Stonemouth ebook

by Iain Banks

Iain Banks Thrillers and Suspense English

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iain (. banks writes supersmart sci-fi books that "you wouldn't understand, karen Stonemouth is my second Iain Banks novel. banks writes supersmart sci-fi books that "you wouldn't understand, karen. but he also wrote this, which i am proud to say i completely understand, and i really enjoyed. it is a crime thriller, set in a small town in scotland, which is presided over by two competing, but not actively warring, gangster families who have made their fortunes and reputations getting their hands dirty. and not by doing any manual labor, yeah? although whacking people is, i suppose, technically "manual. Stonemouth is my second Iain Banks novel. I read The Wasp Factory not long after his death and although I found it very well written I was really disturbed by all the animal cruelty in it.

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FREE shipping on qualifying offers. By the author of The Wasp Factory, the long-awaited and stunning new novel from the unrivaled Iain Banks Stewart Gilmour is back in Stonemouth.

Appearances are deceptive in Iain Banks's homecoming novel. Stonemouth may appear almost to be Banks's most conventional work to date; but this appearance is as deceptive as the diaphanous mists and shimmering fogs that wreathe the town. It seems odd to describe a novel that includes a memorable scene about defecation on a golf course and more than one murder as beguiling, but that is exactly what it is., Stuart Kelly's The Book of Lost Books is published by Polygon.

Stonemouth is a 2012 novel by Scottish author Iain Banks. The novel was published on 5 April 2012 by Little, Brown and Company and follows a man returning to a small seaport town after leaving due to a sexual scandal. The Irish Times picked the book. The Irish Times picked the book as one of their "Books to Read in 2012". Stewart Gilmour returns to Stonemouth, a fictional seaport town north of Aberdeen, for a funeral. It is five years since he ran away to London after a sexual indiscretion at a wedding

Iain (Menzies) Banks was born in Fife in 1954, and was educated at Stirling University, where he studied English Literature, Philosophy and Psychology. He came to widespread and controversial public notice with the publication of his first novel, The Wasp Factory, in 1984.

Iain (Menzies) Banks was born in Fife in 1954, and was educated at Stirling University, where he studied English Literature, Philosophy and Psychology. His first science fiction novel, Consider Phlebas, was published in 1987. He continued to write both mainstream fiction (as Iain Banks) and science fiction (as Iain M. Banks)

Iain Banks came to widespread and controversial public notice with the publication of his first novel, THE WASP FACTORY, in 1984. He gained enormous popular and critical acclaim for both his mainstream and his science fiction novels. Iain Banks died in June 2013.

Iain Banks came to widespread and controversial public notice with the publication of his first novel, THE WASP FACTORY, in 1984. Библиографические данные.

I feel better than I deserve; I know I’ve been drinking and I don’t think I’d be legal to drive, but otherwise I have so got away with the excesses of last night.

I feel better than I deserve; I know I’ve been drinking and I don’t think I’d be legal to drive, but otherwise I have so got away with the excesses of last night ut nothing threatening, no gut-cold feeling that what I don’t remember is somehow dangerous, something that I’m not remembering for good if ignoble reasons, but at the same time need to remember, because it’s always better to know the truth, no matter how grisly. An acceptable level of neurological damage, then, and about par for such evenings, as I recall.

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Now he's back - with grudged permission and a time limit - for the funeral of the same family's patriarch. Interesting scenario. There are moments of high tension; there is violence, but also lots of humour as you would expect from Iain Banks. I had doubts early on, but in the end really enjoyed this book. Find similar books Profile. In the meantime, if you know any books with non-binary main characters you think we should include, please let us know.

Stewart Gilmour is back in Stonemouth. After five years in exile his presence is required at the funeral of patriarch Joe Murston, and even though the last time Stu saw the Murstons he was running for his life, staying away might be even. After five years in exile his presence is required at the funeral of patriarch Joe Murston, and even though the last time Stu saw the Murstons he was running for his life, staying away might be even more dangerous than turning up. An estuary town north of Aberdeen, Stonemouth, with it's five mile beach, can be beautiful on a sunny day. On a bleak one it can seem to offer little more than seafog, gangsters, cheap drugs and a suspension bridge irresistible to suicides.

Stewart Gilmour is back in Stonemouth. After five years in exile his presence is required at the funeral of patriarch Joe Murston, and even though the last time Stu saw the Murstons he was running for his life, staying away might be even more dangerous than turning up. An estuary town north of Aberdeen, Stonemouth, with it's five mile beach, can be beautiful on a sunny day. On a bleak one it can seem to offer little more than seafog, gangsters, cheap drugs and a suspension bridge irresistible to suicides. And although there's supposed to be a temporary truce between Stewart and the town's biggest crime family, it's soon clear that only Stewart is taking this promise of peace seriously. Before long a quick drop into the cold grey Stoun begins to look like the soft option, and as he steps back into the minefield of his past to confront his guilt and all that it has lost him, Stu uncovers ever darker stories, and his homecoming takes a more lethal turn than even he had anticipated. Tough, funny, fast-paced and touching, Stonemouth cracks open adolescence, love, brotherhood and vengeance in a rite of passage novel like no other.

Zuser

I became acquainted with Iain Banks through his science fiction stories of The Culture. Those novels are universe-spanning space operas, taking place far in the future. Well worth checking out.
Then I read his novels The Crow Road and The Steep Approach to Garbadale, both of which take place in contemporary Scotland. I especially like The Crow Road, which has much in common with Stonemouth. Both center on the consequences of going home again. In Stonemouth, Stewart Gilmour returns to his home town (the name of which is the book's title) to pay his respects at the funeral of an old acquaintance. That old acquaintance also happened to be the patriarch of a local crime family, and the grandfather of the girl Stewart was going to marry. Stewart returns with much apprehension because there is an old score to settle with his ex-fiancee's family, one caused by the events that led to his fleeing Stonemouth. The novel tells the story of Stewart's experience of returning to a place of lost love, bitter humiliation and genuine fear.
As is the case with The Crow Road, the strength of Stonemouth is the voice of Stewart, who narrates the novel. I found myself not only rooting for a happy ending for Stewart, but wishing I could meet up with him and have a pint or two. Warm, funny, and often suspenseful, Stonemouth is a very good novel. Highly recommended.

Kamuro

A real surprise. I have all his books, and love them all, but this was a real surprise. Wonderfully written, of course, but quite different from all his other books. None of the usual shocks / irony / cheerful brutality / etc. In a sense, not much more than "just" two love stories (Stu's love of El, and Stu's love of coastal Scotland).

The feel of the novel is so markedly different that, about half way through, I even toyed with the idea that it was ghost written! But no, it's Banks alright; just a quieter and gentler Banks. Getting a bit older, Iain?

But, as always, a rollicking good yarn and well worth the read.

Marilore

I agree with the reviewer who commented that the setting felt real, and that the ending was up in the air until the last minute. There was also suspense, and danger that seemed organic and believable. I'm not really sure why I withheld the fifth star. Maybe because I felt like I've seen this movie one too many times. It is an archetypal story -- well told, for sure -- but a bit too familiar. It's a good book, but not on the same level as The Crow Road or Whit. Or even Steep Approach to Garbadale. I enjoyed it, and will certainly re-read it, and from anyone else I would call it an excellent book. Guess I just expect groundbreaking and earthshaking from Iain Banks. Some might say that's my problem, not his, and they'd be right. Still, that's my 2¢.

Samugor

If you can persevere, this book is well worth reading. The Scottish words are an occasional problem for some. The author is very descriptive and has a wonderful command of language. Some of the violence is excessive. I understand there is a successful BBC Proram based on the book. Read the book first.

Moswyn

When I started this book on Kindle, I wasn't sure if I'd read it before, but that was only because I'd read the opening several times before deciding to purchase the book, and just couldn't remember. I did enjoy the book. I am a fan of Iain Banks' regular fiction, more so than his science fiction. This is solid Banks fiction with a troubled relationship between the lead character and in his case, most of his hometown. I can recommend it.

Gabar

Most people know Iain Banks as a sci-fi writer but this is not that, more literary fiction. I enjoyed the book very much. The characterizations and narration are believable and sharp. My husband, who read the book as well, thought it was too slow moving. The four stars are from my point of view not his.

Balladolbine

The first Iain Banks book I read was also the first he ever wrote: WASP FACTORY. I was so impressed by that book that I ended up buying, sight unseen nearly half a dozen of his other books, just to see what else his mind had come up with. He's referred to as one of the most imaginative contemporary authors in recent years, but you'd never know that from this novel. I've read three other of his books since the first, and although none have really wowed me like his debut, they've all been very creatively considered and curiously told stories. Except for this one.

Essentially a soap opera, this book tells a story that is about as mundane and straightforward as it gets. A man named Stewart returns to his old Scottish hometown of Stonemouth for the funeral of an equally old friend. Some sort of event from his past led to him being exiled from his town, and his return is fraught with the constant possibility of violence. The reasons behind his exile are made murky and tantalizing at first, but when all is revealed, it turns out to be about as intriguing and surprising as any given episode of Days Of Our Lives.

Other authors can still pull this kind of thing off -- Richard Russo, for instance -- but this story ends up feeling overlong, padded out with repetitive descriptions of places and conversations with people who never really feel real. Even our narrator doesn't totally jive as a human being. A lot of the book feels forced as Banks -- twice the age of his crafted narrator -- shoehorns cultural touchstones into his novel in order to prove the age of the narrator. Various movies, shows, songs, and techno-speak is awkwardly mentioned to authenticate things, but it only comes across as clumsy. This is also interspersed with occasional rants by the narrator that appear to have nothing to do with the plot. For instance, about three pages is spent on complaining about religion at funerals. This stuff, it seems, is only in here to throw some fat on what is a pretty bony and boring plot.

Banks was self-indulgent in this novel, and commits a capital sin of sentimentality. Still, he writes a decent gordian knot here, and his female antagonist and protagonist are both very well drawn.