November / Hugo Winners Reading: Neuromancer

[Scheherazade]

In November we will be reading Neuromancer by William Gibson.

Please share thoughts and comments in this thread.

[Paulclem]

The initial core story of a brilliant individual brought down by circumstances, but then picked up, fixed and recruited for a mission seems a very familiar, even hackneyed one. What is different is the setting, and the hallucinatory quality of his life in New Tokyo. It seemed quite a modern book in that I felt it made me work to understand it - especially at first.

[Scheherazade]

Just placed a request at my library.

[iamnobody]

I'm still working hard to understand it. I have to keep re-reading parts to keep up.
It's holding my interest though, as long as I can make myself not think of the Matrix movies.

[Nikhar]

I have picked up the book umpteen number of times now, only to fail to understand it and keep it back in the drawer. Hopefully, with people available for discussion this time, I'll have more luck.

[iamnobody]

Don't give up Nikhar. The more I read, the easier it gets to follow. The writing takes some getting used to.

[Scheherazade]

Not sure if I will be able to read this one as the library is taking its time finding me a copy.

And by the look of your comments, I am beginning to think it is not such a great loss after all :p

[kev67]

I read this book last year, and I barely understood a word. Who was doing what to whom, and was it in the real world or a virtual world? I could hardly remember who was who even as they were speaking. Towards the end there was a woman who spoke like Lady Penelope and there were also some rastafarians. I could make them out. It all reminded me of a mix of Tron, Bladerunner and The Matrix, but I suspect this sort of thing is done better on film. I read this book while also reading Great Expectations and the contrast was jarring.

[WyattGwyon]

Spoiler alert!


I read this book last year, and I barely understood a word.

Hi Kev,
I thought the book was brilliant. The way I read it, the major human characters are all caught in a proxy war between two artificial intelligences and most of them never figure it out. (Notice how people are hired through shady intermediaries by someone or thing they never meet?) The fact that Gibson keeps this close to the far edge of comprehension puts the reader in the same position as the characters—feeling they are the toys of forces they can't quite grasp. One can feel the sinister (and sometimes benevolent(!)) logic at work even if one doesn't quite get it. I thought this device was effective and it made me go back and reread the book almost immediately. It amazes me that this hasn't yet become "a major motion picture."

Okay, the weed-smoking Rastas are a little over the top . . .