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lostlegend's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed this book in a weird, voyeuristic sort of way.
For me it captured the idea of the "banality of evil" and was a refreshing change from the genius level psychopaths that usually litter these types of story, instead focusing on a psychopath who is essentially a teenage dork with a penchant for torturing animals.
The dark comedy in this story is very often overlooked as well. The tales of his various family members who have met their end in increasingly ludicrous ways was a highlight for me.
I do get why this book can divide opinion though. This is definitely not for the squeamish or those who don't appreciate the absolute darkest humour.
For me it captured the idea of the "banality of evil" and was a refreshing change from the genius level psychopaths that usually litter these types of story, instead focusing on a psychopath who is essentially a teenage dork with a penchant for torturing animals.
The dark comedy in this story is very often overlooked as well. The tales of his various family members who have met their end in increasingly ludicrous ways was a highlight for me.
I do get why this book can divide opinion though. This is definitely not for the squeamish or those who don't appreciate the absolute darkest humour.
monkeelino's review against another edition
4.0
This hovered around a 2- or 3-star rating for me a good 100 pgs in and then this overwhelming sense of dread just took over magnetically. A dread demanding one see it through. Much like the way your eyes are drawn to an accident scene and you can't look away despite a guarantee that what you will see will be horrible. Not recommended for dog lovers or fans of wasps. I feel like I want to wash my hands over and over and ...
thegregk's review against another edition
4.0
Fascinating and terrifying book. Read it knowing nothing about what to expect. Unforgettable. Though, the ending was kind of pants.
marcopolo84's review against another edition
4.0
Evil kid!
Very evil little kid.
Horribly evil little kid,
Left to to horribly evil little things.
What a debut!
Very evil little kid.
Horribly evil little kid,
Left to to horribly evil little things.
What a debut!
dahliaagain's review against another edition
3.0
An unexpected ending to be complimentary, but not so sure I was drawn in for the surprise with much of the beginning of the plot. Seemed out of left field at the end and left me with very little suspense if any throughout. Interesting.
eckeltricity's review against another edition
2.0
I recently signed up for BooksFree, an online book rental service, and this is one of the two books that I received for my first month.
When I first started reading The Wasp Factory, I wondered what had drawn me to add this to my 'to read' list. I wondered this because this is definitely not the typical kind of book that I would read. It's extremely morbid and has scenes that left me feeling slightly angry and disturbed. The writing style definitely reminds me of 19th century books like Huckleberry Finn in that it has very long and detailed descriptions of the nature surrounding the main character. I'm not a huge fan of these kinds of descriptions, my eyes usually gloss over them and I have to reread them several times to actually form a picture in my head.
Frank, the main character, has a very interesting perspective on things. Disturbing? Yes. But he doesn't give off that serial killer vibe. Frank is the kind of person you rarely speak to, don't really notice and don't think much of. However, he's also the kind of person you wouldn't want to be alone in a room with or have as a partner for a class project. Although The Wasp Factory wasn't exactly a page turner, I did want to find out what happened to make Frank the way he is and whether his brother, Eric, even existed or not. I wanted to see if Frank would change, if he would feel remorse for the acts he had previously committed.
Despite being listed as one of the top 100 books in the 20th century, I just don't appreciate this book to that extent. I would recommend it to someone who is interested in morbid characters and violent and graphic scenes.
Memorable Quote
"What a delight to behave really badly and still get loads of sympathy!" (41)
When I first started reading The Wasp Factory, I wondered what had drawn me to add this to my 'to read' list. I wondered this because this is definitely not the typical kind of book that I would read. It's extremely morbid and has scenes that left me feeling slightly angry and disturbed. The writing style definitely reminds me of 19th century books like Huckleberry Finn in that it has very long and detailed descriptions of the nature surrounding the main character. I'm not a huge fan of these kinds of descriptions, my eyes usually gloss over them and I have to reread them several times to actually form a picture in my head.
Frank, the main character, has a very interesting perspective on things. Disturbing? Yes. But he doesn't give off that serial killer vibe. Frank is the kind of person you rarely speak to, don't really notice and don't think much of. However, he's also the kind of person you wouldn't want to be alone in a room with or have as a partner for a class project. Although The Wasp Factory wasn't exactly a page turner, I did want to find out what happened to make Frank the way he is and whether his brother, Eric, even existed or not. I wanted to see if Frank would change, if he would feel remorse for the acts he had previously committed.
Despite being listed as one of the top 100 books in the 20th century, I just don't appreciate this book to that extent. I would recommend it to someone who is interested in morbid characters and violent and graphic scenes.
Memorable Quote
"What a delight to behave really badly and still get loads of sympathy!" (41)
brook_e143's review against another edition
challenging
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
teacherrunner42's review against another edition
2.0
page after page of 'how else can I shock the reader.' It had an element of suspense, but that just dragged to the point of 'get on with it...'
Very graphic, which can be fine, but this just seemed to be graphic for the sake of graphic. not really within the realm of plot development.
Very graphic, which can be fine, but this just seemed to be graphic for the sake of graphic. not really within the realm of plot development.
lady_icarus's review against another edition
3.0
A seriously dark book. It's full of bad people but I didn't see the end coming so bonus points for that.