Mona Lisa Overdrive by William Gibson Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of Mona Lisa Overdrive
Book Review: This book rocks. True Gibson artwork.
Summary: 5 Stars
I could seriously not put this book down. I read Neuromancer, which I thought was an awesome book, and I read Count Zero, which was good but sort of boring. Mona Lisa Overdrive however was a true masterpiece true to Gibson. The environment, so dark and un-organic paints a dark picture in your mind that is so real and tangible in a way. Cyberspace and the computer-driven networked world also played so much of a part in this simply amazing imaginary world. When it matches with the characters so nicely you can't discount the book because it's so enthralling. I loved this book and I know a lot of others that did too (although most of them tell me it's a cult following to like Gibson's work).Book Review: Too weird for my taste.
Summary: 2 Stars
The technoworld that Gibson creates is very sharp, very precise and very strange. What do all this people want and why? The cyberspace sequences are totally unreal. I finished the book without figuring out what the hell had happenedBook Review: Tough to Review
Summary: 3 Stars
Compared to almost every other book around, this is a wonderful read. Compared to Neuromancer, however, it's a bit of a letdown.
It's funny. The writing itself is better in this book. The characters are more rounded and Gibson is a lot more assured when it comes to pace and descripions. But as technically brilliant he's become, he wrote a check with the first novel that the next two sequels couldn't cash. Mona Lisa Overdrive lacks a certain amount of passion and though he was something of a cypher, it doesn't have a character as powerful as Case. Even Molly, who makes a reappearance here, came across as a shadow of her previous self.
Still, if you like Neuromancer and Count Zero, this is a pretty good conclusion to the trilogy.
Book Review: Trilogy Ends, Rewarding But Returns Slightly Diminshed
Summary: 4 Stars
[Trust me, this book should only be read after reading the prior two novels! Do not read this book first or else you will be very lost and confused about so much that is too important to both plot and characters.] I read this trilogy and the 3 related short stories contained in Burning Chrome in March-April 2011. Every few years I step back from more regular fiction to read some science fiction, which I loved as a youth in the 1970s. I'd long wanted to read this trilogy. It was well worth the wait. As for the finale, MLO, I consider it the most mature of the novels but also the least rewarding. Neuromancer (N) blows you away with the freshness of both Gibson's style of writing and the ideas expressed. Count Zero (CZ) engages you with a more traditional action/suspense-style plot. MLO has you mainly because you've bought into Gibson's fictional universe and you need to find out how it all ends. MLO is set approximately 7 years after CZ, which was approximately 7 years after N. It's great to encounter the Finn again and even better to again experience events with Molly Millions, now calling herself Sally Shears, and it does bring some closure to Lady 3Jane, Straylight, and the family Tessier-Ashpool. Everything about MLO feels familiar to anyone who has read N and CZ. The setting, characters, and ideas build off of the prior two novels. Gibson's writing stye is comforting. He continues his use of short chapters: MLO has 45; CZ 36; N 24. As with CZ, he creates separate story threads that finally, if too briefly, converge. MLO has four threads: Mona's (in Florida, Baltimore, & the Sprawl), Angela's (continuing from CZ), Kumiko/Sally's (mainly in London but also in the Sprawl), and Slick Henry/Gentry/Cherry Chesterfield's (at the Factory in the wastelands outside the Sprawl). MLO also continues the voodoo-related matrix concepts from CZ. Unfortunately, there just isn't anything so truly new or so immediately interesting here that really raises this book up. Feels like Gibson runs out of ideas or has grown a bit tired of this universe. It is a comfortable read. But it is also a necessary read after N and CZ.Book Review: Typical Gibson attitude-laden action
Summary: 4 Stars
I would have appreciated being told that without reading Neuromancer and/or count zero , I would have struggled my way through this book only to be left feeling a little lost and confused at it's conclusion . So I read the other two books and even though some aspects were confusing , that's a minor fault of an otherwise `cool' book . I enjoyed being caught up in the angst and frustration of Slick Henry in his Factory amongst the desolate Dog Solitude . I kept flicking forward to catch the next mention of Sally or Molly . Among the supposed tuffgirls in the genre , I think that she wins it by a mile . How can you go wrong with someone athletic , intelligent , directed and with a kick ass attitude . Mona Lisa became a tad irritating and tiresome after a while . Does everything in her life need comparison to her mentor's advice ? Does she have to be in awe of everything that's new ( imagine how amazed her expression must have been when she was born -wow , air! ) ? Maybe I liked Molly too much . Colin's a nifty concept which reminded me of the days when I played marathon five-setters with my imaginary tennis opponent hidden in the brick wall . I won't forget including the count , Gentry , Cherry , Petal , Swain , Eddy , Prior and the rest of the future-minded cast . For some reason , I was able to picture this world without Gibson having explaining it to the grain patterns of each oak cabinet ( ala Tollkien ) . If you're expecting personal conflict and in -depth character development , forget about reading this book . It's all about action and the mechanics and politics of the matrix, the sprawl and whatever new-fangled device Gibson dreamed up .