Neuromancer (71st Book)

Despite being in the middle of planning a wedding, I have ticked a few books off of my list. It helps that I was trying to get rid of a few books that I knew I wouldn't want to keep once I read them. Neuromancer was one of these items. I picked the book up at our local used book store, complete with a resident cat. The book was three dollars. It was a very interesting read although I can't say that I loved it. The concept was interesting, and it represented cyber space very well. The book is full of slang and jargon for the world that William Gibson created. Despite most of the words not having any real meaning you are able to figure out what he is talking about most of the time. Words like "deck", "jack in", and "ice" are littered throughout the book. It is very much like the Matrix of the 80s. The characters occasionally struggle to separate the real world from the alternate one. The book follows Case, a computer cowboy who no longer has the ability to access cyberspace because of a job gone wrong. In a fit of depression, he is residing in the real world  underground doing drugs, and slumming around when a mysterious man, Armitage promises to fix his problem if he will successfully complete a job for him.

The novel has aspects of crime noir fiction in that it follows a flawed, but loveable character into the seedy underground where it is hard to tell who is on the good side and who is on the bad.  I feel like the target audience for this book is probably young adult males. Although the book was interesting for me I think that a lot of the charm and deep enjoyment of this novel belongs to men in particular and young adult males especially. It has a rougher feel to it, and also would have appeal for youth or young adults who are struggling to figure out who they are and what they want to do with their life.

I would recommend this read, even though it is not in danger of becoming my favourite book. I can tell that it is a one of a kind read, and that although it feels somewhat dated, it is also able to stand the test of time.