The Wasp Factory in Reading 1001

Jul 26, 2018 Chinook rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: europe, 1001, 1-kindle

This was headed to be a five star read for me. I liked the slow way the various mysteries unfolded - what happened to make Eric lose his mind, what the Wasp Favtory was, why Frank killed three people, what’s in the study... It was particularly fascinating to read an account by a very logical crazy person who contrasts himself with a disordered crazy person.

But I feel like the ending doesn’t at all work to wrap up the remaining mysteries: why did these two siblings both become the people they di ...more

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Mar 24, 2018 Rebekah rated it it was ok

Shelves: genre-classics, genre-literature, genre-contemporary, e-book, genre-thriller, genre-novels, genre-mystery, genre-horror, 1001-import, genre-fiction

I am sure there is supposed to be some point to this book, some reason why it is listed in the "1001 books to read before you die," considered a classic of literature, etc, but I didn't really see it.

I think the points it was trying to make are:
1) Post WWII society - everyone is violent, rotting, and traumatized. Is Frank really the sociopath or is it post modern society? One of the murders of an innocent young boy is literally caused by the trash leftover from WWII.

2) Toxic masculinity with wei ...more

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Jul 12, 2012 Janet rated it it was ok

So, this is supposed to be an example of an important, gothic work? I must be a dolt to think it is drivel. The "London Times" called it "Rubbish" and I agree. ...more

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Jun 20, 2011 J_BlueFlower rated it really liked it

Shelves: 1001, 1001-best, 1001-read

A great book. Scary atmosphere. I knew, I would like it from the very first pages. Here we see the conflict between the first person teller's view of what is going on and what seems to be going on. If Edgar Allan Poe had lived today, I think he would have written this kind of story. Recommended. I read the book along side the The Death Cure (Maze Runner, #3) by James Dashner. That made it even more clear the quality of the book and language in The Wasp Factory.
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Nov 20, 2014 Mike rated it really liked it

This is the second time of entering Frank's criminally sadistic world. I first read it 40 years ago on first publication and it blew me away, I've read just about all Banks's non-Sci Fi novels since. Coming back to it, I was prepared to be shocked, the sheer cruelty and nastiness of it, so the impact of the story was a little less, but the observation, imagination, craftsmanship and beefy prose style shine out as brightly as ever. And I didn't remember the twist at the end. For years I wanted to ...more

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