As I said in my post, I know that stuff happened. But it didn’t feel like it did for me. I got what he was doing with his prose, but it just didn’t do the thing for me. It wasn’t being dazzled so much as being given a verbal shot of NyQuil. 'Cept NyQuil tastes like licorice, and is automatically better.
That being said, I’m thinking of picking Neuromancer up again; I was sixteen-ish when I read it, and I might appreciate it more now. (I’m not sure, though; Count Zero and Burning Chrome got read right after, and I really liked those). I mean, Christ, I was able to slog through and enjoy Dhalgren, so this should be nothing.
ETA: I had Neuromancer in my desk at work (probably because I had my replacement copy of the Mirrorshades anthology shipped here, and they came in the same eBay Lot). No time like the present. . .
Neuromancer. Yes, it’s dated. But I can read it over and over and I never get tired of it. Snow Crash was fun and had neat ideas, but Neuromancer had characters I cared about. It’s soothing to me, I read it about twice a year.
He never saw Molly again. (Fenris already got the first line!)
Ok. I can not CAN NOT get underway in Neuro. I actually tried to pick it up again this week, believe it or not, and I just can not get a grasp for Gibson’s style.
There are way too many question marks for me in the opening pages. Very unsettling to read something on faith, and then pile on three or four more things on top, all with faith as well.
Just me or does anyone else find the " I will get to this in a second " style to be offsetting?
Snowcrash on the other hand, was a gradual progression and built and built. And frankly if you research memes, and realize that plot line in the book, the progression is still building.-- To know its based on real science is, for lack of better words. scary.
Having never read “Snow Crash”, I still recommend that one. “Neuromancer” has very vivid imagery and scenery, but the plot is turgid and slow-moving. Read “Neuromancer” in a location where you lack better forms of entertainment, such as on an airplane, over multiple bathroom trips, or at a baseball game.
Actually, if I’m understanding what you’re referring to, I freakin’ love it when a story does this: plops me down in the middle of the action with little idea of what’s going on, no backstory in the beginning, no nothing, so I flounder and flail around trying to figure out what’s happening. I find the gradual move from ignorance and confusion to understanding to be immensely satisfying.
Neuromancer excelled at that.
Of course, I decided as a teenager to read some William Gibson. I started with Count Zero, moved to Mona Lisa Overdrive, and ended with Neuromancer, not realizing they were out of order until I was in the middle of Neuromancer. That was a little TOO confusing.
Agreed - the Baroque Cycle has an intricately plotted and (to me) satisfying ending. Both Snow Crash and Cryptonomicon had endings that were a little lacking to me (though I love and reread both frequently).
Necromancer is really part of a trilogy. I think its a little odd to read it as a stand alone book. Youre doing yourself a disservice if you just read the first one.
