Complicity by Iain Banks

Who’s the victim?

Iain Banks gained quite a bit of acclaim with his debut novel, The Wasp Factory. A dirty, violent book full of twists and dark humor, The Wasp Factory also happens to be completely fantastic. Banks wrote Complicity later in his career, a novel that parallels a reporter’s investigations into some bizarre murders and a serial killer’s escalating cycle of violence.

Complicity is smart. The book features a definition of the word complicity on the back, but as far as I can recall never uses the word within the text itself. The novel is told for the most part from the perspective of Cameron Colley, a journalist who tries to emulate Hunter S. Thompson in his writing style. He frequently says ‘Saint Hunter would understand’ when he is disappointed in himself; when he falls short of his own ideals.

Cameron’s narrative is told in first person, but there are several second person narratives describing the serial killings occurring in the background. While the second person is usually awkward and gimmicky, Banks's use of it in this particular work serves to further the theme. At some point in his career Cameron wrote an editorial about justice. He writes about a tv show he’d like to see, a show about the kind of justice he doesn’t get to experience in the real world. Instead of drug dealers, he wants to see arms smugglers taken down. He wants to see billionaires who profit from the misery of others being made miserable. He names names.

And wouldn’t you know it, the serial killer has exacted exactly this kind of justice on exactly the people he listed.

The question proffered by the book (never quite asked, never quite answered) is this: Who’s responsible? The reporter? The serial killer? You? Are you responsible if you buy the newspaper? Are you responsible if you watch the shows?

Are we responsible because we bought the book?

The murders are grisly, full of torture. Sometimes the killer doesn’t even kill, he just forces his victim to experience what he has done to others and then leaves. In one memorable scene, he’s sucking down helium while wearing a gorilla mask, and doing horrible horrible things on camera.

We’ve seen this before. Se7en, in particular, explores the notion of a serial killer who kills for an obscene sense of justice, for a misplaced sense of right and wrong, tailoring the punishment to the sin.

But Complicity actually came first.

According to Wikipedia, Iain Banks said Complicity is "[a] bit like The Wasp Factory except without the happy ending and redeeming air of cheerfulness." It’s true. This novel is dark, dark, dark. But there’s a lot to like here, and the novel has a lot to say. The copious, vivid descriptions of drug use, sex, and grisly murder make this a book that will not appeal to everyone.

But if you’re not easily offended, this book is well worth reading. You’ll have plenty to think about by the time you’re through.



My favorite part:

Cameron in the interrogation room, unable to sleep and feeling worse and worse by the minute. Everything about that scene, bouncing back and forth between his memories and the present, was incredibly awesome.