Reviews

Peryferal by Ireneusz Konior, William Gibson

librarian_elle's review against another edition

challenging dark slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Minor: Violence, Medical trauma, Death, Body horror, Mental illness, Injury/Injury detail, Drug use, and Alcohol

huddy91's review against another edition

adventurous challenging slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

0.25

angelicide's review against another edition

5.0

William Gibson's novels are always difficult in the beginning. The reader is typically thrown into an alien environment with no background or explication and forced to piece together the situation completely from context. This sink or swim introduction can be both frustrating and exciting. In this case, however, I found myself flailing around uncomprehending for much longer than usual. Perhaps it's just me, but I thought more than once, this may be the first William Gibson novel that I'm not going to like.

Eventually, though, I did get it. And when I did, it was absolutely brilliant. The man has a truly innovative mind and it makes for some inspired and profound literature. Now that I understand the world he's created (as well as one can understand a William Gibson world), I'll probably read it again so that I can experience the whole thing from a fresh perspective.

bluelilyleest's review against another edition

1.0

Did not enjoy this one at all. Weak characters in weak worlds. Did not identify with them. Felt bored throughout. (Review written in Gibson's annoyingly subjectless-hard to read-sentences style)

gabbyquail's review against another edition

4.0

It's easier to talk about what didn't work here than what did, even though I enjoyed it far more than I didn't.

jaysen's review against another edition

3.0

3.5

mustakarppi's review against another edition

adventurous hopeful fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

mollysticks's review against another edition

3.0

I have no clue what to rate it so I gave it a 3, it is the happy median, right? It was so confusing, way too confusing, hence the low rating. But it was actually an interesting story. These were my emotions as I read this book: What? What the? uhhh..... Oh, awesome! Ummm....what? Wow, really exciting scene that I still miss half of...oh, it's over.

It was a cool world but

Spoiler

I will never understand any kind of time travel

and this one definitely throws a whole new twist on it that is obviously confusing but well done.

florinese_expert's review against another edition

adventurous challenging funny informative mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

thebrianikeda's review against another edition

2.0

This book made me angry. Gibson goes off and gets me all wrapped up in Flynne and hooks me with his exploration of living in a body that's not your own. But then he surrounds her with a huge cast of ill-defined characters, technological concepts that are too difficult for him to clearly describe, anti-climatic action sequences and cheap resolutions to conflicts that more than once ended with the statement, "We bought them out for you." His Blue Ant series certainly spoiled me. Maybe I should just go back and enjoy Spook Country.