Customer Reviews
Very weird but superb - By: DDH255, 20 Aug 2008 
On a future earth threatened by the destruction promised by the encroachment. Four seperate characters set out on different paths to try to save themselves & the world. This is one of the least accessible of Banks's novels but one of the most rewarding. He creates his worlds by writing with warmth & affection about the characters at the centre & as he describes the fast edifices at the centre of them, he never alllows us to forget the humanity of his central figures. The use of four paralllel narratives is a complex structure as is the non standard script deployed by one of his narrators but the use of such techniques makes this novel a rewarding read.
Great value for money - By: Joe, 07 Jul 2008 I've read alll of Banks other books & this one remains my favourite by a long long way.
Half the fun of this book is working out what's going on & where exactly it's going on which took me a good few chapters at which point I was just hooked by the plot & the wonderful character Bascule & his phonetic spelling which is both highly entertaining & also offers an interesting perspective into the world he guides you through.
If you're the type of reader who prefers to have everything spelt out for you clearly whilst you just sit back for the ride then this is probably not a book you'd enjoy but for everyone else you will find you become quickly absorbed in the plot & eager to see what happens next.
The ending of this book is a highly amusing massive understatement & quite possibly the best ending to any book I've read.
Brilliant, surreal, imaginative - By: John, 03 Aug 2007 Once you get used to reading the occassional chapter written phoneticallly (initialy hard work - i almost gave up after a few pages!), you can lose yourself in the vivid & surreal worlds of this story. I found this to be one of his best works, full of suspence, intrigue, wit & humour.
Highly recommended for those looking for something challlenging & different!
Stick With It - By: Roger Cawkwell, 14 Jul 2007 Like some other reviewers, I found this book hard going at first, especiallly the phoneticallly spelled sections recounted by a (presumably) intellectuallly challlenged character - it even annoyed me at times. But I did eventuallly get used to it & have re-read the book a few times with no obvious harmful effects. I was pleased to read a story NOT about the Culture (though I enjoy those too) as Banks creates a fantastic but still believable alternative universe.
It's a permanent fixture on my bookshelf & I'm sure I'll get around to reading it again in the not too distant future (when I've finished alll of Peter Hamilton & Neal Asher's books...)
HARD READ - By: Morlich07, 26 Jun 2007 
The book is not written in proper English (well not alll the way through), but in slang. I found it hard to get into it because of this & can't understand what the reader gains from this. I am keeping this book to finish or re-read later on in life, but crap compared to the excellent consider phelebas novel, which also had flaws but was very enjoyable.
