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26 of 26 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Not quite The Crow Road, but...., 24 Mar 2007
I must say I was a little shocked by some of the negative reviews of this novel because I actually enjoyed it quite a lot. I'm a long-time Banks reader and, though I don't much like his SF, his literary fiction always gives me something to think about.
True, it's not as good as some of his earlier novels, but I found myself liking the protagonist, Alban, very much. He's a kind of black sheep who has all but abandoned the family business, but finds himself enmeshed in the debate about the proposed American buy-out as an advocate for not selling. For Alban, who owns so few shares that his voting power is virtually irrelevant, it's a matter of principle. Alban is very much a lefty and resents the commercial imperialism of the Americans. That resentment comes to the fore near the end of the book, when he lets fly at one of the (admittedly stereotypical) American executives about everything he hates about American politics and foreign policy. It's not subtle, but it adds a political dimension to the way you interpret the book. Indeed, you could read it as a leftist political statement against US imperialism - at least partly.
Interlaced with the business stuff is the family stuff, notably Alban's obsession with his cousin Sophie. Yes, a little soapy, but I found it quite fascinating. The family story is told through narrative that jumps backwards and forwards in time. Time-jumping can be annoying if not done well, and I think Banks does it well enough here. I didn't find it obtrusive or confusing. For me, it progressively built layers of complexity that illuminated the family dynamics.
Certainly the novel has its flaws, but nonetheless, I think it's Banks' best effort since Complicity.
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24 of 26 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Fun, but not one of Banks' best., 1 Mar 2007
There's a lot to like about 'The Steep Approach to Garbadale'. Banks is on typically fine form with his prose, characters and juxtaposed situations, and the book is poignant, funny and exciting.
Were this a novel by a 'lesser' author, I'd probably finish there - and conclude saying it's well worth the asking price, and a great read.
However, we know that Banks is capable of a lot more, and this book seems 'light' in comparison to some of his meatier work. His plot is expertly crafted initially - his interleaved characters, timeframes and the presence of mysteries yet to be uncovered make it an enthralling read. Sadly however, the resolution and denouement does not really compare to the build up, and he seems to leave parts of his story dangling. Perhaps he's attempting to break his reputation as a writer who specialises in 'twist' endings, but in that case - why go to such lengths to build suspense if the revelation isn't up to it?
The book is also marketed as being about games, with the family in question being in charge of a 'monopoly' or 'risk' style boardgame that is worth millions. This aspect of the story may be attributable to Banks' publicised fascination with the 'Civilisation' computer game - but it does make the book slightly frustrating as well. There's not much game-orientated stuff going on - the occupation of the family business turns out to be largely incidental to the plot.
Finally, there are some unusual stylistic quirks which, unusually for Banks, seem to be in-jokes or asides rather than important elements. For example it's possible that this reviewer didn't get the implications, but having 10 pages or so of a book written in the first person by an incidental character gives what would normally be a throwaway scene decoration undue weight - which appears to have no consequence on the resolution of the book.
In conclusion, an excellent read full of wit, verve and style featuring expertly constructed characters, but a little bit unfulfilling in the conclusion.
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15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
An engaging and colourful story of family and wealth, 7 Jan 2008
"The Steep Approach to Garbadale" is the latest literary novel by Iain Banks. Alban, exiled son of the wealthy Wopuld family, has been invited back into the fold for a crucial meeting at the family's Highland retreat (the Garbadale of the title). For several generations the Wopulds have made their fortune in producing the boardgame "Empire!", but now an American corporation wants to buy them out. Alban plans to attend this meeting, not only to voice his opposition to the sale, but also because at this congregation - perhaps the last which will involve the whole family - he may be able to find from them answers to questions he has held long in his mind. What is the truth behind his mother's suicide over thirty years ago? And what are his true feelings for Sophie, his cousin and first love?
The story is divided between two main timeframes, through which Banks explores the complex web of characters - each one colourful and many of them eccentric - which make up the far-flung Wopuld family. The first of these timeframes takes place in the present, as Alban attempts to rally the family against the American takeover bid. The second takes the reader through various episodes from Alban's past, including his teenage tryst with Sophie. Both are woven together seamlessly and skillfully, in a way which does not disrupt the narrative.
Indeed on the whole Banks' style flows well and is easy to read. His command of detail in each scene is excellent and it is possible for the reader to feel fully immersed in every new setting - and there are many, from Alban's childhood home at Lydcombe, Somerset, to exotic Hong Kong, sweltering Singapore, and the hilly environs of Garbadale House. In addition, Banks is expert at capturing on page the raw emotion and humanity of his characters (the intensity of Alban's summer affair with Sophie stands out in particular) but is also able to do humour at the same time, something which is evident in the fast-paced and consistently good dialogue.
This is not to say that the book is without its faults. Firstly, the resolution feels somewhat rushed and in many ways too neat for the complicated network of familial relationships that Banks spends the book depicting. Also, though the majority of the book is narrated in the third person, there is also, confusingly, an occasional first-person narrator known as 'Tango', who appears in only three short sections and has apparently very little relevance to the story.
These small points aside, however, "The Steep Approach to Garbadale" is a very good and engaging book, and one that I can easily recommend.
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