The Wasp Factory (1984)

Interesting, but not brilliant..................................worth a read, but not a re-read ( )

Our narrator here is a teenaged boy. He is an enforced recluse and having not been registered at birth by his parents he makes his appearances in the nearby town as the nephew/cousin of his real father and brother. One consequence of his solitude is that he likes to play elaborate games, by himself, out on the small island where he lives, right off the coast of Scotland. His games involve dam building, blowing things up, and killing small animals. He is not right in the head.

Young Franks older brother is more obviously mentally unwell, and has recently escaped from a mental institution. The story of Franks childhood comes out tit for tat with the story of his brother, Eric's, journey both into the institution, and back home, post-escape. This latter part of the story is told through the various phone calls Eric makes to Frank on his way.

Both Frank and Eric are dangerous boys who delight in harming living things, Frank being intelligent, is able to rationalise and account for why he "has to do it". It is this aspect of the story that makes me love it. The author is able to give insight into what is going on inside the head of someone whose actions you simply cannot imagine anyone understanding the reasons for. The story is spilled out in an unhurried way that makes you very very keen to keep reading, but that doesn't taunt you with clues and then leave you hanging. Brilliant. ( )

A fantastically well written book but I'm glad it's over and I will definitely not be reading it again. ( )

Enjoyably gruesome - though the ending was a bit tame. ( )

Do not really know what to think of this book. It is very creative, but I somehow felt that it lacked something driving the story forward and I did not get drawn into the action, despite all the good things I have heard about it. Maybe another time.

Centered on the psychopathic child Frank, who is partly captured by the following:
"A death is always exciting, always makes you realize how alive you are, how vulnerable but so-far-lucky; but the death of somebody close gives you a good excuse to go crazy for a while and do thing that would otherwise be inexcusable. What delight to behave really badly and still get loads of sympathy!" ( )