Rating: 
Summary: Good... but could have been better
Review: Pollen was a worthy sequel to Vurt, but it sadly it couldn't touch the quality of its predecessor. Ditching his old likable character Scribble for an old Dodo Shadowcop was Noon's worst move, the other bad part was the switching of person from "he" to "you" that made the story awkward. It also lacked a more charismatic cast, replacing the motley and young Stash Riders with grown-up humorless cops and dogpeople. Pollen pulled the reader even farther into the realm of Vurt, introducing some new interesting characters. But I think Noon strayed too far from the winning formula of Vurt and made instead a book somewhat less captivating than Vurt.
Rating: 
Summary: Brazil's Thoughts
Review: AH...This is the book that changed minds. Many people who loved Vurt were disapointed by Pollen. I for one find it hard to choose which is better. To me they are impossible to compare. They have a different veiw on the world of Vurt. One from a Flyer (a vurt person like Scrib) one from a DoDo (a non-Flyer). For those who don't like it, I am sorry. For those who have yet to read it, go into it with an open mind, don't expect another Vurt. Jeff Noon was wise to change the view points, after all, who wants to read the same book but with different words? Now and then it isn't too bad, but one risks the chance of ruining the orriginal concept. I say, READ THIS BOOK, take a chance, you have nothing to loose and have everything to gain. Keep in mind the old exchange rate, if you don't put in much, you can't get much out. So put in as much as you can so you will get the maximum enjoyment out of this book. So keep up the Reading. Enjoy! -BRAZIL Vista, CA
Rating:
Summary: Take My Flower
Review: Although I know this is not the popular opinion, I found "Pollen" to be a better book than "Vurt". In fact, I was so deeply affected by what I was reading that I developed ( quite probably psychosomatically) a massive sinus infection while reading this spectacular sci-fi novel. Jeff Noon's style is so original and smart, that I am tempted to call him a genuis. He was able to take the same futuristic, perverted, cross-breed world that he created for "Vurt" ( a shocking, absorbing novel in it's own right) and apply it to "Pollen" with and entirely different perspective and story line. I very much enjoyed the heavy-handed literary reference to the goddess Persephone. I also liked the more natural, Earthy approach to "Pollen" vs. the obvious Urban Decay theme in "Vurt".
Rating:
Summary: Good, but, it's a little long winded
Review: First of all, I have to say that Jeff Noon is always worth reading. He writes with great style and displays a truly unique imagination. Pollen is definitely worth checking out, but, as other reviewers already stated, I feel it does drag on a bit long. One thing is for sure...this really isn't a Vurt part 2... and I applaud Noon for that. I like the fact that he writes from such a different perspective on the Vurt world. For those not familiar with Jeff Noon, I would recommend checking out Vurt first... not because you really need it for the plot of Pollen, but, because you might get a better introduction to some of the going ons with the feathers and all that.
Rating: 
Summary: It's not Vurt but...
Review: I like the writing style and the whole thing is very original but after _Vurt_ this was definitely disappointing. The characters were not as much fun as _Vurt_, the scenes weren't as cool as _Vurt_. I would have liked it a lot more if it was about 100 pages shorter. It just dragged and even at the end I didn't get excited, although the comical version of Charon was hilarious. A warning to cyberpunkers that haven't read _Vurt_ there really is no 'science' involved in this 'cyberpunck' novel. It really is more like a modern fantasy - no computers and no technobable. If you like his style a lot try it, if you're not impressed with his prose leave it on the shelf.
Rating:
Summary: deeper into the vurt?
Review: I loved Vurt, and finishing it, headed straight for Pollen. However I found Pollen fairly heavy going about half way through, and by the end i was in no doubt that Vurt was the better book. That was 3 years ago when I first read them. A re-reading last (southern) summer left me with a different opinon. Now that I knew the end, I found Vurt less satisfying, and Pollen the more intellectually engaging book. The sheer depth of Pollen is what led me back to it, and although it lacks the punch of Vurt, it is a more mature piece of writing. Vurt has all the joy of a carnival ride, Pollen is the universe the ride is in. They compliment one another at different depths. read them both (with a break in between!).
Rating:
Summary: pollen drifts
Review: I read Vurt and loved it and then made a beeline for Pollen, which I loved for a while but then I got tired of it. I think it lost my attention & I stopped reading 30 pages from the end. Jeff Noon is a master at repurposing pop (Sweet Wanita?) andz got an imagination like no one else writing today, its too bad the book fell apart
Rating:
Summary: No Vurt but Nothing to Sneeze At Either!
Review: I would have hated to have been Jeff Noon confronted with the task of following-up Vurt. How do you write a book that'll grab the interest of the legions of fans you found with Vurt but not rehash the Vurt story? Pollen is the answer. Set again in Manchester (now on my must-see list when I next travel to Britain, solely due to Noon's novels), Pollen tells a strange, seductive tale of genetic engineering gone very awry, where man, dog and plant all begin to merge and ghost-cops chase and dead things hitch rides in netherzones and it all makes wonderful nonsense. Noon is really the Lewis Carroll of our time--and for that reason alone, he is very worth reading. Vurt first, then Pollen, then Needle in the Groove. A trip very worth taking.
Rating:
Summary: No Vurt but Nothing to Sneeze At Either!
Review: I would have hated to have been Jeff Noon confronted with the task of following-up Vurt. How do you write a book that'll grab the interest of the legions of fans you found with Vurt but not rehash the Vurt story? Pollen is the answer. Set again in Manchester (now on my must-see list when I next travel to Britain, solely due to Noon's novels), Pollen tells a strange, seductive tale of genetic engineering gone very awry, where man, dog and plant all begin to merge and ghost-cops chase and dead things hitch rides in netherzones and it all makes wonderful nonsense. Noon is really the Lewis Carroll of our time--and for that reason alone, he is very worth reading. Vurt first, then Pollen, then Needle in the Groove. A trip very worth taking.
Rating: 
Summary: Disappointed
Review: I, unlike most readers of this book, I suppose, did not read the prequel, Vurt. I was suckered in by the comparisons to Gibson. I must confess I was sorely disappointed. There were interesting characters, and a fairly interesting plot, but as a whole the book just shouted, look at this cool idea I have for a story, see, SEE. The writing certainly was not as tight as Gibson's, and I really had trouble caring what happened to the characters. Oh well.
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