Book Group: Feb 2015 - Complicity discussion thread

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LindsD Feb 2015 5:12pm, 21 Feb 2015 4,206 posts	0 LindsD Yes, TWF is very gruesome Thanks, Columba. That makes complete sense now. I think I was being a bit thick.
DazTheSlug Feb 2015 1:08am, 22 Feb 2015 807 posts	0 DazTheSlug I re-read The Wasp Factory quite recently and it would never have occurred to me to describe it as gruesome - I could say why, and provide some other adjectives, but I'd struggle without plot-spoiling
Night-owl Feb 2015 9:58am, 22 Feb 2015 18,893 posts	0 Night-owl Blog it then Daz and if people want to read they can
Lorraine Feb 2015 10:43am, 22 Feb 2015 1,160 posts	0 Lorraine I have to agree with you Daz. I re-read The Wasp Factory at the end of last year and I wouldn't describe it as gruesome.
Red Squirrel Feb 2015 12:39pm, 22 Feb 2015 18,231 posts	0 Red Squirrel Ah OK. It's not just me. I don't remember the gruesome bits as being described in a gruesome, unreadable way ... and I'm a sensitive soul.
LindsD Feb 2015 1:38pm, 22 Feb 2015 4,211 posts	0 LindsD I saw a theatre version between my two readings of the book, so maybe that's why. They portrayed some stuff fairly graphically.
Columba Feb 2015 6:08pm, 22 Feb 2015 6,119 posts	0 Columba Sometimes things can be skin-crawlingly horrifying without being gruesome as such. I read "Pincher Martin" (William Golding) when I was in my teens, probably soon after it came out. My mother also read it, and my father started it but didn't continue because it made him feel too ill to persist with it. I couldn't quite understand why, at the time; but have tried to re-read it since, and now I do understand why, and have put it back on the shelf after the first few pages.
Little Nemo - this kitten can Mar 2015 9:09am, 26 Mar 2015 5,157 posts	0 Little Nemo - this kitten can A bit late but I have finally finished Complicity I'm a fan of Banks, I like the way he writes and even his duller books are still entertaining. I've read more of his sci-fi stuff than the mainstream books so I was glad this book was chosen as it reminded me that I still have quite a few of his books to read. I really enjoyed it, out of his non sci-fi books this is probably my second favourite. It was filthy and funny and scary. I liked the way the narration seemed to speed up when he was on drugs. I enjoyed all the stuff about computer specs and games. If people are reading this in 50 years time it's going to be a treasure trove of what the world was like at that time. Thanks to those who pointed out that having the torture bits done in the second person makes us the reader complicit. This had completely passed me by! I can be a bit dim about these things I guess if you were judging it purely as a crime novel it was a little bit obvious who the killer was but I felt the way it was written and the other aspects of the story elevated it above that. I gave this book an 8
Badger Mar 2015 9:43am, 26 Mar 2015 4,851 posts	0 Badger Hadn't read the last few pages here before. I think the change in point of view in the epilogue is foreshadowed by the computer game where, when your character is losing badly or dying, you can do a "point of view switch" and start running a different character in the game instead. It's a slightly obscure way for Banks to point out that things really are as bad for Cameron as they look; no coming back.
LindsD Mar 2015 2:51pm, 26 Mar 2015 4,569 posts	0 LindsD I think the discussion on this thread has really given me a lot more insight into the book, which I've read at least three times and love. This is book club at its best