Iain Banks, Walking on Glass, Book Review
A Look at one of Britains Most Prolific Writier's Earlier Novels
Written in 1985, Walking on Glass was the second novel written by Iain Banks, and was eagerly anticipated after the success of his debut book The Wasp Factory. The unfolding narrative tells three separate stories that, though seemingly disconnected, find themselves merging into an eventual bewildering climax.
Plot Summary
Graham Park is a college student who finds himself falling deliriously in love with the free spirited yet strangely elusive Sarah Ffitch. As he approaches her flat to break the ice once and for all, he recalls the times good and bad that brought him towards this final resolve. Meanwhile, Steven Grout, a paranoid schizophrenic made recently redundant, plans to drown his sorrows of spending a birthday alone, whilst recoiling further into a neurotic belief that intergalactic forces are conspiring to break his spirits.
Far removed from these urban tales of misadventure is the story of Quiss and Ajayi, two ageing warriors trapped in a decaying castle on a far away world, and forced to solve a series of elaborate puzzles in order to earn their escape. In their ongoing struggle they will eventually find the truth of their imprisonment, and the futility of their situation.
Bank's Love of Various Genres
In this book, Iain Banks combines elements of fantasy and reality in a way he does best. His depiction of narcissism in a modern Britain shows how acute an observation he has made over social situations, as well as having a frank and poignant understanding of human psychology. Meanwhile, his surreal and macabre descriptions of far away realms and otherworldly characters, clearly demonstrates his love for classic and contemporary fairytale storytelling.
Confused Or Exhilarated: Let the Readers Decide
Walking on Glass is a puzzle of a novel. With each story following a different time frame but playing out in equal episodic segments throughout the book, readers will at once be more than curious as to how the lives of each character will draw to close, and find themselves hard pressed not to chew their way through to the end in anticipation.
Unfortunately resolutions don't come cheap. Audiences may be at a loss by the final chapter, as outcomes are vastly open to interpretation. But this is one book that seems intent making readers think. For those willing to persevere and thumb back through previously read pages, the clues are there to be found, and if rediscovered will potentially gratify a once dumbfounded reader.
Weather or not this is an effective way of engaging an audience, there is no doubting that Iain Banks is masterful in his storytelling and ingenious in his wordplay. When trying to imagine how such an intricate and complex book is written in the first place, its hard not to respect an author with such a clear and well focused passion for the world of literature.
Cover Art
|
What do you think about this article?
More in Reading & Literature
Latest Articles