Rating: Summary: Least favorite of his, so far. Review: I didn't find Idoru awful, or bad, in fact for the most part its typical Gibson. The ending in this one is what disappointed me. I hate to write that as I know others may be just like me---reading along just fine, enjoying things, and then you start to notice that there aren't that many pages left, how is he going to wrap all this up?Well, he really doesn't sorry to say. And I love the Gibson I have read so far, unlike some of the reviewers I have seen post negative reviews in every Gibson book on this site (easy to spot due to the fact they say the same things). I have not read Burning Chrome yet, nor The Difference Engine, but I thoroughly enjoyed Neuromancer, Count Zero, Mona Lisa Overdrive, and Virtual Light. And I even really enjoyed this one...until the end.
Rating: Summary: Spellbinding rock and roll post-cyberpunk fantasy Review: William Gibson's latest is a brilliant novel which explores what it means to be famous now. It is one of the few recently published books I've read which deserves to be read twice. Sure, some of his discussion regarding technology is dated, and his character Laney's job may seem meaningless, but "Idoru" is still a sly, thoughtful look into our current information age and a intriguing exploration of celebrity. While reading "Idoru" for the first time, I could see obvious parallels between the young fans of Gibson's fictitious rock and roll band Lo/Rez and those of bestselling author Frank McCourt - whom I've sarcastically referred to as "McCourties". "Idoru" may not be as gripping a read as "Neuromancer", but it is truly among Gibson's best works of fiction. And he clearly shows that he isn't just one of science fiction's finest literary stylists, but remains one of the most influential writers of our time.
Rating: Summary: A tantalising glimpse into a walled city of a virtual world. Review: Starting with controversy, ushered along by mystery, and ending with a satisfying twist... This book is a delight to read, introducing the reader to a world which is still recognisable as our own, but several hops into the future. Subtle, well-placed references to icons of pop culture and world events link it to the reader's consciousness, drawing one in, and yet there is enough original material to leave you slightly wide-eyed. Like the girl fan Chia, I found myself gripped by an urgency to discover the truth; frustrated by rumour and secrecy; intrigued by the surrounding personalities. The characters are charismatic and supple, and even the minor players have a kind of nonchalant detail to them. Perhaps the only drawback of the book is its assumption that the reader is familiar with certain terms used in modern pop culture, especially Japanese phrases and ideas - still, this is a smashingly good read, and should leave you a little breathless at the end.
Rating: Summary: Amazing Review: I am a big fan of Gibson's Sprawl stuff, and have shyed away from Virtual Light and Idoru for a while. I finally have read Idoru, and after finishing it, I am amazed. It would be easy to dimiss it as a book about a hologram and an aging rock star, but what Gibson is really talking about is what exactly it means to live in the information age. And think about it -- do you know what it means? Think about the parts of us that already exist, independent of us, from our physical selves -- your Equifax credit report, tax records ... and what is the next logical creature to take hold? A creature of pure information. Who is Rez? An aging rock star with good spin control. Who is the Idoru? A creature of pure information. Who is Laney? A medium between the physical and the digital. Who is Chia? A collector of information about Lo Rez. What binds them together? Information, and the convergence between the hard and real (the physical) and the symbolic and abstract (information). Gibson is addressing where the information age is taking us, the metamorphasis we are all going through. That is his genius.
Rating: Summary: Okay story, already dated though. Review: Even though this book came out in 1996, it the technology of the future doesn't really seem that remarkable at all. Take out the "gee-whiz" factor of the technology, and you're left with a story about two people who don't ever meet. I've never read anything of Gibson's before, so maybe you had to be a fan to enjoy this book. It's not the worst thing I've ever read by any means, but a page-turner, it was not.
Rating: Summary: "Idoru" is fast, furious and great fun. Review: In "Idoru", the internet has become an enourmously big part of the world. Virtual reality is larger than life itself, and many people live their lives through computers. The story i quite complex, and follows two main characters through a wicked plot involving all sorts of cyber-fun. All I can say is: read it. You won't regret it!
Rating: Summary: Worth it Review: Regardless of how you feel about the structure, characterization, tone, or any other aspect of this novel, those who read it from front to back will take away images of the future (a sometimes not-so-distant future) that will forever inform the way they react to technology advance, use and mis-use. Neither Idoru (the book nor the character, Rei) is perfect. But both are certainly very curious and entertaining creatures. I'm glad I read it.
Rating: Summary: misunderstood Review: Take a look in the ISBN section of this book and you''l understand what makes it so clever, not only is it listed as science fiction but also under Rock-star psycholgy. At first when I read both Idoru and Virtual Light I was worried Gibson was loosing his touch, but as time goes on and I get a chance to reflect more on both books I begin to them as the phenomenl triumphs they are. The story is eesentially about reality and identity in the future. Colin Laney can take any random bits of data about an individual and recreate their entire life (proably in real science this is just silly, but it sounds really plausible doesn't it?), but colin himself has no idea who he really is. He just wanders from job to job trying to survive. Then of course you of the charecter of Lo-Rez, who has become so disenchanted with modern day life the he has fallen in love with an artificial creation. That really just the surface but I sugest that all the reader who have described this book as "light" and "silly go back re-look at at the story and see how much of your own life looks back at you.
Rating: Summary: Spellbinding. Review: "Pop culture is the testbed of our futurity." said the representative of the Idoru. William Gibson's spellbinding story of a rock star who announces his plans to marry a virtual construct - more real in cyberspace than in "reality." This post-Internet world is filled with inverted kill-files, avatars, sandbenders, and proscripted nanotech. Highly recommended.
Rating: Summary: We've already been there Review: Gibson is dangerously additive. You want to rad every one of his books. This is maybe a mistake. People who start here will love this one. If you have read all his other books too, you may feel a little bit let down.
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