Most of our group hated The Wasp Factory. It was maybe just too bizarre and gross for most people’s liking. Some of us liked it, but we were all pretty put off by the anticlimactic ending.
Some highlights of our discussion:
- Wished there was more about the factory itself, but it definitely showed his genius
- Did the hormones given to him by his father make Frank overly aggressive?
- He said he always knew he would have to kill Paul, but he doesn’t really give a reason
- Esmerelda’s death was kind of hokey
- Did he hate women because he knew he was one, or because his mom left?
- The rituals he created were weird, but maybe no weirder than lots of religions – animal sacrifice is pretty common throughout history
- Frank was oddly calm when he found out he was a girl – he was more angry at the thought of his dad being one
- Someone thought he was sacrificing Polish people!! (“Sacrifice Poles”)
OTHER RECOMMENDATIONS:
“Temple Grandin” (on HBO)
http://www.half.com (cheap books)
Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides
Still Alice by Lisa Genova
How Far is the Ocean from Here by Amy Shearn
The Billionaire’s Vinegar by Benjamin Wallace
Generosity: An Enhancement by Richard Powers
Mr. White’s Confession by Robert Clark
Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne
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