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3.89 AVERAGE
3.89 AVERAGE
This book is the true sequel to Pattern Recognition. It was a delight to read about apparel metanerds and their nerdery, as the subject is close to my heart. I would love to stay at Cabinet someday!
The character I was waiting for appeared quite close to the end of the book - I won't spoil it by telling you who it was. It was nice to see her story finally finished. It seems like there is still one more book out there for Bigend though, don't you think?
The character I was waiting for appeared quite close to the end of the book - I won't spoil it by telling you who it was. It was nice to see her story finally finished. It seems like there is still one more book out there for Bigend though, don't you think?
Here's the thing about William Gibson, I think--either you're along for the ride, or you're not. I find it difficult to talk about his books in the same terms I use to talk about other books. I'm often annoyed by the way his characters speak to one another--cryptically, abruptly, in non-sequiturs. I'm often annoyed by the things his characters do--sometimes seemingly driven, not by their own motivations, but by the necessities of the plot.
And yet...I've really enjoyed the Blue Ant books (Spook Country, Pattern Recognition, Zero History). There's something about them that I can't really put my finger on. It's not always easy to describe what they're about--or, it *is* easy to describe at least what's happening on the surface, but they don't sound at all interesting in those terms. There are admittedly long sections where nothing much of import seems to be happening. There are also sections where things are happening, but you can't see any sense in them, or how they relate to the plot--or what you thought was the plot.
But for some reason, I find them incredibly engaging. I *want* to keep reading, to see what Gibson has up his sleeve, or what he's driving at, and what's going to happen to these characters in the end. Maybe it's the glimpse at a world that is so like ours as to be almost indistinguishable, and yet that seems to be separated from ours by the thinnest of membranes. Maybe it's Gibson's writing style, although I don't always like that--I haven't been able to read "The Difference Engine" no matter how much I'd like to. Maybe it's...ah, heck, I don't know. I can't explain it. I certainly couldn't duplicate it. But I know that if there's another one, I'll be reading it.
And yet...I've really enjoyed the Blue Ant books (Spook Country, Pattern Recognition, Zero History). There's something about them that I can't really put my finger on. It's not always easy to describe what they're about--or, it *is* easy to describe at least what's happening on the surface, but they don't sound at all interesting in those terms. There are admittedly long sections where nothing much of import seems to be happening. There are also sections where things are happening, but you can't see any sense in them, or how they relate to the plot--or what you thought was the plot.
But for some reason, I find them incredibly engaging. I *want* to keep reading, to see what Gibson has up his sleeve, or what he's driving at, and what's going to happen to these characters in the end. Maybe it's the glimpse at a world that is so like ours as to be almost indistinguishable, and yet that seems to be separated from ours by the thinnest of membranes. Maybe it's Gibson's writing style, although I don't always like that--I haven't been able to read "The Difference Engine" no matter how much I'd like to. Maybe it's...ah, heck, I don't know. I can't explain it. I certainly couldn't duplicate it. But I know that if there's another one, I'll be reading it.
EDITORIAL REVIEW:
The new novel from William Gibson, "one of the most visionary, original, and quietly influential writers currently working." (*The Boston Globe*)
Hollis Henry worked for the global marketing magnate Hubertus Bigend once before. She never meant to repeat the experience. But she's broke, and Bigend never feels it's beneath him to use whatever power comes his way -- in this case, the power of money to bring Hollis onto his team again. Not that she knows what the "team" is up to, not at first.
Milgrim is even more thoroughly owned by Bigend. He's worth owning for his useful gift of seeming to disappear in almost any setting, and his Russian is perfectly idiomatic - so much so that he spoke Russian with his therapist, in the secret Swiss clinic where Bigend paid for him to be cured of the addiction that would have killed him.
Garreth has a passion for extreme sports. Most recently he jumped off the highest building in the world, opening his chute at the last moment, and he has a new thighbone made of rattan baked into bone, entirely experimental, to show for it. Garreth isn't owned by Bigend at all. Garreth has friends from whom he can call in the kinds of favors that a man like Bigend will find he needs, when things go unexpectedly sideways, in a world a man like Bigend is accustomed to controlling.
As when a Department of Defense contract for combat-wear turns out to be the gateway drug for arms dealers so shadowy that even Bigend, whose subtlety and power in the private sector would be hard to overstate, finds himself outmaneuvered and adrift in a seriously dangerous world.
The new novel from William Gibson, "one of the most visionary, original, and quietly influential writers currently working." (*The Boston Globe*)
Hollis Henry worked for the global marketing magnate Hubertus Bigend once before. She never meant to repeat the experience. But she's broke, and Bigend never feels it's beneath him to use whatever power comes his way -- in this case, the power of money to bring Hollis onto his team again. Not that she knows what the "team" is up to, not at first.
Milgrim is even more thoroughly owned by Bigend. He's worth owning for his useful gift of seeming to disappear in almost any setting, and his Russian is perfectly idiomatic - so much so that he spoke Russian with his therapist, in the secret Swiss clinic where Bigend paid for him to be cured of the addiction that would have killed him.
Garreth has a passion for extreme sports. Most recently he jumped off the highest building in the world, opening his chute at the last moment, and he has a new thighbone made of rattan baked into bone, entirely experimental, to show for it. Garreth isn't owned by Bigend at all. Garreth has friends from whom he can call in the kinds of favors that a man like Bigend will find he needs, when things go unexpectedly sideways, in a world a man like Bigend is accustomed to controlling.
As when a Department of Defense contract for combat-wear turns out to be the gateway drug for arms dealers so shadowy that even Bigend, whose subtlety and power in the private sector would be hard to overstate, finds himself outmaneuvered and adrift in a seriously dangerous world.
RE-READ REVIEW:
I liked this one even better a second time around -- especially after the disappointment of Gibson's latest (Agency) which felt like a retread of this book's third act.
ORIGINAL REVIEW:
“Zero History” is the concluding chapter of a trilogy that started with “Pattern Recognition” and continued with “Spook Country.” It involves corporate espionage, a secret line of designer jeans, a federal agent who uses Twitter, an arms dealer, a flying penguin, and one really ugly t-shirt.
“Zero History” brings back Hollis Henry, the musician-turned-journalist from “Spook Country”, as well as that book’s Russian translator and (now recovering) junkie Milgrim. Both find themselves in the employ of Hubertus Bigend, the anti-hero who drives the plot in all three books of the trilogy. Their assignment is similar to Cayce Pollard’s in “Pattern Recognition” (and Marly Krushkova’s in Gibson’s 1986 novel “Count Zero”) but as the novel progresses outside factors push that project to the background and the story becomes about something else entirely.
I really enjoyed “Zero History.” It’s a great book, and a strong conclusion to this trilogy.
I liked this one even better a second time around -- especially after the disappointment of Gibson's latest (Agency) which felt like a retread of this book's third act.
ORIGINAL REVIEW:
“Zero History” is the concluding chapter of a trilogy that started with “Pattern Recognition” and continued with “Spook Country.” It involves corporate espionage, a secret line of designer jeans, a federal agent who uses Twitter, an arms dealer, a flying penguin, and one really ugly t-shirt.
“Zero History” brings back Hollis Henry, the musician-turned-journalist from “Spook Country”, as well as that book’s Russian translator and (now recovering) junkie Milgrim. Both find themselves in the employ of Hubertus Bigend, the anti-hero who drives the plot in all three books of the trilogy. Their assignment is similar to Cayce Pollard’s in “Pattern Recognition” (and Marly Krushkova’s in Gibson’s 1986 novel “Count Zero”) but as the novel progresses outside factors push that project to the background and the story becomes about something else entirely.
I really enjoyed “Zero History.” It’s a great book, and a strong conclusion to this trilogy.
Upon second reading (and probably because I'd read the first two of the trilogy recently), I'm bumping my rating down a bit. It's not my favorite of the series, probably because the ending tried to wrap up a bunch of threads I didn't really think needed to be wrapped. Until the final caper at the end, I enjoyed the book. The caper was a bit too deus ex machina for my tastes, but I still enjoy Bigend and the gang. I'd like to see if Gibson takes another step in this world.
I have really loved the direction that Gibson's writing has taken since Pattern Recognition. His exploration of ideas and gift for metaphor are undimmed, while his plotting and character-building have developed far beyond the sketchy days of Neuromancer. His continuing exploration of how we give meaning to the objects and people in our lives and how the threads of marketing tie us together and isolate us continues to fascinate me. He has taken the tone and tropes of science fiction and applied them to the current time with great success. And the romantic in me enjoyed the increased emphasis on relationships between characters. Delightful!
I was hoping for something--I don't know--more. The writing was good, especially for genre fiction, which is, I suppose, one of the reasons Gibson is such a giant in the scifi and fantasy world. He brings the world of fashion and secret branding to life, with lots of interesting real world technology and surveillance techniques, but where Gibson is SO imaginative with scenario and detail, I found--at least in this book--his plot and characterization decidedly mediocre.
Time and again I hoped for something more complicated to happen, and time and again the characters got off easy. Stylistically, he went too far trying to set up some emotional moment, and ended up telegraphing what was coming. Predictability in a novel? Is a straight-up deal-killer for me.
In the end, one main character literally lives happily ever after, complete with a marriage proposal from the heroic lover she has just been reunited with; the other main character also finds love and well, just--ugh. Happily ever after is not what I read for. I enjoyed Neuromancer back in the day but this was not up to standard for me. I won't be reading any more Gibson. I get it now.
Time and again I hoped for something more complicated to happen, and time and again the characters got off easy. Stylistically, he went too far trying to set up some emotional moment, and ended up telegraphing what was coming. Predictability in a novel? Is a straight-up deal-killer for me.
In the end, one main character literally lives happily ever after, complete with a marriage proposal from the heroic lover she has just been reunited with; the other main character also finds love and well, just--ugh. Happily ever after is not what I read for. I enjoyed Neuromancer back in the day but this was not up to standard for me. I won't be reading any more Gibson. I get it now.
Good read - a continuation of the new series by Gibson. Love the new tech and ideas he generates and Bigend is such a mad character.
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
adventurous
funny
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Yes