  the wasp factory is the first novel by british writer iain banks. it was published in 1984. ==overview== it is written from a first person perspective, told by sixteen-year-old frank cauldhame, describing his childhood and all that remains of it. frank observes many shamanistic rituals of his own invention, and it is soon revealed that frank was the perpetrator of three deaths of children within his family before he reached the age of ten himself. as the novel develops, his brother's escape from a mental hospital and impending return lead on to a violent ending and a twist that undermines all that frank believed about himself. ==plot== the 'wasp factory' of the title is a huge clock face encased in a glass box and salvaged from the local dump. behind each of the 12 numerals is a trap which leads to a different ritual death (for example burning, crushing, or drowning in frank's urine) for the wasp that frank puts into the hole at the center within tubes. frank believes the death 'chosen' by the wasp predicts something about the future. there are also sacrifice poles, upon which hang the bodies and heads of larger animals, such as seagulls, that frank has killed and other sacred items. they define and 'protect' the borders of frank's territory - the island upon which he lives with his father. frank occupies himself with his rituals and maintaining an array of weapons (from his catapult, to pipe bombs and a crude flame thrower) to control the island. frank is haunted by an accident which resulted in the loss of his genitalia, and resents others for his impotence, particularly women. he goes for long walks and runs patrolling the island, and occasionally gets drunk with his dwarf friend jamie in the local pub. other than that, frank has almost no contact with the outside world and admits that he is afraid of it due to what it did to his brother, eric. frank's older brother eric is in an insane asylum after being arrested for brutalizing the town's dogs. he escapes at the start of the novel and throughout the book rings frank from phone boxes to inform frank of his progress back to the island. their conversations invariably end badly, with eric exploding in fits of rage. frank is confused as to whether or not he is looking forward to seeing eric, but it is clear frank loves his brother dearly. frank remembers his older brother as b
1984_novels Animal_cruelty_in_fiction Debut_novels Macmillan_Publishers_books Novels_by_Iain_Banks Novels_set_on_islands Scottish_bildungsromans Transgender_and_transsexual_literature