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About a week ago, Elwing posted about the “Fifty Fifty Book Challenge”, which is a challenge to read fifty new books and fifty old books in one year.

Riding the Metro every day to and from work is actually enjoyable. Its about 2 hours a day I get to myself without having to focus on anything pressing. I have been using this time to catch up on reading books. I dont think I can read 100 books in one year, but I know I will definitly be able to finish 1 book a week. As my first book of the year, I picked up The Difference Engine, a collaboration between William Gibson and Bruce Sterling.

I knew before picking up the book, I would be expecting too much from it. Several of my friends have already read it and were disappointed in it. It is the only book authored or co-authored by Gibson I have not ready yet, so I figured I would give it a try. Knowing Gibson was involved in the book is why my expectations were too high. Overall it was an OK book, but it certainly wouldnt be one I read again.

The build of the story reminded me of Gibson’s style: build build build build, climax and *BOOM* the end of the story and everything is in a twisting resolve. I like the rollercoaster and expectation of Gibson’s endings, however the characters were not interwoven like his typical story and much of the plot was seperated by their serperate lives instead of constantly reflected apon by other’s interactions with the world. The actual story didnt hold my interest much either, so that could have been a large part of the problem.

I have never read anything by Sterling, so I am unfamiliar with his style. There is a good chance it is the complete opposite of Gibson, which would conclude the ineffectivness of the “Gibson Style” and the internal fight of detail vs. content. Gibson is extremely detailed in his writing and often reveals hidden things about the plot. I have read his book Neuromancer a handful of times, and each time I notice a new clue about the upcoming plot I had missed before.

So..

New Books: 1/25
Old Books: 0/25

1. The Difference Engine - Gibson, Sterling (05/01/14)

seele :: Jan.15.2005 :: Books, General, Life :: 3 Comments »

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