The Steep Approach to Garbadale

Summary

In the novel «The Steep Approach to Garbadale» by Iain Banks, the reader is immersed in the intricate world of the Wier family, whose story is intertwined with the fate of their famous board game, «Empire». Alban McGillivray, a descendant of this dynasty, returns to the ancestral Garbadale estate on the eve of a fateful decision—whether to sell the family business to an American corporation. Memories of the past, unresolved feelings for his cousin Sophie, and the burdens of personal loss force the protagonist to reconsider his life and legacy. Through the prism of family secrets, romantic dramas, and reflections on the price of success, Banks masterfully explores the search for self and reconciliation with the past, weaving subtle irony and deep humanity into the narrative.