Reviews

Mona Lisa Overdrive by William Gibson

gf3's review against another edition

adventurous dark tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

tomfairfax's review against another edition

3.0

Generally enjoyable, well drawn characters, especially a much more rounded and aggressive version of Molly Millions, someone who can walk into an empty room and start a fight. The lowlife world is drawn in a much bleaker way than the previous works, although not nearly as psychotic as Jack Womack's world. I still find Gibson's Cyberspace concept as weak and poorly developed, existing with little practical foundation, even for the late 80s. The protagonists are also generally still the puppets of powerful forces, which limits the tension that can be created. Still no mobile phones, although I do yearn for a world full of hovercraft.

eclairedelune's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.75

gcullooo's review against another edition

• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.75

I enjoyed this book as I've enjoyed all of Gibson's multi-character POV books so far. The ending, however, kinda sucked. Still a lot of fun! I think I preferred Count Zero.

kurtwombat's review against another edition

4.0

Science Fiction that seems to drift just little past our current reality. Each page carries you just a bit further until suddenly you realize you can't get back. Anything that was intersting about the Matrix films was lifted liberally from Gibson's work. This story deals with celebrity, destiny and the pursuit of dreams realized in quite unreal fashion. Four story lines are gradually intertwined only to unravel in spectacular fashion. Wondrous is his virtual prediction of the internet and all that it allows and can reveal.

thewargrave's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

cdeane61's review against another edition

5.0

almost unputdownable - I read the other two novels on this series out of order staring with Count Zero in 1991 and following with Neuromancer in 1996, and even though I don't recall the details of either, this book stood on its own. It also loosed some memories of those previous reads, which were just a little over my head back then. This seemed very coherent and understandable compared to those previous works.

The setting (near future), with its mixture of rich and poor, tech users and tech doers, corporations and organized crime, real and virtual is second to none. William Gibson was ahead of his time then, and is probably somewhere way up ahead of us now.

radiator_phillip's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark mysterious tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

moncler's review against another edition

adventurous tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

bymo's review against another edition

adventurous tense fast-paced

3.5

an okay book, some good parts, maybe it was because i didnt personally care that much for the characters so i didnt care too much for this book

extra points for the GORGEOUS cover in the brazilian edition like seriously its so pretty