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andrewsweet's review against another edition
3.0
I struggled to get through this. Fantastic story though! That's what kept me going! A well thought out and consistent scifi universe with a noir bend, reading this reminded me of Heavy Metal (really old movie, but if you've seen it, you get why). Great for entertainment value, but littered with adverbs (seriously - I almost gave up because of it).
The writing improves a lot toward the end, but still a bit of work to make progress if you care about that sort of thing. Superb story though!
The writing improves a lot toward the end, but still a bit of work to make progress if you care about that sort of thing. Superb story though!
venusaspirant's review
1.0
I've been trying on and off to read this book for months with no success. The writing style was dry, the mystery didn't interest me, and overall it wasn't good. The sci-fi/cyberpunk concepts were incredibly interesting, but were ultimately let down by the sheer amount of apathy I felt reading it all. Also wasn't a fan of the sheer amount of bigoted nonsense this writer felt necessary to include, most of it culminating in me uttering "what the fuck" to myself at three in the morning. Some of the lines in this book bro. It makes me wonder how it ever got past editing.
Sadly, not for me. A star is given for the interesting concepts, however.
Rating: 1/5 stars.
Sadly, not for me. A star is given for the interesting concepts, however.
Rating: 1/5 stars.
soben's review against another edition
3.0
This is one of those examples in which the TV show and the book hold up on their own laurels. They diverge but in ways that make sense for their mediums. It took me a bit to work through the last 25% of the book, partly time, partly interest as it seemed to drag a little for me.
rosewolfeemery's review against another edition
3.0
It's always disappointing when a book doesn't quite live up to its premise.
I enjoyed watching the Netflix adaptation of Altered Carbon, and I was keen to discover whether the book offered more insight into the world that Morgan had created. Much like the show, however, you're just launched into the plot. I think an intentional lack of background knowledge can work well in some cases (e.g. Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro), but I would have liked to know how Altered Carbon came to be.
If I hadn't watched the adaptation, I think the plot would have lost me. Altered Carbon is wonderfully ambitious, but I don't like having to rifle through a book for information on a seemingly minor character that turns out to be important.
I found the concept of uploading your consciousness into a stack and 'resleeving' whenever you 'died' so interesting that I persevered with it. The prose was well-crafted, but I think this is one of the rare instances where the adaptation outstrips the source material. I was disappointed to discover that Reileen wasn't Kovacs' sister in the book, but just a Bad Girl who values power and influence more than human life. I also don't think that Kovacs was a particularly interesting or well-developed character.
I think the premise of Altered Carbon is more interesting than the story itself, but I'll watch the sequels if they make it to Netflix.
I enjoyed watching the Netflix adaptation of Altered Carbon, and I was keen to discover whether the book offered more insight into the world that Morgan had created. Much like the show, however, you're just launched into the plot. I think an intentional lack of background knowledge can work well in some cases (e.g. Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro), but I would have liked to know how Altered Carbon came to be.
If I hadn't watched the adaptation, I think the plot would have lost me. Altered Carbon is wonderfully ambitious, but I don't like having to rifle through a book for information on a seemingly minor character that turns out to be important.
I found the concept of uploading your consciousness into a stack and 'resleeving' whenever you 'died' so interesting that I persevered with it. The prose was well-crafted, but I think this is one of the rare instances where the adaptation outstrips the source material. I was disappointed to discover that Reileen wasn't Kovacs' sister in the book, but just a Bad Girl who values power and influence more than human life. I also don't think that Kovacs was a particularly interesting or well-developed character.
I think the premise of Altered Carbon is more interesting than the story itself, but I'll watch the sequels if they make it to Netflix.
maudalorian's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
3.0
A murder mystery in a macho cyberpunk sleeve. The concept is cool, but I feel like the novel would've confused and/or frustrated me if I hadn't already seen the Netflix series. I couldn't help but compare them all the way through and the adaptation definitely comes out on top for me. It's impressive how they managed to streamline the story, cutting out superfluous characters and a random trip to Spain(?!). Their take on the whole Envoy thing made more sense and characters were better fleshed out, too. Changing the Hendrix to Edgar Allen Poe was genius.
knitasgonnaknit's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
guppyur's review against another edition
3.0
Fun, pretty pulp. Don't think this deserves the hype it gets. Its central conceit isn't especially interesting if you're well-read in science fiction.
austex_93's review against another edition
4.0
I remember briefly skimming through this book, and before I knew it, I was halfway done. It hits the ground running from the start. It felt a bit rushed towards the end, but I enjoyed it very much!
richter10's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
kodyp97's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0