Shop Ireland

Walking on Glass by: Iain Banks

Click to tell a friend about this item...

More Product Details...

Review Pages: 1 2 3 4 5

Click here to add a review!

Average rating -

Rating: - I winced at some of the things Graham Park said.. :)

Excellent combination of 3 "shorts". I winced at some of the things Graham Park said because, sadly enough, I've been in the same situations and said the same sort of both-feet-in-the-mouth things.. oh well. Glad to see I'm not the only one! :) Poor old Steve Grout and the "microwave gun". Was there anything between him and Mrs Short.. ?I found the sections with Quiss and Ajayi a little bit hard going - a little too fanciful for my liking (I've not tried any Iain "M" Banks..). I'm reading this straight after "The Wasp Factory - which was an excellent read. I'm no "bookworm" but I'm going to work through the rest of his (non-science fiction) work. Enjoy!

Rating: - strange, unreal, phantastic!

This book begins as three completely separate short stories, one of which seems quite out of place in one of Banks' non-science fiction novels; the other two are set in a more familiar setting, yet sometimes you begin to suspect the (very fine) link between the stories. A book about reality, or what we take for it. Finely crafted Banks quality.

Rating: - Totally encapsulating

Begins as three short stories, the first we believe to be closest to ourselves and the third in a fantasy world while the second perhaps not as relevant bridges the gap between the two. By the end of the book these roles are reversed and the third story becomes the most realistic. Banks tricks us into believing what we read at face value, Banks somewhat cheakily hints throughout the book what is actually real. Everytime you read this book you notice something different. This book is about the nature of reality, read it more than once and things will become clearer. Don't take anything at face value

Rating: - Interesting, but what's it all about?

Although I am a big fan of Ian M. Banks this was my first encounter with Ian Banks and I'm afraid I was rather disappointed. This is basically three short stories with the promise of a common theme but it was so fine a thread it was an extreme disapointment and I felt as if I had been left wanting. Don't get me wrong the stories in their own right were excellently written and absorbing. This is probably the main cause for disappointment, as you so want to discover what these three seemingly unconnected characters have in common. The answer.... well read it and find out for yourself, just don't be to disappointed.

Rating: - Totally absorbing

An excellent read. The book is essentially three short stories, far removed from each other but yet linked by a fine thread. Each of the stories is a great read in it's own right, and provided you like fiction and science fiction (two are fiction and the third science fiction), you'll have difficulty putting the book down. Characters are developed excellently and Iain Banks excells at drawing the reader into each of the characters worlds. My only gripe is that I didn't agree with the resolution of the riddle (I study physics!).

Review Pages: 1 2 3 4 5