I finally got round to reading iain banks final book, the. Iain banks came to controversial public notice with the publication of his first novel, the wasp factory, in 1984. Everyone by now knows the circumstance that dictates this is iain bankss last book. Fastpaced, gripping and savagely funny, the quarry is a virtuoso performance whose soaring riffs on the inexhaustible marvel of human perception and rage against the dying of the light will stand among iain banks greatest work. Banks, including the initial of his adopted middle name menzies. Buy the quarry by iain banks from waterstones today. Reviewing this book was always going to be a difficult task. Banks divulged to the public that he had cancer in its late stages in the month april of 20.
The quarry is out in paperback now iain banks hachette uk. Sadly the quarry is the last book iain banks ever wrote, and it is certainly a very poignant read. Brian morton hails iain bankss final novel and salutes his incredible journey. The quarry is an honorable finale to an exciting career. Iain banks project gutenberg selfpublishing ebooks.
The guardian the quarry is a satisfying end to a fine writing career. When iain banks announced in april that he was dying of gall bladder cancer, he said that his forthcoming novel the quarry would be his last. On 9th june 20 he died and the quarry was published 11 days later. He wrote mainstream fiction under the name iain banks and science fiction as iain m. This is the first iain banks novel i have read and needless to say ill be back for more. The quarry kindle edition by banks, iain m literature. It deals with an autistic youth, kit, and his father, guy, a misanthrope who is dying of cancer the author, who died on 9 june 20, was in the advanced phases of terminal gall bladder cancer at the time the book was being prepared for publication, although he did not know he had cancer until the book. The quarry is a virtuoso performance whose soaring riffs on the inexhaustible marvel of human perception and rage against the dying of the light will stand among iain banks greatest work. His first science fiction book, consider phlebas, was released.
The quarry is iain banks final novel, which was published posthumously in late june 20. The quarry is the story of a dying man and his only son, six old friends, a missing videotape and a reunion in a crumbling house on the edge of a quarry first published in hardback and ebook last year, heres what critics had to say. Everyday low prices on a huge range of new releases and classic fiction. Iain banks final novel the quarry published bbc news. Sunday express its the testimony of a writer refusing to go quietly, iain banks has got the last word. The quarry by iain banks iain banks lived to see the first copy of his latest and what has turned out to be his last novel before his death last week, the quarry. It deals with an autistic youth, kit, and his father, guy, a misanthrope who is dying of cancer. Click and collect from your local waterstones or get free uk delivery on orders over. Consider phlebas, his first science fiction novel, was published under the name iain m.
Available on kindle ebook and can be read on any device with the free kindle app. Brought forward for publication following iain banks announcement three months ago that he is officially very poorly with terminal cancer, the quarry initially seems a uniquely difficult. My aim is to read sixty books over the course of the year spoiler free. A return to form for banks with similarities to the crow road. The quarry, released in june of 20, was his final book to be published. My only sadness is that there will be no more iain banks books to. Amazon blackwells foyles hive waterstones whsmith wordery.
Iain banks was born in dunfermline, fife, in scotland in 1954 and was educated at stirling university where he read english literature, philosophy and psychology. The quarry collier county public library overdrive. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading the quarry. The final novel written by iain banks the quarry is released 11 days after his death from gall bladder cancer.
Banks, including the initial of his adopted middle name menzies following the publication and success of the wasp factory 1984, banks began to write on a fulltime basis. Iain bankss last novel, the quarry, is out now in paperback. Its funny, sinister and revealing all at the same time but well worth a read. The quarry by iain banks it is impossible to read iain banks last novel without thinking of the authors recent illness and untimely passing but this is much more than a book. He moved to london and lived in the south of england until 1988, when he returned to fife where he lived with his wife. Iain banks project gutenberg selfpublishing ebooks read. The quarry kindle edition by banks, iain m download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. Banks is no stranger to melancholy, but the story was mixed with a kind of optimism that you rarely see outside his scifi works. The main character, kit, faces the death of his father and the destruction of his childhood home, which will literally be swallowed up as the neighbouring quarry expands. Iain bankss the quarry, his final novel boing boing. His twentyseventh novel the quarry was published posthumously.
Consider phlebas is the first novel in the culture series of fictional novels by iain m. The quarry by banks, iain and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. The quarry ebook by iain banks 97814055142 rakuten kobo. This was the thirty seventh book i read in 20 as part of my goodreads book challenge. You can imagine him going through the same turmoil as guy. Kindle edition published in 20, 1408703947 hardcover published in 20, 03498591 paperback published in 2014, kindle. Stonemouth 2012 stewart gilmour returns three years after being chased out of his home town. He wrote mainstream fiction under the name iain banks, and science fiction as iain m. In april 20 he announced that he was terminally ill with gall bladder cancer. The subject matter was of interest anyway but its a good commentary on cultsreligions and the control involved.
828 1537 583 435 948 761 1033 1268 2 807 627 29 1203 1176 259 1448 893 221 870 881 343 1312 931 1248 379 205 238 988 1003 1428 796 1469 598 1406 30 92