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bookfrogglin's review against another edition
3.0
If this was a piece of clothing it would be a cardigan; comfortable but not unlikely to scandalize the neighbours or set the world on fire. It was pleasant enough to read but for me it lacked the fire present in many of his earlier books.
mhjenny's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
leslielikesthings's review against another edition
3.0
Cyberpunk is always a genre that I like in theory more than in practice. I try it periodically because I feel like I should like it as a proper geek girl, but I never do as much as I think I should. This was entertaining enough, but I don't think I really understood it all.
eldobo's review against another edition
1.0
Got to page 129. The author tries to use obscure words and references in almost every sentence, making this a very hard read. Not what I look for in fiction. Here's an example: "She made a gesture with her hands that reminded Hollis, in some dimly unsettling way, of the crocheted model uterus her Family Life Education teacher had used as instructional aid."
moiracampbell23's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
informative
tense
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
3.5
nomadpenguin's review against another edition
2.0
Kept expecting a spectacular reveal that never came.
tjr's review against another edition
1.0
I listened to this novel in audio book format. It didn't translate well; it was too complex, and too vague, to enable one to follow the story lines from chapter to chapter. Also, the narrative is quite layered, and wordy, so I found myself losing track of the action as I pondered what it was I just heard.
To get a better sense of this novel, I guess I should probably read it. But now that I know how it all plays out in the end, I have no desire to re-read this novel.
In the end, it wasn't the most spectacular audio novel that I've ever listened to.
To get a better sense of this novel, I guess I should probably read it. But now that I know how it all plays out in the end, I have no desire to re-read this novel.
In the end, it wasn't the most spectacular audio novel that I've ever listened to.
megmcardle's review against another edition
5.0
William Gibson's previous book, Pattern Recognition, was an amazing book, bringing me completely into the Gibson fold, where I had always hovered around the edges before. His new book explores some fo the same landscape and themes. Where his books like the early SF masterpiece Neuromancer used to imagine where technology might take us, Gibson is more interested now in where we already are. He looks at our technology-saturated lives and weaves interesting stories full of paranoia and shadowy agents of change. Secretive billionaires, acrobatic Chinese-Cuban criminals, pill-popping Russian translators, and ex-lead singers from defunct 80's indie bands. What do all of these have in common? They are all vividly realized characters wandering the Gibson landscape, intersecting in a plot that starts out being about computer-generated locative art, and ends up involving a mysterious government plot. For those up for the ride, thsi was a really fun read.