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vdarcangelo's review against another edition
2.0
http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2007/aug/10/ideas-outshine-characters-in-fast-paced/
This review originally appeared in the ROCKY MOUNTAIN NEWS
Ideas outshine characters in fast-paced technothriller
Vince Darcangelo, Special to the Rocky
Published August 10, 2007 at midnight
Plot in a nutshell: In his acclaimed books Neuromancer and Pattern Recognition, Gibson coined the term "cyberspace" and predicted the Internet and the proliferation of user-generated film clips, such as those found on YouTube. In his new novel, he again explores emerging technology and its impact on society.
Hollis Henry is a former rock-singer-turned-magazine-writer. A fluff assignment turns sinister when Henry begins to question the identity of her employer - a magazine that doesn't yet exist and seems to have unlimited funds.
Henry soon learns that her assignment about an emerging virtual reality art form isn't about the art but rather its reclusive genius, who's involved in a political scandal with higher stakes than high art.
But Henry is not alone. There's also Milgrim and Brown, a petty criminal and his drug-pushing captor who may or may not be a government agent pursuing a shipment of data code-carrying iPods. And Tito, an up-and-coming crime family operative who is about to "disappear" after a big mission.
Along the way, Henry secures the assistance of Inchmale, her former band mate/lover, and dines with the mysterious advertising magnate who bankrolls her investigation - but are his intentions benign? Eventually, the story lines intersect in Vancouver, where a dirty political secret brings the characters to a so-so climax.
Sample of prose: "She remembered Inchmale describing Stockholm syndrome, the fondness and loyalty one could supposedly come to feel for even the most brutal captor. She wondered whether she might be experiencing something like that, here. Inchmale thought that America had developed Stockholm syndrome toward its own government, post 9/11."
Pros: Maneuvering the quick-hit chapters and shifting points of view is like being rushed through an art gallery. You take in patterns and forms, but can't fully digest anything before being led down the next corridor. This puts you on edge and makes for a solid page-turner.
Cons: Gibson bombards readers with multiple story lines early on, and for several chapters, I felt as though I'd walked into the middle of a conversation. In addition, he writes Henry out of every jam with deus ex machina ease. Despite stumbling upon a massive political/military scandal and crossing paths with secret government agents, a crime family and millions in dirty money, Henry is never in harm's way.
Final word: Like Gibson's other books, Spook Country offers a complex vision of a world in which art and military technology cross paths, where iPods and wireless Internet layer virtual reality on the physical world, and where sometimes the greatest commodity is information. It deserved stronger characters to carry the book's grand ideas.
This review originally appeared in the ROCKY MOUNTAIN NEWS
Ideas outshine characters in fast-paced technothriller
Vince Darcangelo, Special to the Rocky
Published August 10, 2007 at midnight
Plot in a nutshell: In his acclaimed books Neuromancer and Pattern Recognition, Gibson coined the term "cyberspace" and predicted the Internet and the proliferation of user-generated film clips, such as those found on YouTube. In his new novel, he again explores emerging technology and its impact on society.
Hollis Henry is a former rock-singer-turned-magazine-writer. A fluff assignment turns sinister when Henry begins to question the identity of her employer - a magazine that doesn't yet exist and seems to have unlimited funds.
Henry soon learns that her assignment about an emerging virtual reality art form isn't about the art but rather its reclusive genius, who's involved in a political scandal with higher stakes than high art.
But Henry is not alone. There's also Milgrim and Brown, a petty criminal and his drug-pushing captor who may or may not be a government agent pursuing a shipment of data code-carrying iPods. And Tito, an up-and-coming crime family operative who is about to "disappear" after a big mission.
Along the way, Henry secures the assistance of Inchmale, her former band mate/lover, and dines with the mysterious advertising magnate who bankrolls her investigation - but are his intentions benign? Eventually, the story lines intersect in Vancouver, where a dirty political secret brings the characters to a so-so climax.
Sample of prose: "She remembered Inchmale describing Stockholm syndrome, the fondness and loyalty one could supposedly come to feel for even the most brutal captor. She wondered whether she might be experiencing something like that, here. Inchmale thought that America had developed Stockholm syndrome toward its own government, post 9/11."
Pros: Maneuvering the quick-hit chapters and shifting points of view is like being rushed through an art gallery. You take in patterns and forms, but can't fully digest anything before being led down the next corridor. This puts you on edge and makes for a solid page-turner.
Cons: Gibson bombards readers with multiple story lines early on, and for several chapters, I felt as though I'd walked into the middle of a conversation. In addition, he writes Henry out of every jam with deus ex machina ease. Despite stumbling upon a massive political/military scandal and crossing paths with secret government agents, a crime family and millions in dirty money, Henry is never in harm's way.
Final word: Like Gibson's other books, Spook Country offers a complex vision of a world in which art and military technology cross paths, where iPods and wireless Internet layer virtual reality on the physical world, and where sometimes the greatest commodity is information. It deserved stronger characters to carry the book's grand ideas.
mjfmjfmjf's review against another edition
4.0
Book 2 of 3. I read this one last though after reading the 3rd (Zero History) and liking it and not realizing until I started it that it was part of a series for which I had read the 1st book (Pattern Recognition) and somewhat liked it.
I'm thinking that I liked this book more for having read book 3 first. Because otherwise all the characters would have been more annoying.
There is a lot of weird details in this book, though not a lot that comes across as important. A coworker described it as all-plot and no character development which is probably fair.
But if a book 4 comes out, I'd read it. Not sure the series holds up to a re-read any time soon though. 4 of 5.
I'm thinking that I liked this book more for having read book 3 first. Because otherwise all the characters would have been more annoying.
There is a lot of weird details in this book, though not a lot that comes across as important. A coworker described it as all-plot and no character development which is probably fair.
But if a book 4 comes out, I'd read it. Not sure the series holds up to a re-read any time soon though. 4 of 5.
graff_fuller's review against another edition
challenging
dark
informative
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
I've come to expect a certain type of writing and story from William Gibson. So, to rate it low for the type of author he is, isn't fair, but still...this is the highest I could rate this story.
I liked this book better than some of his books, but I still feel he makes his stories overly complicated...for really no reason.
He has a plethera of characters, but rarely do we get an in depth understanding about their motivations.
I like the overall story, but the execution of it leaves me wanting. I want to know more about these characters and why they do/don't do what they are doing/not doing.
Frustrated, but still going to finish out this trilogy. Glutton for punishment, I guess.
I liked this book better than some of his books, but I still feel he makes his stories overly complicated...for really no reason.
He has a plethera of characters, but rarely do we get an in depth understanding about their motivations.
I like the overall story, but the execution of it leaves me wanting. I want to know more about these characters and why they do/don't do what they are doing/not doing.
Frustrated, but still going to finish out this trilogy. Glutton for punishment, I guess.
cathode_ray_jepsen's review against another edition
3.0
Weaker than Patten Recognition, but still quite readable. And hey: parkour
chace scene! Hopefully Zero History will be a stronger finish.
chace scene! Hopefully Zero History will be a stronger finish.
spiderfelt's review against another edition
2.0
I couldn't bring myself to finish this one. There are intriguing elements, but it just wasn't compelling enough to continue listening.
mmparker's review against another edition
3.0
Gibson has a wonderful way with language and there are plenty of ingredients for a great thriller here - but they never really came together.
joemacare's review against another edition
4.0
Surely the first William Gibson novel in which the climax (or at least the revelation of what's really going on) is the saving grace of the novel, rather than a letdown.
datarez's review against another edition
2.0
I enjoyed the single story line of Pattern Recognition more. This came together but drug it's feet getting there. It's resolution felt like more of a setup for the next book as well.
anetq's review against another edition
4.0
Well that only took me 8 years to get around to finishing! Obviously should have done so before, as it's classic clever Gibson: "Very near future, could be now"-territory. Intricate plot, all weaved together nicely.
(Really - I've bought the hardback while travelling somewhere, brought it with me later to read and throw away, and still managed to bring it hom, unread. I think it's the confusing jumps between three sets of characters & scenarios, that made me move on to other books at the beginning. Well confusing, if you don't keep reading).
(Really - I've bought the hardback while travelling somewhere, brought it with me later to read and throw away, and still managed to bring it hom, unread. I think it's the confusing jumps between three sets of characters & scenarios, that made me move on to other books at the beginning. Well confusing, if you don't keep reading).