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vintonole's review against another edition
3.0
W. Gibson is fascinating to read. His books are well written and have interesting characters and descriptions. For most of this book I was uncertain as to what it was really about, but the events were interesting enough for me to continue reading. It does end with somewhat tense and action filled scenes, but probably not as much as the typical action/adventure/thriller would.
The writing does seem toned down and list detail filled as Pattern Recognition or any other typical Gibson novel. After this I just had to read Zero History, which involves many of the same characters. However, if it wasn't a Gibson novel I probably would have skipped both.
The writing does seem toned down and list detail filled as Pattern Recognition or any other typical Gibson novel. After this I just had to read Zero History, which involves many of the same characters. However, if it wasn't a Gibson novel I probably would have skipped both.
hollyfromthebigsky's review against another edition
1.0
I'm having a really hard time getting into this books. If it doesn't get better in the next 50 pages or so, I may set it aside, as I have way too many books to read these days!
Updated: just can't get into it. I'm going to move on to other things.
Updated: just can't get into it. I'm going to move on to other things.
sonicmooks's review against another edition
3.0
While I understood going into it, from the reviews I read when this book first came out, that Spook Country is supposed to be some sort of conceptual novel...setting science fiction in the present (or even recent past) tense...yadda yadda yadda...whatever the case, or conceit...in the end I just found it a bit boring and uninspired.
I've been a fan of Mr. Gibson's for years, but this work just does not seem to be remotely as interesting as his earlier cyber-punk masterpieces, and near masterpieces. It's almost as if in stripping away the cyber-fantasy-world and it's trappings he is left with characters that are rather stale, one dimensional, and...well...boring. Maybe that's the point, and I'm missing it...but this book never really engaged me at all...the characters were nothing more than fleeting sketches...very little depth...and some characters that seemed promising were never allowed to develop and/or were dropped to the background after being used as nothing more that plot transition devices...the plot twists seemed to move away from whatever scenarios that were remotely interesting, choosing instead to follow through on perhaps the most boring story line of the bunch in the end...oh well.
All that said, it was not a horrible book. Just a disappointing one, based on past expectations.
For whatever it's worth, in the form of context, I did enjoy Pattern Recognition, Mr. Gibson's previous novel, a lot. This one, not so much.
-m
I've been a fan of Mr. Gibson's for years, but this work just does not seem to be remotely as interesting as his earlier cyber-punk masterpieces, and near masterpieces. It's almost as if in stripping away the cyber-fantasy-world and it's trappings he is left with characters that are rather stale, one dimensional, and...well...boring. Maybe that's the point, and I'm missing it...but this book never really engaged me at all...the characters were nothing more than fleeting sketches...very little depth...and some characters that seemed promising were never allowed to develop and/or were dropped to the background after being used as nothing more that plot transition devices...the plot twists seemed to move away from whatever scenarios that were remotely interesting, choosing instead to follow through on perhaps the most boring story line of the bunch in the end...oh well.
All that said, it was not a horrible book. Just a disappointing one, based on past expectations.
For whatever it's worth, in the form of context, I did enjoy Pattern Recognition, Mr. Gibson's previous novel, a lot. This one, not so much.
-m
wmhenrymorris's review against another edition
I'm still trying to decide if how minor the central premise was is to be applauded for not reaching for some grandeur, some reaching lame coolness, or met with a meh! and a shrug of the shoulders.
scribal's review against another edition
4.0
On one level I liked this better than Pattern Recognition because I really really enjoyed the Cuban Mongolians and it has a satisfying ending. Also I think it has a better "shape" than Pattern Recognition--which I felt drifted off into an odd and annoying ending. On the other hand Pattern drew me into the author's created land completely from the very first pages. Spook's beginning is harder to get into and it seems lighter, as if Gibson wasn't quite that engaged himself.
martialalex's review against another edition
3.0
A little bit aimless but the characterization is pretty well done
sara_q_chicago's review against another edition
2.0
I'm still reading this. . . I think. I put it down because i didnt want to lug a hardcover with me on a trip to Denver, and now I've sort of forgotten to pick it back up (I've since gone on to two different books). I like Gibson's language as always, but the characters and plot are not really grabbing me. I'll get back to this one, maybe.
Okay- have not picked this up in 6-months. Guess I'm not finishing it.
Okay- have not picked this up in 6-months. Guess I'm not finishing it.
rdebner's review against another edition
2.0
Eh. I've not read any William Gibson before. I read a number of reviews for this book, which all raved about it; I really only read it because it was the next selection for one of my book groups. I thought there were some interesting and creative ideas in the book, and I was glad that he brought together the three narrative threads near the end. Overall I was unimpressed with the writing in this book and would not consider it to be a literary sci-fi thriller, as some reviewers touted it as being.
w13rdo's review against another edition
1.0
For the life of me, and I tried, I just couldn't get into it. Insisted on finishing it, but it took far too long.
I didn't find the characters compelling. Hollis was supposed to be, I think, a strong female lead character. But it seemed all her knowledge of anything at all was "gifted" upon her, by Inchmale or Bobby or the old man or whomever.
And the resolution/reveal of the primary arc. Meh.
I didn't find the characters compelling. Hollis was supposed to be, I think, a strong female lead character. But it seemed all her knowledge of anything at all was "gifted" upon her, by Inchmale or Bobby or the old man or whomever.
And the resolution/reveal of the primary arc. Meh.
dnousek's review against another edition
3.0
A moderately entertaining read. Not wildly enthusiastic about it, though.