The Business
by Iain Banks
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Kate Telman is a senior executive officer in The Business, a powerful and massively discreet transglobal organisation. Financially transparent, internally democratic and disavowing conventional familial inheritance, the character of The Business seems, even to Kate, to be vague to the point of invisibility. It possesses, allegedly, a book of Leonardo cartoons, several sets of Crown Jewels and wants to buy its own State in order to acquire a seat at the United Nations. Kate's job is to keep show more abreast of current technological developments and her global reach encompasses Silicon Valley, a ranch in Nebraska, the firm's secretive Swiss headquarters, and a remote Himalayan principality. In the course of her journey Kate must peel away layers of emotional insulation and the assumptions of a lifetime. She must learn to keep her world at arm's length. To take control, she has to do The Business. show lessTags
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themulhern A mystery unfolds, an acerbic and capable protagonist, technology, money and social observations.
djryan Fictional organisation with too much power.
Member Reviews
I've had extremely mixed experiences with Iain Banks novels. Some I loved ([b:Transition|6436659|Transition|Iain M. Banks|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1425502839s/6436659.jpg|6626240], [b:The Player of Games|18630|The Player of Games (Culture, #2)|Iain M. Banks|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1386922873s/18630.jpg|1494157]), one I absolutely hated ([b:The Wasp Factory|567678|The Wasp Factory|Iain Banks|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1434940562s/567678.jpg|3205295]), others had clever elements but failed to engage me ([b:Consider Phlebas|8935689|Consider Phlebas (Culture, #1)|Iain M. Banks|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1327951890s/8935689.jpg|14366], [b:Use of Weapons|12007|Use of Weapons (Culture, #4)|Iain M. show more Banks|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1388530572s/12007.jpg|1494156]). ‘The Business’ was a different experience again - I enjoyed it and was engaged, but there were certain flaws that prevented me from wholly adoring it. The greatest strength was the narrator, Kate Telman. She is an excellent character: a clever, reticent, ambitious woman dealing adroitly with annoying men on a daily basis. In fact, I’m impressed that Banks got me to sympathise and identify with such a jet-setting 0.1% hyper-capitalist. He managed it, I think, by demonstrating that all her money and power do not prevent Kate from being hit on by drunk arseholes. Not that she didn’t also interact with a variety of interesting women, but I did appreciate her running conversational rings around level one men. She has a great turn of phrase: ‘I did my impression of the Roman Empire, and declined.’ Moreover, I liked the emphasis on how the power of money can be brittle. It can’t protect you from car accidents, or the FBI confiscating your weapons, or your grand gestures falling flat. If anything, the overconfidence it brings makes such events more likely.
The characters and dialogue were, to my mind, stronger than the plot. I would happily have followed Kate about her typical work days.As it was the plot seemed to raise more questions in my mind than it actually answered. What did Kate’s actual day job at the Business involve? Why did she feel compelled to uncover the conspiracy? What was so bad about it? Concealed trading seemed so mundane and apparently only the secrecy made it inappropriate. Is Banks making a point about the utter arbitrariness of ‘responsible’ capitalism? After all, the Business is repeatedly stated to obey no laws but its own. I bet this kind of corruption is totally typical at Goldman Sachs. Indeed, the rules that the Business operates by and its long-termism make it seem fantastical. I liked the conceit of the Business wanting a seat at the UN, but these days why would they need something so crude? Neoliberal ideology predominates such that international business interests are constantly placed above those of electorates, as economic growth is the only means by which the world can exist.
Returning to the novel’s plot, presumably the implication is that Kate was uncovering the embezzlement for her own satisfaction and ambition, yet that doesn’t really chime with her decision to marry Suvinder. It was obvious that, a) he would ask her marry him (I actually commented on this out loud while reading: “He’s about to propose, you fool!”) and, b) at the end she would return to Thulahn. However I don’t understand why she accepts his proposal and do not see the marriage ending well. Suvinder’s latter polite behaviour should not somehow erase his previous drunken harassment. Surely Kate could work with him and shape the whole Thulahn project without marrying Suvinder? Thus I was ambivalent about the ending overall.
That said, I am willing to forgive a lot for the scene in which Kate tortures a Ferrari, which is a thing of beauty and a joy forever:
In summary, a smart and nuanced depiction of how privileged people justify their wealth and power to themselves under globalised capitalism. The plot doesn’t explain itself as well as it might and I take issue with certain aspects of the ending, however the main character is excellent and there are some truly wonderful scenes and fantastic bits of dialogue. show less
The characters and dialogue were, to my mind, stronger than the plot. I would happily have followed Kate about her typical work days.
Returning to the novel’s plot, presumably the implication is that Kate was uncovering the embezzlement for her own satisfaction and ambition, yet that doesn’t really chime with her decision to marry Suvinder. It was obvious that, a) he would ask her marry him (I actually commented on this out loud while reading: “He’s about to propose, you fool!”) and, b) at the end she would return to Thulahn. However I don’t understand why she accepts his proposal and do not see the marriage ending well. Suvinder’s latter polite behaviour should not somehow erase his previous drunken harassment. Surely Kate could work with him and shape the whole Thulahn project without marrying Suvinder? Thus I was ambivalent about the ending overall.
That said, I am willing to forgive a lot for the scene in which Kate tortures a Ferrari, which is a thing of beauty and a joy forever:
The car quaked, the engine screamed, wailing like something in the utmost extremity of agony. It would have been a hard thing to do for anyone with the slightest amount of mechanical sympathy, and I wasn’t enjoying it, but, then, it was a means to an end, and in the end our Adrian was right: it was just metal. No matter what it sounded like, the only real suffering was being done by him. Poudenhaut shook as he heard the noise, then he spun round and came charging back. He beat on the hood with his fists. “Stop it! Stop it! Stop it!”
“Can you smell that, Adrian? Smells like burning oil or something, don’t you think? Oh, look, there’s a red light on in here. Can’t imagine that bodes too well.” I blipped the throttle again. The engine caterwauled, metallic and harsh. “That sound different to you? I thought it sounded different that time. More of a metallic edge, seemed to me. What do you think? Here, have another listen…”
“Stop it! Stop it!”
“You’d better answer my questions, Adrian, or soon I’m going to get bored and then I’ll just keep my foot planted pedal to the metal until the fucker seizes.”
In summary, a smart and nuanced depiction of how privileged people justify their wealth and power to themselves under globalised capitalism. The plot doesn’t explain itself as well as it might and I take issue with certain aspects of the ending, however the main character is excellent and there are some truly wonderful scenes and fantastic bits of dialogue. show less
The problem with writers like Iain Banks is the very thing that makes them interesting: their eclecticism. No two Iain Banks novels are alike. I know horror fans who were delighted by Wasp factory and Complicity, but couldn't get their heads round The Bridge or Whit. Likewise I know people who came to The Crow Road after seeing the TV adaptation, loved it and were then horrified by The Wasp Factory.
Personally, the only Banks novel I have had difficulty with was 'Song of Stone'which I found meandering and overly Kafka-esque. To me, The Business heralded a major return to form (the form I like) and I enjoyed it greatly. Tightly plotted, wildly imaginative and thoroughly gripping. One of the most accessible Banks novels to the uninitiated show more and another thought-fest for the hardcore fans. show less
Personally, the only Banks novel I have had difficulty with was 'Song of Stone'which I found meandering and overly Kafka-esque. To me, The Business heralded a major return to form (the form I like) and I enjoyed it greatly. Tightly plotted, wildly imaginative and thoroughly gripping. One of the most accessible Banks novels to the uninitiated show more and another thought-fest for the hardcore fans. show less
A high-mid-level exec of an infamously long-lived enterprise just referred to as "The Business" is sized up for a unusual project, involving the acquisition of a small Himalayan country.
The plot of this novel is your basic plucky heroine gets in over her head and susses out what's really going on behind the curtain. The plucky heroine in question, however, is a technology executive at the original multinational corporation, and while she has humble origins, she's pretty powerful at the opening of the novel. Instead of realizing her own strength and finding the man of her dreams, well, let's just say the novel takes a different tack. It's an interesting angle on a familiar story, and the voice of the narrator is vibrant enough that you show more hang on through an awful lot of what amounts to reviews of international transportation (the protagonist jets around the globe frequently, and comments on the service of private jets vs. Concordes, etc).
This book was recommended to me when I voiced a desire for mysteries that don't involve mortal peril, to read before bedtime (I try not to read about serial killers and the like before I go to sleep). It fit perfectly. show less
The plot of this novel is your basic plucky heroine gets in over her head and susses out what's really going on behind the curtain. The plucky heroine in question, however, is a technology executive at the original multinational corporation, and while she has humble origins, she's pretty powerful at the opening of the novel. Instead of realizing her own strength and finding the man of her dreams, well, let's just say the novel takes a different tack. It's an interesting angle on a familiar story, and the voice of the narrator is vibrant enough that you show more hang on through an awful lot of what amounts to reviews of international transportation (the protagonist jets around the globe frequently, and comments on the service of private jets vs. Concordes, etc).
This book was recommended to me when I voiced a desire for mysteries that don't involve mortal peril, to read before bedtime (I try not to read about serial killers and the like before I go to sleep). It fit perfectly. show less
The rare (only) Banks book that I recall disliking; the writing and characterization was so jarring, that I wondered if it was written as a parody of the genre.
’El Negocio’ (The Business, 1999) es una novela escrita por el Banks de la rama mainstream, y por tanto no tiene nada que ver con su particular universo de ciencia ficción de La Cultura. Pero esta obra se aleja bastante de sus otras obras mainstream, como ‘La fábrica de avispas’, ‘Pasos sobre cristal’, ‘Una canción de piedra’, ‘Cómplice’ o ‘El puente’, ya que todas contienen elementos de una imaginación insuperable, y un ritmo muy atractivo. En el caso de ’El Negocio’, no sucede esto; la acción es más pausada y en ocasiones aburrida. Banks ha querido escribir un thriller con tintes de conspiración que tarda mucho en arrancar.
Pero vayamos con la trama. El Negocio es una empresa, una sociedad secreta show more más bien, cuya historia se remonta hasta el Imperio Romano, y que se ha visto implicada, directa o indirectamente, en algunos momentos decisivos de la Historia, pero siempre manteniéndose en un segundo plano. Porque la misión principal de El Negocio, y de sus miembros, es hacer dinero, y el poder que éste conlleva. La protagonista, Kate Telman, pertenece a uno de los niveles más altos de la jerarquía que controla El Negocio, cargo que ha alcanzado gracias a su buen ojo para las nuevas tecnologías. La vida de Kate es relativamente plácida, e iremos conociendo parte de su pasado y de cómo entró en conocimiento de El Negocio, a través de flashbacks. La ambición de Kate no es otra que subir de nivel. Pero El Negocio ambiciona algo que lleva persiguiendo desde hace siglos: la posesión de un Estado propio y la inmunidad y el poder que esto supondría.
Banks narra muy bien, y sus diálogos son excelentes, “marca de la casa”, y la evolución de su protagonista durante la trama es muy meritoria, llegas a entender sus actos. Pero ’El Negocio’ no deja de ser una obra menor de Banks. Correcta, interesante por momentos, pero que no me ha dejado excesiva huella. show less
Pero vayamos con la trama. El Negocio es una empresa, una sociedad secreta show more más bien, cuya historia se remonta hasta el Imperio Romano, y que se ha visto implicada, directa o indirectamente, en algunos momentos decisivos de la Historia, pero siempre manteniéndose en un segundo plano. Porque la misión principal de El Negocio, y de sus miembros, es hacer dinero, y el poder que éste conlleva. La protagonista, Kate Telman, pertenece a uno de los niveles más altos de la jerarquía que controla El Negocio, cargo que ha alcanzado gracias a su buen ojo para las nuevas tecnologías. La vida de Kate es relativamente plácida, e iremos conociendo parte de su pasado y de cómo entró en conocimiento de El Negocio, a través de flashbacks. La ambición de Kate no es otra que subir de nivel. Pero El Negocio ambiciona algo que lleva persiguiendo desde hace siglos: la posesión de un Estado propio y la inmunidad y el poder que esto supondría.
Banks narra muy bien, y sus diálogos son excelentes, “marca de la casa”, y la evolución de su protagonista durante la trama es muy meritoria, llegas a entender sus actos. Pero ’El Negocio’ no deja de ser una obra menor de Banks. Correcta, interesante por momentos, pero que no me ha dejado excesiva huella. show less
A contemporary thriller by Iain Banks. An intelligent, capable, acerbic, articulate _female_ protagonist. There are many novels with female protagonists, but they usually don't have all those qualities. I'm not sure I also admire the promiscuity, but the justified self-confidence that made it so easy, that would be nice too have. Several discourses on politics and morality and some bits that just made me laugh out loud.
The US characters were drawn with very broad strokes, but the fabulously wealthy collector of large ordnance and his play-writing nephew both had a kernel of truth in them. They were not the insulting, but entirely boring, stereotypes that many Europeans seem to accept w/out question.
2018 May
Not as good the second time. show more There are some interesting discussions and some utterly hilarious bits. But the book is less than I remember it being. The hilarious bits must have really captured my attention. show less
The US characters were drawn with very broad strokes, but the fabulously wealthy collector of large ordnance and his play-writing nephew both had a kernel of truth in them. They were not the insulting, but entirely boring, stereotypes that many Europeans seem to accept w/out question.
2018 May
Not as good the second time. show more There are some interesting discussions and some utterly hilarious bits. But the book is less than I remember it being. The hilarious bits must have really captured my attention. show less
My response to hearing of the passing of Iain Banks was to go out and get another book of his to read. This one lacks the "M." in the author name, so technically, it's not science fiction, though it does dive into alternate history/universe territory.
So, what if there was a powerful multinational corporation that had been in existence since before the Roman Empire (which it actually owned for a brief period of time), which was now interested in acquiring a country in order to have a seat in the UN? That's the underlying supposition in The Business (decidedly NOT "The Firm".)
I listened to this on audio, with one of my favorite voice actors, and the first bit was simply marvelous. It's a voice conversation between the main character, show more Kate, and a colleague Mike, who has just awakened after being drugged, to find about half his teeth randomly pulled. All this on the morning before he was to fly out for a high profile meeting with a powerful executive The Business has been been wooing.
The story that follows was quite compelling. Banks wrote from a woman's point of view and did it without embarrassing himself or women in general.
An author to be missed, to be sure, but luckily, he left us a legacy of reading. show less
So, what if there was a powerful multinational corporation that had been in existence since before the Roman Empire (which it actually owned for a brief period of time), which was now interested in acquiring a country in order to have a seat in the UN? That's the underlying supposition in The Business (decidedly NOT "The Firm".)
I listened to this on audio, with one of my favorite voice actors, and the first bit was simply marvelous. It's a voice conversation between the main character, show more Kate, and a colleague Mike, who has just awakened after being drugged, to find about half his teeth randomly pulled. All this on the morning before he was to fly out for a high profile meeting with a powerful executive The Business has been been wooing.
The story that follows was quite compelling. Banks wrote from a woman's point of view and did it without embarrassing himself or women in general.
An author to be missed, to be sure, but luckily, he left us a legacy of reading. show less
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- Canonical title
- The Business
- Original publication date
- 1999
- People/Characters
- Kathryn Telman
- Important places
- Himalayas; London, England, UK; Antarctica
- Dedication
- To Ray, Carole and Andrew
and again
with thanks to Ken - First words
- 'Hello?'
'Kate?'
'Yes.'
'Itsh Mike.' - Quotations
- We always think we are right and — search as I have — there is no evil under the sun that somebody somewhere won't argue is actually a good, no idiocy that hasn't got its perfectly serious defenders, and no tyrant, past o... (show all)r present — no matter how bloody — without some bunch of zealot schmucks to defend him or his reputation till the last breath in their bodies — or preferably somebody else's.
- Last words
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)When my turn came, I pulled a couple of shiny disks from my pocket and threw both of them into the flames.
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