening stuff that would make your head spin if it wasn't written with such clear precise and emotionless way.
The writing is what makes this book so incredible. It was brilliant.
“A death is always exciting, always makes you realise how alive you are, how vulnerable but so-far-lucky; but the death of somebody close gives you a good excuse to go a bit crazy for a while and do things that would otherwise be inexcusable. What delight to behave really badly and still get loads of sympathy!”

“Sometimes the thoughts and feelings I had didn't really agree with each other, so I decided I must be lots of different people inside my brain.”

A lot of similar lines and passages were very profound and thought provoking.

Now a special side note. I kinda sorta predicted some things about Frank, which turned out to be true. Take that Mr. I-dare-you-to-predict-The-wasp-Factory! But you gave me your copy of the book. And it was so fucked up that I loved it. I'll surely be re-reading this. ...more

1 like · Like · see review

Feb 13, 2021 Brenda H rated it liked it · review of another edition

3 stars. Review to come - still processing what I just read...

1 like · Like · see review

Jun 13, 2011 Kristal rated it it was amazing

Shelves: coming-of-age, reviewed, weird-scary-and-creepy, horror, dark-fiction, 2011-reads

Sixteen year old Frank lives with his father on a small island in Scotland. But Frank's young life is anything from innocent. Be prepared to be sucked into the dark and disturbing world that Frank lives in. Not for the weak of stomach or faint of heart, this book is raw and graphic. But will stay with you for a long time to come. ...more

Like · see review

Jun 12, 2015 col13en marked it as to-read

Shelves: horror

Feb 22, 2016 Sushicat marked it as to-read

Shelves: horror, scifi-fantasy, 1001, kindle, science-fiction, scotland, sc-umw, sc-umw-tbr, sc1001

Feb 16, 2016 Connie D marked it as to-read

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