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A review by frasersimons
The Difference Engine by William Gibson
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
There are sections of this I enjoyed very much, and it is undoubtedly inventive and stylish. But it also vacillates to pretty long sections I found fairly boring. This is probably a byproduct of dual authors, or perhaps their being enamoured with aspects of the life I am not. For instance, historical inaccuracy is a bit too granular, as is the verisimilitude, for my tastes. If I was more interested in the period though, it would have probably not felt like a drag at all, so it’s somewhat hard to rate.
For fans of steampunk, this is not necessarily a slam dunk. It’s more literary than more genre fiction, and it doesn’t bother being concerned with expectations the readers may have as such. There’s plenty of great writing here too. It’s just getting to the sections that were both great and I found of interest. I am not a historical fiction reader either, I’d say, so the fact it kept me going at all may be a feat.
For fans of steampunk, this is not necessarily a slam dunk. It’s more literary than more genre fiction, and it doesn’t bother being concerned with expectations the readers may have as such. There’s plenty of great writing here too. It’s just getting to the sections that were both great and I found of interest. I am not a historical fiction reader either, I’d say, so the fact it kept me going at all may be a feat.