Idoru by William Gibson Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of Idoru
Book Review: A Book About Nothing
Summary: 1 Stars
Originating the word "Cyberspace" seems to be what qualifies Gibson as a great writer in most peoples reviews. I tried to keep in mind that this book was first published in 1996 when the internet was still fairly new to most people, but even with that in mind there were not really any new ideas. First, the idea of a srich, spoiled, pampered and out-of-touch with reality pop star wanting to mary a computer generated woman isn't really unusual given the context. It's no more strange than something Michael Jackson, Prince or any of their ilk have actually done. I also think that there could have been a subtle homoerotic subtext to the whole premise considering the only programmers of the idoru that were mentioned were all men who apparently created their idealized woman from a PC rather than go out in the world and find a real woman. Basically after reading this the original premise now seems uninteresting.
I might have even liked the premise better if the writing had been better. It was confusing, disjointed and nearly impossible to follow what there was of a narrative for most of the book. The characters were completely unbelievable as was most of the action. Much of the seemingly interesting ideas that were brought up such as an earthquake destroyed Tokyo being rebulit by nanotechnology were mere sidebars that went nowhere.
it seems to me that Gibson has great ideas, but then does all the wrong things with them. The only other book of this that I have read is "The Difference Engine" cowritten with Bruce Sterling. This book suffered from the same problem. A great idea that went nowhere and didn't explore the real potential of the original premise.
I'm still going to give Neuromancer a try, but if it is no better than what I have read so far I will never read Willam Gibson again.
Book Review: A book any Gibson fan will love...
Summary: 4 Stars
My first foray into the mind of William Gibson began with 'Neuromancer'. A novel, and an experience I'll never be able to quite put into context. How else can you describe what it's like reading a novel that's a miasma of futurism, design, and language that's slowly entreaching intself into our very own society? Gibson is a stylist , a genius, and perhaps even a madman. Not in the sense of insanity, but simple that it's difficult to see one man responsible for coining the terms: virtual reality and cyberspace.Which leads me to 'Idoru', a story that's a lot more contemporary. At least, by Gibson's standards. 'Idoru' takes place in the not-so-distant future in which Tokyo, brought to near ruin by an earthquake, is rebuilt through the use of nanotechnology. The idea of nanotechnology is nothing new to me. Yet, Gibson seems to to use it here very liberally. Nanotech is responsible for the rebirth of an entire metropolis.
Enter 'Lo-Rez': a member of one of the hottest rock groups in the world. Rez makes a decision to head to Tokyo (I feel the need to refer it to 'Neo-Tokyo' for some bizarre reason) and marry Rei Toei, the most recognized idol singer in Japan. There's just one catch: Rei isn't real. Rei Toei is the 'idoru', and she doesn't exist. Along with data-miner, laney, Rez travels through the seedy underbelly of the Tokyo underworld in order to find the idoru, and make his fantasies come true.
It's certainly not one of the deepest of plots, but it doesn't downplay the novel to much. I enjoy Gibson for his stylistic flourishes, and the way he develops the world in which his characters exist. The counter-culture bar, and the 'west' world are some of the places that Gibson lays down for the reader. I enjoyed reading some, and dread sloshing through others. There were often times when I felt like Gibson has fallen in love with the development of his world, and has lost sight of his plot (such was the case with Laney's enemies shuffled in for cameo's sake).
Nevertheless, 'Idoru' was a decent enough read. If you're a Gibson fan, chances are you've already given this book a once over. If you're not however, I still urge you to give this novel a try. You'll either love it or hate it. There's very little gray area when it comes to Gibson. A fun read for me.
Book Review: A different world
Summary: 4 Stars
Idoru had no believable characters, no apparent climax, and at best, a decent storyline. Gibson, however, has been able to create an amazing world in which cyberreality has become real. His skills in language are immense, and his scenes are fantastically vivid. Read it for the world it transports you to.Book Review: A dud from a sci-fi legend
Summary: 2 Stars
Obviously science fiction depends on the suspension of disbelief, but the events in this book verge on the ridiculous. The story seems haistily put together and the characters are one-dimentional. It reads well, but it provides little of the wonder that Gibson's work usually inspires.Book Review: A midget's view from its own gigantic shoulders
Summary: 4 Stars
To those new to Gibson; please don't judge him by "Idoru". The incredible contextual framework he has created with his previous works still makes this a good read, but the scope of this particular story is degrees of magnitutde smaller than that of even one of his unforgettable short stories from "Burning Chrome". Gibson has gone from porn-movie barker to candy maker. ALSO READ: "Snowcrash" by Neal Stephenson.