GF Book Club - Book 1

[Paul]

All in all it kept me reasonably interested til the end, but i knew as i was reading it that it was a throwaway piece of writing ... the very end part with Tem forcing the car off the road via his hospital bed was incredible.

Agree with this and the bit in bold is probably spot on. I deffo enjoyed it, but it doesn't touch his SF, in my view.

 

As for another book, why not? As I enjoyed your comments Guido, you're the man for the next selection. Go for it (in a new thread).

[Guido]

Cheers Paul, i'll have a think. And yeh, i haven't totally given up on Banks as the 'The Culture' novels seem intriguing. Reckon Transition would've worked better as part of a series too come to think of it. New thread on the way.

[RedinSweden]

ooh, bagsy choose the next one!

[Guido]

ooh, bagsy choose the next one!

 

Your enthusiasm is encouraging (as is your concurrence re: Pigall), but i'd prefer to hold the suspense and announce it at the end of October. And i shall!

[RedinSweden]

Your enthusiasm is encouraging (as is your concurrence re: Pigall), but i'd prefer to hold the suspense and announce it at the end of October. And i shall!

 

Purely hypothetically, if a consignment of Pigall ended up in your possession, would this, still hypothetically of course, affect your decision?

[Guido]

I suppose, hypothetically, a shipment of Pigall Might, if the occasion (a different occasion, obviously) arose, sway my judgement in such economically unstable times.

 

But never (hypothetically speaking, again, of course) in public, like those shameless Indians.

[razor]

I know I'm ridiculously late, but I finished Transition the other night. I wasn't going to bother writing anything, but have decided to, for no other reason than I have a damned right to: I signed up for the Book Club just like everyone else. I am going to put down my thoughts down first then read everyone else's.

 

I thought it was complex at first, so complex that 100 pages in I decided to start again as I was confused.

 

The second time round was better, and I started to really enjoy the book. Banks' skill with language is a thing of beauty. I kept reading little snippets (philosophical points especially) over and over because they were so well put.

 

I also really liked the characters. Aide was a breath of fresh air at times, but the Patient and Transitioner were great, too.

 

The sex bits got to be a little laddish I thought.

 

Then my interest started to wane. I don't know if it was just because I was busy in real life, but the motivation to pick the book up just wasn't there. Multi-strand narrative, building up to one converging point should really hold the interest of the reader, but it didn't.

 

In the end, it just kind of limped to a close.

 

So, in conclusion, an excellent concept (an infinite number of parallel worlds where one or two elements are slightly different, and the ability to flit between them for a second to alter the course of history with minimal intervention is given to a select few), some of the prose was fantastic, some of the characters really interesting, but overall, the narrative just wasn't strong enough. And we never really got to learn why Madame D'O was protecting the Concern. Or did I miss that?

 

I look forward to reading other people's views now!

 

Anyway, on to the Bell Jar. I'll try and keep up with this one.

[razor]

Finished others' comments.

 

I'm glad others mainly agreed about the gratuitious sex. I'm no prude, but it just seemed a bit "wayhay!".

 

I suspected the Patient was Tem as they "spoke" in the same voice. I liked the idea (only hinted at) that he was losing all control over his mind (a la Cuckoo's Nest) in an attempt to stay in hospital. But this didn't really develop did it? The patients downstairs were never fully explained either?

 

Bisquitine was a good idea, but her psychobabble made her funny rather than formidable.

 

I agree with people who said it was over-developed in the wrong parts. Unlike others, though I thought it was a rushed ending.

 

(I think I'm talking to myself as everyone's moved off to Sylvia Plath...)

[BatChainPuller]

Finished others' comments.

 

I'm glad others mainly agreed about the gratuitious sex. I'm no prude, but it just seemed a bit "wayhay!".

 

I suspected the Patient was Tem as they "spoke" in the same voice. I liked the idea (only hinted at) that he was losing all control over his mind (a la Cuckoo's Nest) in an attempt to stay in hospital. But this didn't really develop did it? The patients downstairs were never fully explained either?

 

Bisquitine was a good idea, but her psychobabble made her funny rather than formidable.

 

I agree with people who said it was over-developed in the wrong parts. Unlike others, though I thought it was a rushed ending.

 

(I think I'm talking to myself as everyone's moved off to Sylvia Plath...)

 

I think they were supposed to be the 'husks' of people who were transitioning, but yes it was not fully developed and was another plot cul-de-sac.

 

Going to start Sylvia Plath tonight. I was doing next years budgets at work for the last couple of weeks, which depresses the hell out of me, and I was concerned that Sylvia might tip me over the edge.

[razor]

I think they were supposed to be the 'husks' of people who were transitioning, but yes it was not fully developed and was another plot cul-de-sac.

 

Going to start Sylvia Plath tonight. I was doing next years budgets at work for the last couple of weeks, which depresses the hell out of me, and I was concerned that Sylvia might tip me over the edge.

 

So the visitors / chocolates / flowers / cards was staged? I was expecting more of a conspiracy type thing to develop there.

 

I wish I'd read it on time...

[BatChainPuller]

So the visitors / chocolates / flowers / cards was staged? I was expecting more of a conspiracy type thing to develop there.

 

I wish I'd read it on time...

 

I don't think so - I seem to remember Oh saying that the 'husk' body just ambled about vacantly whilst the mind was transitioning. Might be wrong but that was my take on who they were.

[L19red]

for fans of this book or for that matter Ian Banks in general, he's on the Richard Bacon show on Radio 5 now.

[Jorge Borge]

I never saw this gubbins, having avoided TLW during silly season for obvious reasons. By some coincidence, however, I was reading this book at the same time. Isn't that nice? I'll go and sign up to the Book Club malarkey in a minute, if you're still accepting entrants, that is.

 

With regards Transition, I got hold of it as Ian (M) Banks was my favourite author for many a year and I keep buying the new ones in the hope that he'll return to his former glory, as far as the fiction (without the middle initial) books go. Alas, they don't really, the last one I enjoyed being Dead Air, despite the massive build up in the story to something that Banks obviously thought was massively clever but ended up being a little bit anti-climatic, unfortunately. Actually, looking through the list of his fiction books now I'd only really, heartily recommend Walking On Glass (absolutely amazing, in my opinion, and a great influence on Transition, stylistically), The Wasp factory and The Crow Road.

 

I found Transition a little wanky but cool, with Banks showing off his obvious talent for descriptive writing throughout. I did enjoy it, I just want to say that when you know what he can do his fiction work seems to be chasing former glories. He seems to be trying to rediscover something that he lost along the way, I feel. The mentions people have made to his sex drugs references I agree with to an extent. When he writes about drugs in his sci-fi novels being mixed with glanded substances, however, you just want to consume them and experience what the character does. Similarly, when he writes about hot aliens you, quite simply, want to fuck them. I do agree that Mrs Mulverhill floated my boat in Transition.

 

As soon as I finished this I picked up and read one of my favourite of his other books, The Player Of Games, to make sure I hadn't fallen out of love with his writing. Infact, Inversions is the only Ian M Banks book I didn't really enjoy (as it was purely a 'look at my writing skill' wankathon, similar to 'Song Of Stone' in that respect). I was going to list a couple I'd recommend of his Sci-fi lot but looking through the back catalogue they are all amazing and I urge people to go back to the beginning and read them all.

[Paul]

I never saw this gubbins, having avoided TLW during silly season for obvious reasons. By some coincidence, however, I was reading this book at the same time. Isn't that nice? I'll go and sign up to the Book Club malarkey in a minute, if you're still accepting entrants, that is.

 

With regards Transition, I got hold of it as Ian (M) Banks was my favourite author for many a year and I keep buying the new ones in the hope that he'll return to his former glory, as far as the fiction (without the middle initial) books go. Alas, they don't really, the last one I enjoyed being Dead Air, despite the massive build up in the story to something that Banks obviously thought was massively clever but ended up being a little bit anti-climatic, unfortunately. Actually, looking through the list of his fiction books now I'd only really, heartily recommend Walking On Glass (absolutely amazing, in my opinion, and a great influence on Transition, stylistically), The Wasp factory and The Crow Road.

 

I found Transition a little wanky but cool, with Banks showing off his obvious talent for descriptive writing throughout. I did enjoy it, I just want to say that when you know what he can do his fiction work seems to be chasing former glories. He seems to be trying to rediscover something that he lost along the way, I feel. The mentions people have made to his sex drugs references I agree with to an extent. When he writes about drugs in his sci-fi novels being mixed with glanded substances, however, you just want to consume them and experience what the character does. Similarly, when he writes about hot aliens you, quite simply, want to fuck them. I do agree that Mrs Mulverhill floated my boat in Transition.

 

As soon as I finished this I picked up and read one of my favourite of his other books, The Player Of Games, to make sure I hadn't fallen out of love with his writing. Infact, Inversions is the only Ian M Banks book I didn't really enjoy (as it was purely a 'look at my writing skill' wankathon, similar to 'Song Of Stone' in that respect). I was going to list a couple I'd recommend of his Sci-fi lot but looking through the back catalogue they are all amazing and I urge people to go back to the beginning and read them all.

 

I really like Inversions. I'm currently reading his new Culture novel Surface Material and it's instantly very readable, unlike Excession or Feersum Endjin, for example.

[Jorge Borge]

I really like Inversions. I'm currently reading his new Culture novel Surface Material and it's instantly very readable, unlike Excession or Feersum Endjin, for example.

 

It's funny as we both obviously love the Ian M Banks ones more yet those two you've mentioned were two of my favourites. I agree about Excession though; I started reading it when tired and, after about fifty pages of continually going back to check ship names, gave up and started again a couple of months later. I'm glad I persevered. It was almost like you're challenged to enjoy it and benefit all the more for having given it the time. Feersum Endjin I loved for the part written from Bascule's perspective and totally phonetically. I thought it was absolutely amazing and enthralling. I think this is where he's at his best, with several stories running, possibly simultaneously and meeting in a climax. As I said previously, Walking On Glass is my favourite of his fiction novels for that reason.

 

I thought Use Of Weapons was genius in its eventual darkness. I, unfortunately, knew what was coming due to some loose-lipped friends but that didn't hinder my enjoyment.

 

Look To Windward I loved for the strength of the main characters. Consider Phlebas I loved due to the first introduction to The Culture and the capacity of the ships' minds; I really bought into the concept of The Culture and allowed myself to see it as a possible outcome of humankind, given time. The Algebraist (which some friends got Banks to sign for me as a birthday present) was fantastic in that it left The Culture and created even more worlds to explore. I admit it was probably more enjoyable being a fan already.

 

I think I'm going to have to go back and read them all again as I can't remember them completely and know they'll still give me great pleasure. I'll get hold of Surface Material first though so look forward to chatting about that in due time.

[Paul]

It's funny as we both obviously love the Ian M Banks ones more yet those two you've mentioned were two of my favourites. I agree about Excession though; I started reading it when tired and, after about fifty pages of continually going back to check ship names, gave up and started again a couple of months later. I'm glad I persevered. It was almost like you're challenged to enjoy it and benefit all the more for having given it the time. Feersum Endjin I loved for the part written from Bascule's perspective and totally phonetically. I thought it was absolutely amazing and enthralling. I think this is where he's at his best, with several stories running, possibly simultaneously and meeting in a climax. As I said previously, Walking On Glass is my favourite of his fiction novels for that reason.

 

I thought Use Of Weapons was genius in its eventual darkness. I, unfortunately, knew what was coming due to some loose-lipped friends but that didn't hinder my enjoyment.

 

Look To Windward I loved for the strength of the main characters. Consider Phlebas I loved due to the first introduction to The Culture and the capacity of the ships' minds; I really bought into the concept of The Culture and allowed myself to see it as a possible outcome of humankind, given time. The Algebraist (which some friends got Banks to sign for me as a birthday present) was fantastic in that it left The Culture and created even more worlds to explore. I admit it was probably more enjoyable being a fan already.

 

I think I'm going to have to go back and read them all again as I can't remember them completely and know they'll still give me great pleasure. I'll get hold of Surface Material first though so look forward to chatting about that in due time.

 

It's actually Surface Detail and not Surface Material as I initially said.

 

On the two books I mentioned as less instantly readable, I still really liked them. My favourite Culture story is probably The State of the Art, though. It is definitely his most "human" writing as he leaves behind the ironic, knowing cool of his dialogue to focus on the guy who elects to lead an entirely human life, death and all.

[Anny Road]

Tough to get into but I read the whole thing on the bog. decent shit ending. Finally.

[Guido]

Tough to get into but I read the whole thing on the bog. decent shit ending. Finally.

 

Did you draw an ace?