The Crow Road

If haven't read it... then go read it!
Nothing much to say apart from the fact that it's perfection.
I read it when I was at university and I've just read it again... and it was even better than I remembered.

Just perfect.

An easy read (0/0 people found this helpful)

Complicity was an excellent book, The Business - a holiday novel. This one falls somewhere inbetween.

The novel ambles along smoothly enough, and becomes fairly gripping as it hastens it's way toward revealing the "dark secret" in the Mchoan family. The themes of love, lust, sibling rivraly and class comparision are dealt with in a humorous and readable way. The book does, however, seem rather one-dimensional... to the point that I was convinced there would be a dramatic twist on the last few pages.

I was to be disappointed.

Well worth a read! (0/2 people found this helpful)

I read this after reading Iain's latest novel 'The Steep Approach to Garbadale' and I have to say that the two bear a number of similarities. Having said that 'The Crow Road' is by far the better book, not brilliant, but a good story line and some great descriptive parts. It's well worth reading.

Having said that, Iain's non sci fi novels are nowhere near as good as his brilliant science fiction novels, which are second to none.

Fantastic and highly enjoyable (3/5 people found this helpful)

I am not spoiling you anything on this book with my review; it would be a crime; that good I found it.

Let me just say, if you have read any of Bank's works, that this is work is different to The Wasp Factory or Complicity in the nature of the story and the number of characters. But it is equally good. If you have not read anything of Banks, this book is compulsory.

It is brilliantly writen, as usual in the first person (Prentice in this case) a guy in his very early 20s growing up in Scotland, a place I am starting to love thanks to Banks, even if I haven't been there yet (I intend to). On ocassions, it made me laugh. Mainly around Prentice's sexual life.

I cannot go on without spoiling a bit. I read this book knowing nothing abut it and it was highly enjoyable and surprising like that. Do the same; you won't regreat it

Iain Banks at his best (5/7 people found this helpful)

"It was the day my grandmother exploded." These are the opening words of `The Crow Road' the title of which could be a metaphor for death? This is the story of Prentice McHoan, a young man, a student who will make a lot of mistakes during the course of this story. Prentice is on a steep learning curve and we see him grow and mature as he learns the hard way about love and family loyalties.

Prentice also has a mission; to find out what happened to his favourite uncle; Rory, missing now for eight years. Whose last known address was Crow Road, in Glasgow.

This is a great contemporary novel, set in the fictitious community of Gallanach in the Western Highlands and captures and portrays not only Prentice but through a series of flash backs the last two generations of the McHoan family and their friends.

This book is many things rolled into one novel; it's a mystery, a love story, a coming of age novel, a family saga, a thriller and a tragedy. There is plenty of humour here also, as it contains the most fascinating set of characters that you would ever want to meet.

I first enjoyed reading this book 10 years ago, I've read it again since and I know that I will read again in the future.

Iain Banks

Reader Reviews:

Proves Banksy Is The Best (0/0 people found this helpful)

An easy read (0/0 people found this helpful)

Well worth a read! (0/2 people found this helpful)

Fantastic and highly enjoyable (3/5 people found this helpful)

Iain Banks at his best (5/7 people found this helpful)

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