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A review by lillanaa
The Peripheral by William Gibson
4.0
This is one of those books that I'm both very sure how I feel about it and not sure at all in the same breath. Gibson's writing style is so genuinely interesting, and it makes you want to keep reading, but as some other reviews have stated it starts to drag in the back half. There's more time spent setting up a conclusion than on the actual action; whereas the front portion feels very quick and well done in my opinion. It's one of those that starts off strong, but because of Gibson's penchant for happy endings feels very rushed to ensure that actually happens.
I definitely won't say this is a bad book by any stretch, though. The characters are both interesting and realistic at the same time, Flynne and Wilf being genuine seeming people. There were definitely a few caricatures, which happens with books like this that have such a large cast, but they didn't seem out of place. Stereotypes exist for a reason, and these characters all felt like they fit the universe. I have to say, Ash was probably my favourite; I wanted more from her character, though.
Ultimately, it's an oddly sentimental book to me. The future and the far future work together to create something that seems realistic but not overly deep or preachy. There's something to be said about striking a balance between wanting to warn about problems, as some "dystopian" books enjoy doing, and using that as just a backdrop for a larger overarching plot as is done here. It's a different take on a genre that's been popular the past while, I'm intrigued to read the sequel.
I definitely won't say this is a bad book by any stretch, though. The characters are both interesting and realistic at the same time, Flynne and Wilf being genuine seeming people. There were definitely a few caricatures, which happens with books like this that have such a large cast, but they didn't seem out of place. Stereotypes exist for a reason, and these characters all felt like they fit the universe. I have to say, Ash was probably my favourite; I wanted more from her character, though.
Ultimately, it's an oddly sentimental book to me. The future and the far future work together to create something that seems realistic but not overly deep or preachy. There's something to be said about striking a balance between wanting to warn about problems, as some "dystopian" books enjoy doing, and using that as just a backdrop for a larger overarching plot as is done here. It's a different take on a genre that's been popular the past while, I'm intrigued to read the sequel.