Im not sure if this will age so well and one day readers may look upon books like this with nostalgic amusement but for. This is not a sympathy vote for a writer fighting against cancer. Iain banks is a genius and peter kenny presents his works perfectly. Banks had really sad to have to use the past tense here the ability to make his books almost more realistic than real life, chiming with the experiences of so many people. When youre the least welcome person in town, how do you unravel the truth. Banks books in order of publication and in chronological order. But on a bleak day, stonemouth seems to have nothing to offer but fog, cheap drugs, and gangstersand a suspension bridge that promises a permanent way out. He used this as his pen name for science fiction and goes by iain banks for some of his books. No catches, no fine print just unadulterated book loving, with your favourite books saved to your own digital bookshelf. In 2008, the london times named banks as one of the fifty greatest writers since 1945. Find books like stonemouth from the worlds largest community of readers.
By the author of the wasp factory, the longawaited and stunning new novel from the unrivaled iain banks stewart gilmour is back in stonemouth, scotland. An estuary town north of aberdeen, stonemouth, with its five mile beach, can be. Especially if you fall in love with the daughter of one of the main gangster families. He has since gained enormous popular and critical acclaim for both his mainstream and his science fiction novels which are published under the name iain m banks iain banks died in june 20. He was a writer and actor, known for consider phlebas, complicity 2000 and stonemouth 2015. The irish times picked the book as one of their books to read in 2012.
Like the poems that appeared within his novels, this was selected from the many he had written between 1973 kit doesnt know who his mother is. Stonemouth is a 2012 novel by scottish author iain banks. Imagine that instead of seeing the story of michael corleone in italianamerican mafia society from his point of view, we heard the story from the vantage point of his nonmafiafamily girlfriendwife, and in a scottish setting, and swapped the gender of the two lead characters. Stonemouth is kind of a reverse godfather the puzo book plot. The polarizing literary debut by scottish author ian banks, the wasp factory is the bizarre, imaginative, disturbing, and darkly comic look into the mind of a child psychopath. Iain banks is celebrated as a novelist and science fiction writer. Iain banks came to widespread and controversial public notice with the publication of his first novel, the wasp factory, in 1984. Based on iain banks s bestselling novel, this romantic mystery follows stewart as he returns to his childhood home and tries to discover the truth behind his best friends death. Stonemouth might be my top romance read of this year. Get this book free when you sign up for a 30day trial. Everyday low prices on a huge range of new releases and classic fiction.
After five years in exile his presence is required at the funeral of patriarch joe murston, and even though the last time stu. Librarything is a cataloging and social networking site for booklovers. After the publication and success of the wasp factory 1984, banks began to write on a fulltime basis. Spare and swift and and barrels toward a satisfyingly thrilling conclusion. It is less well known that his first published work was the poem 041, in new writing scotland in 1983. Distils bankss manifold talents into an entertaining confection. Iain banks dark family secrets, a longlost love affair and a multimillion pound gaming business lie at the heart of iain banks s fabulous new novel. But on a bleak day, stonemouth seems to have nothing to offer but fog, cheap. He came to widespread and controversial public notice with the publication of his first novel, the wasp factory, in 1984.
My only sadness is that there will be no more iain banks books to. In a career spanning twentynine years, he wrote an impressive twentynine books including the science fiction culture books as iain m. Iain bankss plot doesnt quite deliver on all its promises, but the voice of 26yearold stewart is quite superbly done. To my shame, ive largely not read very many of these though i would recommend the. Since that time, he has split his time between his culture books the series started in 87 and standalone novels such as stonemouth. Iain banks 16 february 1954 9 june 20 was a scottish author. Iain banks author biography iain menzies banks was born in fife in 1954, and was educated at stirling university, where he studied english literature, philosophy and psychology. Appearances are deceptive in iain bankss homecoming novel. Banks was born on february 16, 1954 in fife, scotland. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read stonemouth.
Contemporary, hilarious, grittyyes, this is genre fiction, and no, the genre doesnt get much better than this. A desperate young man becomes entangled with a scottish crime family in this brilliant, irresistible novel from the author of the wasp factory the new york times. Jan 03, 20 buy stonemouth by iain banks from amazons fiction books store. Stonemouth by iain banks overdrive rakuten overdrive. Jun 10, 20 iain banks, writer, born 16 february 1954. When iain banks writes a bildungsroman about a young man who. An estuary town north of aberdeen, stonemouth has a beach that can be beautiful on a sunny day. Stonemouth by iain banks stewart gilmour is back in stonemouth. If you are the publisher or author of this book and feel that the.
Signin to download and listen to this audiobook today. The first iain banks book i read ended up with a 16 year old finding out that they were actually a girl and her dad had been secretly doping her with testosterone pretended shed lost her bollocks in a dog attack. The novel was published on 5 april 2012 by little, brown and company and follows a man returning to a small seaport town after leaving due to a sexual scandal. After five years in exile his presence is required at the funeral of local patriarch joe murston, even though the last time stewart saw the murstons he was running for his life. Iain banks jake kerridge talks to iain banks about his new novel, stonemouth, and why the mistswathed forth road bridge inspires his writing. However, as a massive iain m banks fan, stonemouth just comes across as banks lite, something i think that any good writer and imb is a great writer could knock off without raising too much sweat. Iain banks, who died this month, was one of my favourite writers. Gilmour treats us to reflections on growing up in stonemouth, allowing banks to generate characters. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading stonemouth. Jun 25, 20 a return to form for banks with similarities to the crow road. I was already familiar with the daring, big concept, galaxy spawning culture books, but there is little to recognize in style and in plot when the writer turns towards contemporary fiction, towards the intimate, the understated character study. Tough, funny, fastpaced and touching, stonemouth cracks open adolescence, love, brotherhood, and vengeance in a rite of passage novel like no other. Stonemouth by iain banks, 9780349000206, available at book depository with free delivery worldwide. Two years after i killed blyth i murdered my young brother paul, for quite different and more fundamental reasons than id disposed of blyth, and.
Iain banks author iain banks, whose novels have been published in over thirty languages, is a scottish writer who writes both mainstream fiction and science fiction. Its definitely going back and ill not be purchasing anymore books by iain banks. An estuary town north of aberdeen, stonemouth, with its five mile beach, can be beautiful on a sunny day. As with the novelistentertainer graham greene acknowledged as one of his favourite writers, there are two bankses. Buy stonemouth by iain banks from amazons fiction books store. Stonemouth 2012 stewart gilmour returns three years after being chased out of his home town. Buy stonemouth by iain banks from waterstones today. But there again it can be cold, foggy, inhospitable and dangerous. Stewart gilmours home is stonemouth, an estuary town north of aberdeen.
I wallow in fiction, especially when layered so carefully, as most of banks work undoubtedly is. Banks the sciencefiction writer are too well known to need introduction, but iain banks the poet has hitherto been almost undetected. He gained enormous popular and critical acclaim for both his mainstream and his science fiction novels. Iain banks was born on february 16, 1954 in dunfermline, fife, scotland. Iain banks, whose novels have been published in over thirty languages, is a scottish writer who writes both mainstream fiction and science fiction. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. Books go search best sellers gift ideas new releases. The novel stonemouth does not open on the forth road bridge, but on a fictional bridge. With its five mile beach it can be beautiful on a summers day. After five years in exile his presence is required at the funeral of patriarch joe murston, and even though the last time stu saw the murstons he was running for his life, staying away might be even more dangerous than turning up. Indeed, it is not until threequarters of the way through the book that this love turns up. He was married to adele hartley and annie blackburn. Based on iain bankss bestselling novel, this romantic mystery follows stewart as he returns to his childhood home and tries to discover the truth behind his best friends death.
Kenny brings out every nuance and has a voice that seems to merge with the text and creates a full blooded technicolour rendition of the story. I cant even remember the second book of his i read, but apparently i liked it. The novel stonemouth does not open on the forth road bridge, but on. Iain banks at his very best his funniest, grittiest and most exciting novel yet. The wopuld family built its fortune on a board game called empire. Becoming a member of the lovereading community is free. Banks vivid imagination is always evident, not just in his scifi books, and this one carries you along with its action and its characters many of whom you feel you know. Banks made his debut as a published author with the wasp factory in 1984.
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