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‘Inversions’ is not really one book, but two separate tales told together. The writing styles and storylines remain separate until the inevitable tie in at the end. The chapters, titled simply ‘The Doctor’ and ‘The Bodyguard’ are told in sequence, with ... Read review
Science fiction readers know that Iain Banks writes "respectable" novels (such as The ... more
Wasp Factory) while his alter ego Iain M. Banks produces equally well-written but often more playful sci-fi--most famously, the gaudy and galaxy-spanning Culture s...
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Science fiction readers know that Iain Banks writes "respectable" novels (such as The ... more
Wasp Factory) while his alter ego Iain M. Banks produces equally well-written but often more playful sci-fi--most famously, the gaudy and galaxy- spanning Culture s...
Postage & Packaging: refer to website Availability: Check Site.
Science fiction readers know that Iain Banks writes "respectable" novels (such asThe Wasp ... more
Factory) while his alter ego Iain M. Banks produces equally well-written but often more playful sci-fi--most famously, the gaudy and galaxy-spanning Culture se...
Postage & Packaging: £2.75 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
Advantages: Good characters, detailed environment, subtle Disadvantages: Slow plot, rather forced feel to the ending
There is no doubt that Iain Banks has written some fantastic books. Unfortunately he seems to have this habit of punctuating modern classics with some distinctly so-so titles.
‘Inversions’ is not really one book, but two separate tales told together. The writing styles and storylines remain separate until the inevitable tie in at the end. The chapters, titled simply ‘The Doctor’ and ‘The Bodyguard’ ... ...proceeding at roughly the same pace, so a development in one plotline will be closely followed by an equally paced development in the other.
It is this ability to bend the rules of traditional storytelling that is undoubtedly one of Banks’ greatest assets. This simply reads differently to most other books you are likely to come across, and so becomes very accessible before the story even gets going. The mix of writing styles ... more
There is no doubt that Iain Banks has written some fantastic books. Unfortunately he seems to have this habit of punctuating modern classics with some distinctly so-so titles.
‘Inversions’ is not really one book, but two separate tales told together. The writing styles and storylines remain separate until the inevitable tie in at the end. The chapters, titled simply ‘The Doctor’ and ‘The Bodyguard’ are told in sequence, with the plot of each story proceeding at roughly the same pace, so a development in one plotline will be closely followed by an equally paced development in the other.
It is this ability to bend the rules of traditional storytelling that is undoubtedly one of Banks’ greatest assets. This simply reads differently to most other books you are likely to come across, and so becomes very accessible before the story even gets going. The mix of writing styles helps the reader to keep the stories separate, and stops the events becoming confused. The story of ‘The Doctor’ is told in the first person, in the form of a journal, whilst the story of ‘The Bodyguard’ is in the third person, following the more traditional model of an impersonal historical record.
‘The Doctor’ in question, Doctor Vossill, is chief physician to King Quience. She is an outsider who has come to gain the respect of the King, but is distrusted by many of the members of the royal court. ‘The Bodyguard’, DeWar, is chief protector of King Urleyn, and is also an outsider who finds himself unable to fit in, although in his case it is more by choice that he prefers to distance himself. Both characters’ stories are also closely tied in with another character’s, in the Doctor’s case this is Oelph, her assistant and apprentice, and in the Bodyguard’s case this is Perrund, the King’s favoured concubine. The fact that both central characters occupy a similar role in society, and the fact that there is a trilogy of characters which interact in a similar way, makes for an unusual mix, and it is interesting to see how they deal with similar occurrences as a group, across the two stories.
One of the luxuries afforded to writers of Science Fiction is that they must describe not only the characters involved and the way they interact, but also the rules and properties of the society and places they inhabit. This allows the writer to introduce concepts and ideas which would not ordinarily be possible, and when done well can enhance a book tremendously. Here we see two sets of rules being applied, with the biggest differences being the sociological and political differences between the two royal courts. We later discover that an old order has split into three factions, and all faction leaders now proclaim to be King. It is interesting to note the different viewpoints on the shared history that both Kings have inherited, as well as their different ideas on how their kingdoms should progress.
Whilst Banks must inevitably draw our attention to the particular rules and quirks of each society, as well as introducing us to the characters, we are able to forgive a relatively slow start to the book. However, as our understanding increases Banks fails to ignite the plot, and we begin to meander through some not very interesting set pieces, and seemingly endless ‘stories within stories’, as fables and lullabies are told between the characters. These appear, and indeed are, mostly irrelevant to the book, and distract to the point that you begin to long for some kind of semi-cataclysmic moment to turn the book on its head. Sadly, this fails to happen, and whilst we get a great deal of information on the subtleties of the characters, nothing really happens to them. We see them tested, but not extra-ordinarily so, indeed not really stretched beyond what you would expect them to do as part of their job.
Although the pace increases markedly at the end, the reader is left feeling empty and uninvolved, with a promising beginning petering out into forgettable and meaningless dialogue and events. You begin to lose empathy with what are initially promising characters, and begin not to care much for their reactions to the surrounding events, which are in any case pretty limp by Banksian standards. The pick up in pace at the end comes far too late, and provides too little to salvage the book as a whole. Both stories also rely on plot devices brought in very late on, and without precedent earlier in the book. You feel as though Banks felt a need to add something else from outside to get things moving again, and whilst this undoubtedly works the reader feels a little cheated. The epilogue at the end works quite well to dismiss or confirm any theories you may have developed about the links between the two tales, although enough vagueness is deliberately left to maintain a certain mystery surrounding final developments.
Ultimately, ‘Inversions’ is a missed opportunity, as the characters have potential, but fail to achieve it. The middle section of the book can be a real drag at times, and the ending doesn’t justify the amount of effort the reader has to put in just to get this far. You do get a certain sense that there are some subtleties that a second read would uncover, but the book is just too much hard work to warrant that. This is a shame, as the imaginative skills that Banks has at his disposal are enough to make more of this book, but ultimately he fails to live up to his own potential.
Perhaps it is the knowledge that Banks is capable of so much more that compounds the frustration and disappointment. A first time reader of his work may not feel that so profoundly, but then a first time reader of his work would be far better off starting elsewhere.
Also by the same author: The Wasp Factory (recommended) Walking on Glass The Bridge (highly recommended) Espedair Street Canal Dreams The Crow Road Complicity (not bad) Whit (weak) A Song of Stone (poor) The Business Consider Phlebas (superb) The Player of Games (exquisite) The Use of Weapons (very very good) The State of the Art Against a Dark Background Feersum Endjinn Excession (fantastic) Look to Windward
Advantages: Subtle, controlled tale that rewards close attention Disadvantages: Not for those expecting a space techno-romp!
This is the subtlest of Iain M. Banks's SF novels set in the universe of The Culture, the galaxy-spanning society in which most of his other SF novels are squarely set. At first sight, this appears to be two totally unrelated tales, set on the same world, whose low tech-level makes plain that it is not a Culture member world. One tale is of the King's doctor, a woman whose potions appear to imply possession of a degree of pharmaceutical knowledge ... ...to interfere with palace politics. The other tale is that of a man named DeWar, bodyguard to the General of a military power, who uses only traditional weapons, but who is more embroiled in the power plays. So clearly, in a sense, these characters and their situations are "Inversions" of one another. It also becomes apparent that the Doctor and Bodyguard may be the real people referred to in an allegorical tale which is told during the course of ...
pvincent 16.01.2001
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Inversions - Iain M. Banks
Advantages: Good story Disadvantages: A bit confusing
...computers are far smarter than people and are considered Culture citizens. Inversions is apparently a Culture novel, but this is never made clear. The two main characters are agents of 'Special Circumstances' but only clues to their identity are given.
The story is compelling and very readable. ...
markos3 24.08.2000
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Review of Inversions - Iain M. Banks
Advantages: Different from the others in the series Disadvantages: Can feel like you got a plum when you expected a melon!
Being another one in the series of 'Culture' books, I was expecting a bit more Science and a bit less Fiction. The story revolves around 2 main characters who come from a technologically advanced race, and they're interactions and dealings on a world where feuding, torture, and basic medieval goings on take place.
The female takes up a post as a Kings Doctor, whilst the other becomes a bodyguard in a Cromwellian society.
The story itself has a ... ...a bit dissatisfied (and almost cheated) at the lack of gadgetry on the whole, with merely the faintest hint of it being used here and there!
Character development on the whole though, is pretty good, and the book itself is an easy read, although not quite as addictive as some of Banks' other titles. ...
ferd 12.07.2000
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Inversions - Iain M. Banks
Advantages: Good plots, well-drawn characters Disadvantages: Doesn't quite hang together
"Inversions" is an odd addition to Banks' science fiction - a Culture story which never actually admits to being one, an sf novel that insists on not displaying its science or technology. Indeed, a superficial glance might even cause one to wonder if it is even a single novel.
Two stories are told in "Inversions". One concerns a female doctor in a society where such a combination is rare. She has succeeded in becoming doctor to the King for the ... ...what it should be. The second story concerns the bodyguard to a self-proclaimed Protector, struggling to identify the source of the latest threat.
It's hinted, but never actually stated explicitly, that the two are former friends, living out the conflicting philosophies that caused them to fall out in the first place, and the reader spends most of this intriguing book waiting for the inevitable conclusion that will bring them together, like the ...
NeilHudson 12.08.2000
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Inversions - Iain M. Banks
Advantages: Another fresh view of Culture Disadvantages: Not the book for somone starting Culture series
Iain M Banks Inversions is another page-turner in the great Culture series.
A general description of Culture is that an Utopian, post-scarcity (limitless resources) alien society, lead/controlled by powerful Als. The view of Culture is that less-advanced societies would benefit from their influence, thus the series describes the interaction between Culture and other civilizations.
Inversions continues on that similar theme but in a complete different ... ...and packed full of complex, fallible characters. The two plotline follows Special Circumstances agents in their widely different missions.
Unfortunately I can't make an unbiased opinion on whether this a good book to start on Iain M Banks' Culture series. I would recommend to start the series with The Player of Games or Consider Phlebas. Both would provide a good background to Culture in general and Special Circumstances in particular. ...
blueonred 01.07.2008
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Inversions - Iain M. Banks
