jayden_mccomiskie's review against another edition
5.0
arghh Banks. I love you and miss you. Many complain that these stories don't connect, or if they do it's superficially. I don't care. They rule. Especially the Graham story.
amyymon's review
challenging
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse
Moderate: Incest
bibliomaniac2021's review
dark
funny
mysterious
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
fallen_adam's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
bundy23's review
2.0
3 stories, 2 are pretty interesting, one a bit too fantasy oriented for me. I don't know if I'm not smart enough, that I wasn't paying enough attention or that Banks was just trying too hard to be tricky but I didn't understand how the 3 stories interconnected or what the ending was trying to say (I just spent 20 minutes googling it and it seems I'm not alone).
My "gut feel" rating was 3 stars but the more I think about it the more it annoys me that I didn't get a resolution, or least one that I could understand so 2 stars it is.
My "gut feel" rating was 3 stars but the more I think about it the more it annoys me that I didn't get a resolution, or least one that I could understand so 2 stars it is.
lazygal's review
3.0
I love Iain Banks but am not so fond of Iain M. Banks, and this book felt as though the latter was influencing the former. As with The Song of Stone, this was an iffy book for me.
There are three intertwined stories here, although we don't learn how they mingle until the last part. First, there's Graham, in love with Sara (who is escaping her marriage, is also involved with Strokes - a biker - and keeps Graham at semi-arms-length). Second, there's Steven, an ASD (before that term existed) hoarder with paranoid delusions; he's just quit his job, rather than be fired, so as to not give "them" any more power in his life, but this will complicate his getting benefits. Third, there's Quiss, imprisoned in a strange castle and forced to play games with Ajaya (another prisoner in the Therapeutic Wars) - together they must answer the question "what happens when an irresistible force meets an immovable object?".
The stories only come together at the very end, and the pacing of that doesn't quite match the first part of the book. Apparently, the author himself wasn't happy with the ending, which made me feel better!
There are three intertwined stories here, although we don't learn how they mingle until the last part. First, there's Graham, in love with Sara (who is escaping her marriage, is also involved with Strokes - a biker - and keeps Graham at semi-arms-length). Second, there's Steven, an ASD (before that term existed) hoarder with paranoid delusions; he's just quit his job, rather than be fired, so as to not give "them" any more power in his life, but this will complicate his getting benefits. Third, there's Quiss, imprisoned in a strange castle and forced to play games with Ajaya (another prisoner in the Therapeutic Wars) - together they must answer the question "what happens when an irresistible force meets an immovable object?".
The stories only come together at the very end, and the pacing of that doesn't quite match the first part of the book. Apparently, the author himself wasn't happy with the ending, which made me feel better!
ipb1's review against another edition
4.0
Re-visited this after 35 years and I still don't know what the hell is going on and which reality is really real, so to speak. Far from either of the Banks 'twins' best (Iain or Iain M.) and hovers uneasily between the two in terms of genre. Still enjoyable though - 3.5*.
Time to revisit [b:The Bridge|249606|The Bridge |Iain Banks|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1348880314l/249606._SY75_.jpg|1494168] methinks...
Time to revisit [b:The Bridge|249606|The Bridge |Iain Banks|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1348880314l/249606._SY75_.jpg|1494168] methinks...