The Wasp Factory

While I liked Bank's Culture novels a lot back when I read them 10 years ago, this one failed to grip my attention. Who are these people that find The Wasp Factory shocking or disgusting or horrific? Cruelty to animals seems like a regular thing for some kids growing up on the country side, and lots of the stuff that happens feels generic: imbue small animal skulls with protective powers, etc. Been there, done that.

Bank's short book seems devoid of any purpose. As horror if falls short. It lacks the urgency of We Have Always Lived in the Castle - probably because it feels like Banks simply amused himself writing this, it has his mischievous boyish smirk all over it, whereas Shirley Jackson was basically writing about her own agony. The language is okay, Banks is a smooth writer, but this book simply started to feel boring & repetitive after page 30. I DNF'ed at 40%.

After I stopped, I read some spoiler reviews of this, and boy, I'm glad I stopped. Psychological depth zero, and the entire set-up of the story hinges on one ludicrous idea.

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