The Steep approach to Garbadale..

[MaryAnnSingleton]

anyone reading this ? quite like it so far...but not overwhelmed

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Oh I LOVED it, tis a bit vacuous but well paced imo

Not as good as others IMO. I love Ian Banks' characters usually, but didn't really connect with any in Steep Approach. It was just all a bit bland - plotline weak too.

Was disappointed. Read it quite a while ago and it has faded rapidly from my appalling memory.

see I was thinking is this going to be a bit Crow Road ish - I loved the characters in that...it feels a wee bit like it (am not far in)

I know what you mean - I had high hopes for it. Scottish setting, family secrets, black-sheep narrator - but it just doesn't deliver. Too long ago now for me to put finger on why (apart from aforementioned characters and plot).

Maybe that is the problem, like hoping for red wine and getting a thirst quenching, but boringly non-alcoholic glass of Schloer.

can I quote that in book group rampant ?

thought it seemed a bit formulaic...I know Ian does have his running themes but dysfunctional family (check) big castle/house (check) cool young black sheep hero (check) blonde feisty girlfriend (check) lots of mention of music (check), drinki and drugs 9check) etc.
I did enjoy it but was disaapointed.

I quite liked it - it wasn't as good as Crow Road (or Espedair St, Whit, Complicity), but an awful lot better than The Business or that one set in London with the radio DJ.

If I hadn't already read all his fiction and therefore guessed the ending, I'd have been pretty impressed.

thanks all, will carry on with it...

Was a bit bland, although I actually preferred it to Crow Road. Thought the whole thing with the cousin was totally obvious

gah - don't say too much, I haven't got very far !

I enjoyed it at first but I've run out of steam halfway through.

I thought this was ok but a bit predictable - def a bit Crow Road (one of my fave books ever). The books he wrote years ago were much better but I thought this was ok - and the one before -Dead Air? was pretty good too.

am skim reading a bit in order to finish it for book group,but it is a bit sub Crow Road