The Wasp Factory by Iain Banks
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

Maybe I am weird, but I don't like reading detailed descriptions of premeditated killings of children by other children or accounts of torturing and slaughtering living things—dogs, birds, or even insects. I am not particularly fond of reading about maggots feasting on living brain tissue. So I had a hard time finishing The Wasp Factory. However, I persevered until I reached the last page, which was thankfully numbered lower than 200.

Yes, I do appreciate the monumental plot twist revealed at the very end. Yes, I have to admit that a well-intentioned reader might decide that the novel contributes to the discussion of issues such as mental health, nature vs. nurture, gender, etc. Yes, I do agree that one can find the descriptions of the Factory itself and the protagonist's thought processes fascinating. Yes, with a giant leap of faith, one can even read the novel as a parody, a very sick joke. So I am certainly unable to opine that the book is as bad as, say, Fight Club by Palahniuk or Steps by Kosinski. However, with the understanding that I may be completely wrong, I prefer to read the novel as the author's effort to make a name for himself by sheer shock value.

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