SKU: 82555548485

The Wasp Factory

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The Wasp FactoryThe Wasp Factory 40th anniversary edition of Iain Banks' classic debut novel THE WASP FACTORY, with an introduction by Neil Gaiman 'A gothic horror story of quite exceptional quality' Financial Times 'Two years after I killed Blyth I murdered my young brother Paul, for quite different reasons than I'd disposed of Blyth, and then a year after that I did for my young cousin Esmerelda, more or less on a whim. That's my score to date. Three. I haven't

The Wasp Factory

40th anniversary edition of Iain Banks' classic debut novel THE WASP FACTORY, with an introduction by Neil Gaiman

'A gothic horror story of quite exceptional quality' Financial Times

'Two years after I killed Blyth I murdered my young brother Paul, for quite different reasons than I'd disposed of Blyth, and then a year after that I did for my young cousin Esmerelda, more or less on a whim. That's my score to date. Three. I haven't killed anybody for years, and don't intend to ever again. It was just a stage I was going through.'

Enter - if you can bear it - the extraordinary private world of Frank, just sixteen, and unconventional, to say the least.


Praise for Iain Banks:

'The most imaginative novelist of his generation' The Times

'His verve and talent will always be recognised, and his work will always find and enthral new readers' Ken MacLeod, Guardian

'His work was mordant, surreal, and fiercely intelligent' Neil Gaiman

'An exceptional wordsmith' Scotsman

'A gothic horror story of quite exceptional quality... macabre, bizarre and... quite impossible to put down. There is a control and assurance in the book, an originality rare in established writers twice the author's age. This is an outstandingly good read' - Financial Times

'Iain Banks has written one of the most brilliant first novels I have come across for some time. His study of an obsessive personality is extraordinary, written with a clarity and attention to detail that is most impressive. One can only admire a truly remarkable novel' - Daily Telegraph

'If you are squeamish or easily frightened, then leave The Wasp Factory severely alone. The novel is saved from sheer beastliness by its black humour and its message. Read it if you dare' - Daily Express

'If a nastier, more vicious or distasteful novel appears this spring, I shall be surprised. But there is unlikely to be a better one either. You can hardly breathe for fear of missing a symbol, or a fine phrase, or a horror so chilling that your hair stands on end. Infinitely painful to read, grotesque but human, these pages have a total reality rare in fiction. A mighty imagination has arrived on the scene' - Mail on Sunday

'One of the top 100 novels of the century' - Independent

'A brilliant book, barmy and barnacled with the grotesque' - New Statesman

'Brilliant... irresistible... compelling' - New York Times

'A first novel of such curdling power and originality that whether you like it or not - and you may hate it - the arrival of its author Iain Banks must mark the literary debut of the year. It's astonishing, unsettling and brilliantly written' - Cosmopolitan

'A first novel not only of tremendous promise, but also of achievement, a minor masterpiece, perhaps. There is no label. It is an obsessive novel, a bad dream of a book. Death and blood and gore fill the pages, lightened only by the dark humour, the surreal touches, and the poetry of the thing. There is something foreign and nasty here, an amazing new talent' - Punch

'There is no denying the bizarre fertility of the author's imagination: his brilliant dialogue, his cruel humour, his repellent inventiveness. The majority of the literate public, however, will be relieved that only reviewers are obliged to look at any of it' - Irish Times

SPECIFICATIONS:

Author: - Author not specified

Publisher:Little, Brown Book Group

Language:English

Publication Date:2024

Number of pages:256 pst

Format:Hardcover

Width:138 mm / 5,4'

Height:222 mm / 8,7'

Weight:390 g

ISBN:9780349147161

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SKU: 82555548485

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Steven D
West Palm Beach, US
★★★★★ 5
Exact item ordered, quick delivery
Size: 9.5, Color: Black Polished Full Grain
I ordered these black Cole Haan penny loafers for casual wear with jeans, khakies, and even business casual with slacks and a jacket. They've always worked perfectly for these uses. The Cole Haan version is the most versatile and still meets my sophisticated look criteria. I wear a 9 1/2 M with almost all other shoes. I have found Cole Haan to run slightly wider and slightly shorter. This fit will work with thin and no socks and a little loose in width. . I'd likely order a 10 N next time. I tend to forget this but it runs consistent with me for Cole Haan. 5 stars for the shoe and service. My bad on the slightly off fit.
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Reviewed in the United States on January 8, 2025
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Hugh62
Draper, US
★★★★★ 1
Poor quality control - maybe outlet store leftovers
Size: 11.5, Color: Burgundy Polished Full Grain
The two shoes were not the same size. They were both labeled 11 1/2 but one shoe was larger than the other and the fit was poor. I returned the first pair and ordered a replacement. This time the shoes were close to the same size but too loose and the left one has sewing issues. I've bought Johnston & Murphy for years because of the quality. These were to replace an existing pair of burgundy penny loafers that have finally worn out (even after several heal/sole replacements). That is the expected quality. I suspect Nashville Shoe Warehouse may be handling shoes that didn't measure up for the quality; more like an outlet mall than getting the J&M quality I've come to expect. Update: went to Johnston & Murphy site to buy "direct" from the manufacturer. There were several recent reviews where the shoes were long and didn't fit properly. Genesco - please step up the manufacture / crafting of these classic shoes to the level of quality they used to have.
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Reviewed in the United States on July 21, 2025
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Fabric Crazy
Waukegan, US
★★★★★ 5
Really nice shoes
Size: 9, Color: Black Polished Full Grain
My husband enjoys wearing these shoes. Very classy looking. They fit well. They arrived quickly. He liked them so much he ordered another pair in a different color which have worked out just as well.
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Reviewed in the United States on February 3, 2026
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tjw
Lake Worth, US
★★★★★ 3
Way too narrow
Size: 9.5 Wide, Color: Burgundy Polished Full Grain
I ordered a wide in this shoe, but it was still way too narrow. I had to return them. Otherwise, it looked like a nice quality shoe.
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Reviewed in the United States on February 12, 2026
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BetterEveryDay
Louisville, US
★★★★★ 5
I usually wear 11.5's, but I buy 1/2 size smaller to accommodate for stretch. Leather relaxes.
Size: 11, Color: Burgundy Polished Full Grain
5 STARS: These shoes are awesome. I keep coming back for more. I have major foot problems, have tried all kinds of shoes, orthotics, and inserts... but believe it or not, these shoes work better than any of that stuff. I wear them daily. I buy lots of them, for home, for church, and I'm getting my first pair of J&M boots today, for winters in Indiana... Brrrr
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Reviewed in the United States on December 18, 2025

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