‘The Wasp Factory’

1. ‘The Wasp Factory’ A novel by Iain Banks An introduction

2. What we are doing today • Gaining an oversight of the novel and beginning to gain an awareness of the main ideas. • Starting to look at the first chapter.

3. Iain Banks • Born in 1954 in Dunfermline • Originally interested in Sci-Fi, but a lack of interest and success encouraged him to write in realistic modern settings. • His first major success came with The Wasp Factory, which was published in 1984. • After The Wasp Factory’s he wrote consistently, alternating mainstream writing with science fiction. • Banks, as a writer, deals with some very serious issues, although not in an altogether serious mood or style. • In his work Banks can darkly cruel and explore violence, yet at the same time employ humour and a relish for the pleasures of life.

4. ‘The Wasp Factory’ • This was received with seriously mixed reviews: Perhaps it’s all a joke, meant to fool literary London into respect for rubbish’ The Times His study of an obsessive personality is extraordinary, written with a clarity and attention to detail that is most impressive.’ Daily Telegraph ‘literary equivalent of a video nasty’ Sunday Express ‘It is macabre, bizarre and impossible to put down.’ The Financial Times

5. Gothic • What do you understand by the term Gothic? What are its principle features? • A genre that is characterized by the macabre, mystery and the grotesque. • Gothic features: Loss The outsider Duality The Sublime Decay Omens, magic and the supernatural Passionate anti-hero Extreme landscapes Hidden identity Light vs. dark Horrifying events As a genre, Gothic became popular from the late 1700s and was increasingly successful in the Victorian era. Notable works include The Castle of Otranto, The Monk, The Tell-Tale Heart, Frankenstein, Dracula, The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. Task: From the list of features, in what way could The Wasp Factory be deemed a Gothic novel?