I'm about 60 pages into Neuromancer and it is truly a painful read for me. Is this worth continuing to struggle through?
Some context, I am trying to rediscover a passion for reading that died sometime in and after college. I have read and reread numerous fantasy and sci-fi series, ranging from Dune, Wheel of Time, most of Brandon Sanderson's work, The Dark Tower Series, Game of Thrones, Safehold, and countless others. All this to say, I am perfectly fine with investing in complex stories that don't immediately pay off.
I also have aphantasia, so I have no capacity for visualizing anything being described. Even if it's something I have seen in real life, I can't form a mental image. This isn't usually a problem. Hell, it can be an asset, but with Gibson's writing style, every few pages feel like whiplash. I understand that this is stylistic and intentional, but that doesn't make it more pleasant to read. Having to figure out what every proper noun is by context clues isn't enjoyable and it makes it virtually impossible for me to create the system of abstract mental associations I use instead of visualization. Weirdly, this wasn't a problem for me with something like Dune, which is infamous for relying on its appendices to explain jargon and acronyms.
Lastly, I am very familiar with cyberpunk as a genre through media like Shadowrun and Cyberpunk 2042, Cyberpunk 2077 and quite a few 80's and 90's blockbusters. I recognize the novelty and groundbreaking nature of this when it was released, but novelty doesn't make something more readable. Seeing the origin of terms like Street Samurai is cool, but I can't help but wonder if this is actually the best representation of cyberpunk or just the first.
I'm sure it's a great book and it's certainly revolutionary for its time, but it feels like an awful choice for someone trying to go back to enjoying reading again. Is it worth struggling to complete?
by dediguise
11 Comments
If it’s the writing style you’re struggling with rather than the content then it’s not going to get any more pleasant for you.
figuring out proper nouns through context clues is like half the fun of it tbh. If it’s not for you then it’s not for you
If it is painful, then stop. There are far too many books out there to get stuck on one.
I love science fiction and Neuromancer just bounced right off me. Some cool imagery (sorry about your aphantasia in that case lol) but I was bored and didn’t care about the characters. I finished it. I won’t bother to re-read it.
Not everything is for everyone. Part of life and creative work. We all carry on.
I felt that way about Dune.
I enjoyed Diamond Age but snow crash sucked. Stephenson is hit or miss
I tried reading this when I was in my late teens. It wasn’t making much sense. Then one night after a party where I ate some shrooms, I sat down and finished it in one sitting. It all made perfect sense at the time, though 20 years later I can’t tell you a single thing that happens. I do remember that I enjoyed reading it, though at the time I might have enjoyed reading a take-out menu.
I read it for college and wasn’t fond of it. If this is pleasure reading and you’re not enjoying it, just find another book to read.
So Count Zero might read more easily. It’s a little more direct in its prose, but it’s definitely still Gibson. His stuff is generally pretty dreamlike in a lot of ways.
If you are trying to start reading again and the book you choose doesn’t click, absolutely move on to another one. You can always round back.
Too much good stuff to read to end up getting stuck in a ‘did not finish’ situation you can’t move past. I did that with Malazan for a while where I stalled out reading because of it 3-4 times. Moved on for a few years to other books eventually, and when I came back suddenly I liked it more.
I also have aphantasia and had the same exact struggles as you did with the Neuromancer. Drop it and find a book you enjoy.