Customer Reviews
Not boring in the slightest - By: A. Sharkey, 12 May 2007 
I read this book when i was 11 or 12 & it was my first Banks novel. I found it at the time to be incredibly gripping & was at no time discouraged by the detailed descriptions even if my vocabulary was not always up to fully understanding them. After reading it again at age 16 I realized how good this book was, I got so much more out of it the second time around & would recommend it to anyone. The character detail is superb & i found myself quickly empathizing with Lady Sharrow.
Read it. Read it. Read it. You will not be disappointed.
An enjoyable journey, but a mediocre destination.... - By: dogbarkssome, 11 Apr 2007 
'Against A Dark Background' is the tale of a woman forced to find a mythical reality-warping weapon before she can be executed by a crazed religious cult. Iain (M) Banks 4th science fiction novel is his first not to be set in his 'Culture' series of novels, though there are a few surface similarities with 'Consider Phlebas' as this is another novel featuring a group of trigger-happy mercenaries on the trail of a powerful artefact. Essentiallly a quest novel, 'Against a Dark Background' is full of striking science fiction imagery (city-sized plant-life; a monastery where the inhabitants are chained to the wallls; a backwards God-hating society), compelling characters (particularly the heroine & her poisonous relationship with her half-sister, & a rather lovable robot who joins the adventure looking for new experiences), a twisty plot, & a suprising amount of humour. Unfortunately however it doesn't quite add up to a satisfactory whole, with the climax complete with a rather cheesy melodramatic villain & an over-complex plot, but for fans of well-written action-packed science fiction there is plenty of enjoyment to be had along the way. Slightly less than the sum of it's parts, this is an enjoyable tale but not quite up to Banks best work.
Solid, very good read. - By: H. Pearce, 05 Oct 2006 Against a dark Background indeed, certainly, this is not a novel in which the content is light & entirely pleasant. That however is not to say that this is an entirely enjoyable read, that said it is one of the most saddening & emotional of the novels by Banks that I have come across, but despite this, it is also one of the best.
This is a slow starting novel, but once it picks up speed it becomes a truly absorbing tale to which one can become enthrallled, I myself read the entire second half of it in the space of two days due to such a compulsion to read it.
The strongest part of the novel has to be the characters, as is often the case with Banks work it is the sense of identification the reader gains with the characters within the plot that makes the novel so brilliant, but yet so heart breaking in places, such the attachment can be. This is a masterful technique that reallly has you feeling the sheer despair & anger at incidents throughout. The flashbacks that occur randomly throughout the novel although on occasion irritating & confusing aid in the striking up a rapport with the characters, & gives the reader the chance to be beside the characters at some of the most intimate & emotional points in their lives, & gives great insight to the way they act & speak later in the novel.
This is a very powerful piece of writing, & on occasion one may find it shocking & depressing, as if truth be told the plot is not one filled with joy & happiness, & neither is the ending, but in a way that is what truly makes this novel, & distinguishes it from others like it. The plot comes into its own in the latter half of the text, & there is a twist that isn't entirely unexpected, but enough to surprise the reader, especiallly if they haven't thought of alll the possibilities ahead, but alll in alll this is a compelling & highly enjoyable read. Its not as thought provoking as works such as "the Algebraist", but its just as exciting & probably more emotive, a very good read, & probably a good place to start if you are unfamiliar with the author or the genre.
Amazing depth - By: Jeremy Sanders, 29 Aug 2006 This is one of my favourite Banks novels. The storyline carried me away through the book, through an amazingly detailed violent, varied & gripping world. The depth of the background, the locations, & the characters is impressive. I just couldn't stop reading it! The ending is extremely impressive & dark. Very satisfying.
An excellent read, well done Banks! - By: L. Davies, 21 Apr 2006 This was the first Banks book that I've ever read, & whilst it has it's down sides, it's a very good read.
Banks - in my opinion - has a tendancy to explain everything in enormous detail, & as such, can make the book harder to read & stick with.
But please folks, do stick with it. The plot-twists & (more importantly), character development is something not to be missed.
AaDB leaves you with a sense of completion & a warm heart when completed. This is the sign of a great book, one that nails the characters together, & glues them to you, driving everybody together. I found I had grown so fond of the main character (Lady Sharrow) that I had to read the final chapters again, just to get some proper "closure".
In closing, an excellent read - couldn't recommend it any more!
