Transition

I don't usually read this kind of science fiction, but I enjoyed how the narrative, told from multiple points of view, came together by the end. A lot went unexplained, so if that bothers you, this may not be the book for you, but if you're okay with a good story, and don't need to understand how/why everything works, this was worth the effort.

I found this to be somewhat of a dissapointment, which is unusual when I read novels by Iain Banks.

I think the idea perhaps is a bit big to squeeze into a 400 page tome, and come to think of it, infinite universe's might be too big an idea for 4000. No sooner had you caught a glimpse of a potentially fascinating world, where you wonder what might have occured leading to the scene you arrive in, and you are gone again.

However, the writing is as skillfully crafted as ever, and that will always keep me coming back.

Worth a read, and you may love it. We're all different after all.

I very much liked this book - the plotting, the complexity, the subtlety, the fact that it did not spoon feed you the solutions but instead expected you to piece things together. (I often found myself flipping backwards, as something happened that referred to or reflected an earlier happenstance, to try to figure out which characters were who.) I did not have trouble keeping track of the different narratives in different times. The whole thing was delightfully complicated and beautifully plotted and I loved the mysteries of the multiverse set up.

I also loved some of the philosophizing - but then the philosophy and observations began to bleed into sheer shrill rhetoric, which became an irritant that prevents me from giving this five stars. And for crying out loud, if an author is going to go on not one but SEVERAL soliloquies in different points of view about the supposedly counter-intuitive and wicked nature of limited liability corporate law, he should AT LEAST understand the difference between a corporate officer, an investor, and a lender. That is really kindergarten basics of corporate law, and at some point it became clear that despite having strong opinions about the evils of limited liability, Iain M. Banks doesn't understand certain fundamental things about limited liability and the way it functions. (The point-of-view character who expresses the most opinions wisely says he isn't an economics expert - but knowing the difference between investors and lenders, especially in terms of who recovers money if a business goes under, is not "expert" knowledge - anyone who owns any stock of any kind should know that.)

Rhetoric about a real world legal structure that the author apparently does not understand was incredibly annoying - but it is not unique to science fiction writers who find themselves writing about the real world, unused to not being able to just fill in whatever details they want from their imagination. (For example, one of the biggest flaws in Nancy Kress's seminal work, Beggars in Spain, is that she centers a major aspect of her plot around a completely loony tunes understanding of patent law.) Those irritants notwithstanding, the book and the premise were incredibly good and I would like to read more works set in Banks's multiverse.

Transitions alone justifies Banks' entire career, with this one bit of wisdom so artfully conveyed.

"A nation that condones torture does not deserve to survive."

As a citizen of the United States of America going back many generations I sup on rue, a bitter supper indeed, but I cannot deny Banks' transition of my awareness. No, I must instead express my gratitude for the enlightenment delivered, even if it is delivered across the face with the side of a large shovel:

*spits out mud and teeth* Thank you Iain!

The plot and concept of the novel certainly had potential, and the writing was good, but the author seems to have skipped something critical. It just never grabs you in, doesn't really have anything original to say, and is not as thrilling as some of his other novels. I suspect the problem lies in how much of the story the author tries to keep as a mystery and his constant use of flashbacks and changing characters. Frankly, I kept reading hoping to find something surprising in the novel and never found it. That said, some of the scenes and conversations were quite good. The obligatory sex/violence did seem a little over the top. I'm not sure if the novel was partially written in order to push a European view of politics/world affairs. Seemingly everything bad happens to the USA, and there is a huge helping of criticism of capitalism, religion, and conservative thought, much of it gratuitous. Overall, I wish I had not spent the $ to buy this novel.

I've yet to have been even slightly disappointed in any of Iain Banks "Culture" series, and I've just now read them all. Right up there with classic Gene Wolfe, George RR Martin, and other current fave, R Scott Bakker. Every book an original thought, unexpected, challenging. Don't miss any of them.

Update:

Because I love his writing so much, I broke down and purchased this book, over my misgivings. I'm afraid my original feelings were not changed. I absolutely love him as a writer. For my taste, no one out there handles the written word so deftly, and so beautifully. At his best, he turns the written word into absolute art. But I do feel his politics completely took over this book, and made it a lesser book than many of his others, where the politics are certainly there, but do not overshadow the great writing. I honestly believe that even if my views were of a similar bent to his, I still would have found that they made this book less than it could have been. So bash me if you want, those of you who love his politics and can't stand for anyone to take issue with them, but this is an honest review from a fan who loves his work.

Original review:

The style in which the book is written, although of course not original to Banks, is one that I can enjoy when done well. Banks does it very well indeed. Are his books a quick breezy read? Absolutely not; thankfully. And the politics in this book are no surprise, they have been in his writing forever. But this time his views took over to the extent that it ruined the book for me. America is bad, blah, blah, blah, Christians could just as easily be the real danger, blah, blah, blah, capitalism and libertarianism are both evil, blah, blah, blah, . We get it, okay? Way to kick the teeth of so many of your fans. I'm just really glad that based on the other reviews, I took the time and browsed through the book before purchasing. At least he's not earning any dirty capitalistic money from my pocket on this one. Please Mr. Banks, get back to writing simply brilliant books, and keep your political views at least somewhat in check. If you want to try to convince the world of the truth and beauty of your personal political views, please just write a non-fiction book and get it out of your system.