The Wasp Factory
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The Wasp Factory
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Narrated by:
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Peter Kenny
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By:
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Iain Banks
About this listen
The Wasp Factory is a bizarre, imaginative, disturbing, and darkly comic look into the mind of a child psychopath - one of the most infamous of contemporary Scottish novels.
"Two years after I killed Blyth, I murdered my young brother Paul, for quite different and more fundamental reasons than I'd disposed of Blyth, and then a year after that I did for my young cousin Esmerelda, more or less on a whim. That's my score to date. Three. I haven't killed anybody for years, and don't intend to ever again. It was just a stage that I was going through."
Enter - if you can bear it - the extraordinary private world of Frank, just 16, and unconventional, to say the least.
©2007 Hachette Audio (P)2007 Hachette AudioListeners also enjoyed...
Critic reviews
"One of the most brilliant first novels I have come across." (The Telegraph)
"One of the top 100 novels of the century." (The Independent)
"Brilliant...irresistible...compelling." (New York Times)
What listeners say about The Wasp Factory
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- nick
- 04-06-19
Both mesmerising and aweful
A remarkable book that both mesmerises and horrifies the listener.
Working on multiple levels it is both a physical and philosophical tale of deceit, destruction and rebirth.
And wasps.
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Miss B Jackson
- 29-04-15
Shaking
It's not a novel I'll easily forget. The violence in it is very real and balanced by the voice of the narrator. I'm not sure I would've persevered if Peter Kelly's voice hadn't taken some of the edge off, and seemingly embodied the protagonist.
The rituals and the setting of the island remain riveting throughout.
If you've heard about it, give it a try. But don't expect to be bowled over by the ending and I think you'll have a better experience of it than I have.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 17-07-23
Just wow
Gripped from start to finish, beautifully written,beautifully performed, the nonchalant way the violence is described is horrifying and funny at the same time, this book will not be easily forgotten, Brilliant stuff
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Suzanne Leedham
- 10-08-24
Dark, disturbing but compelling
Deserves its modern classic status. Uncomfortable to read but thought provoking as all the best art should be.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Eric O.
- 07-11-24
Frenetic and stunning
The dark humor is infectious, the characters utterly compelling. A dark sharp study of nature and nurture.
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
- Mrs. REP
- 06-11-10
Strange and gruesome.
A very odd book, but compelling listening in a way.
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Joanne
- 02-10-20
WOW. What a book!
This was seriously incredible. Dark and twisty and reminiscent of Lord of Flies.
Listen to this, It will take you on one heck of a journey
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Seayeaitch
- 16-06-13
A great introduction to Iain Banks
From the first to last page this is a tremendous story,superbly presented , the ideal introduction to Iain Banks the story and descriptions are a master class in presentation....
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Adam
- 14-09-16
Fabtastic book
Such an interesting story with only a few but very believable characters. Fantastic read for anyone.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 29-11-22
Good story, nice twist, narrator didn’t fit
Quite enjoyed this, decent twist at the end. Only thing that didn’t fit was the narrator. He didn’t do a bad job, a good performance. Just thought he was far too upbeat for the tone of the story. Don’t let that put you off though
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