William Gibson’s classic 1984 novel, Neuromancer, is easily one of the most difficult books that I have ever read. The abstract concepts of cyberspace and the matrix paired with difficult vocabulary from many different languages (some of which are made up, i’m sure) has made reading the novel quite a challenge for me.
However, the plot and diction have not been what has been causing me the most distress during my reading of Gibson’s work.
For the entirety of my time with Neuromancer, I have found myself questioning all that Gibson has yet to explain and hoping that eventually he will. The characterization of Case, Molly, Riviera and Armitage have been what I have found to be the most fascinating aspect of the book. There has been one single question that has lingered in my mind since the beginning of my reading...
How did the characters that Gibson is describing on his pages come to be?
I want to know the backstories of all of the characters in the novel, but particularly that of Case. How did he become a cowboy? Why did he want to steal from the firm he originally worked for? What was his childhood like? Is he anything like we, as humans, are today?
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| Where'd you get those claws, Molly? In the case of Armitage, as far as I have read, Gibson has provided us with some amount of background information. He was originally known as Colonel WIllis Corto and was involved in a US operation in Russia which failed, costing him his legs, sight, and most of his jaw. Following his reconstructive surgeries, Corto was essentially used by Congressmen to cover up the failed expedition. It can be inferred by the reader that Corto’s feelings of betrayal by the Congressmen are what have fueled his desire to join Wintermute in whatever it is that they have planned. |
Unfortunately, as of Chapter 10, where I have read up to, the rest of the characters and their backgrounds are not quite as clear. My hope is that Gibson will answer some of my many lingering questions as the novel continues.
I can honestly say that I have no idea of what is yet to come in Neuromancer, and I am excited to see how everything will tie together.
Nice post! I agree with you. I am very frustrated by the difficult language and my lack of background knowledge on science fiction books. I also want to know Case's history and more on how our world compares to his. The ideas brought up in this book are so foreign to me that I am trying to grasp onto anything that would relate back to our world. I want to know how Gibson was able to create and write about such a futuristic world.
ReplyDeleteTo agree with you and Megan, the book is difficult to read; I have to re-read sentences a couple of times just to make sure that I catch everything that's going on. As a suggestion (if you haven't done this already), try Googling the weird Japanese words that he uses, and if you're lucky, you'll find a website that gives their meanings. Also, since Spark Notes and Cliffs Notes don't have a summary of the book, I've been using Wikipedia's summary page (it helps quite a bit).
ReplyDeleteIt is interesting how Gibson seems to almost toy with us readers about the information that he gives out. To me its a little frustrating that the details of the backstories are so few and far between. However, this is exactly one of the main reasons why I have stayed interested in the book. Like you said, hopefully he will drop some more details soon.
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