Intro: thanks to the crap that is the connectivity of the Blogger app & the site, I lost most of this review. Anyway... here it goes, late. Sorry.
I'll admit: usually Mr. Gibson's trilogies have highs and lows. I loved Neuromancer, but found Idoru a pretty harmless and boring book. But usually, on the third one, I'm in love. Mona Lisa Overdrive is one of my favourite books. I really liked the ending on All Tomorrow's Parties. That leaves us with Zero history. I made myself very clear on the last entry on the Blue Ant trilogy: Spook Country was awful. Even if it was wrote by one of my favourite authors, in a genre that I love, I hated it. It has its good points, but the bad ones... it was not a pleasant reading. So, how the last book of the trilogy went?
Well... It starts with Inchmale & Hollis... Oh my, where do I start with that? Do you have a friend that can't handle money? That always made bad decisions regarding money? Yeah. At the same time that Inchmale bought a club/hotel, Hollis is broke. AGAIN. Seriously? You made a deal with advertising that made possible for your friend to buy a freaking Hotel & you are broke? What in the hell you invested on? Marbles? Anyway... The first thing we are informed, besides she's broke, is that Inchmale is insisting that she should contact Bigend. Obviously, she don't wanna. Bu-hu. You're broke, girl. You shouldn't refuse the only guy that keeps on hiring you...
Just a few pages & I'm already bothered by her. She's decadent, full of a luxury that she really doesn't fit into. I'm sorry, but I really dislike Hollis. She's boring, predictable & most of times, dumb. She don't discover anything, she bump into things with a good timing. That's all. Hubertus call & even if she's mentally complaining, she accepts to meet him. Yeah, it's that or die in a alley way...
Then, he appears! MILGRIM! Yey! I like this guy. As always he's sly, analytical, observant & weird. Apparently, he did some weird treatment for his addictions, what seems as a Keith Richard style: he mentions some blood transfusions. Anyway, he do some shady business with a pair of pants (wtf?) and is directed by Sleigh (yes, from other books, that guy) to the airport where he's going to meet Bigend. That catch my attention! But it sure goes down the drain with one more chapter from Hollis. Gosh, it's as tiring as the Sansa's chapters in S Song of Fire & Ice. Yes, I hate her. A shame that she would probably not die a gruesome death in the books... Oh, and I ignore the series. So, don't go whine on the comments.
(Irrelevant, since no one comment here, for some weird reason...)
Anyway, I felt like somehow, my complaints about the last book were heard. Or someone also complained about it. This time we are given 2 things: what Hollis should look for, a different way of doing product branding by some shady figure & why use her: she is like Jon Snow, she knows nothing. Yeah, that's it. Since she doesn't know anything on the stuff Bigend is involved, she has a fresh view on stuff. I can buy it, you know? I only hope that she doesn't walk as if on board of a Deus Ex Machina, other than that, I can be lenient & tolerate her presence... Thank gods we go back to Milgrim.
In there we see that Milgrim isn't a junkie anymore. Somehow Bigend convinced him to detox & treat himself. Milgrim, apparently, lost something like a decade in his addiction & has a lot of blanks in his memory. Somehow, he says he learned Russian in Columbia, supposedly the University of Columbia. But his Russian is too good for it. Anyhow, we also see that the Blue Ant team is taking heavy cautions with him with consistent drug testing, careful observation & leading him to where he must go. His objectives & what exactly he's doing, at what intentions are still a mystery for now.
Back to Hollis, obviously she finds the right person, at the right time & the guy explain what exactly is this brand of clothing: never in stores, sometimes in thrift stores, maybe on eBay. Other than that, he explains the concept of the brand to her. I sincerely found it a little stupid. Sorry, never been a brands guy. The maximum I get into this is my Levi's jeans, which I buy for comfort & durability. Other than that it's mostly black tank tops, black t-shirts and maybe some color t-shirts. Cheap, comfy & versatile... But to each their own. I don't understand, but recon that it's a thing for some... But the level of attention & analysis used on a FUCKING PAIR OF JEANS? Sorry Gibson, but are you OUT OF YOUR FUCKING MIND? I'm sorry, but I can't, for the love of all gods, take this seriously. Even if I was baked on ganja, I would still think it stupid. Anyway... Milgrim is introduced to Hollis in a tedious scene. And for fuck sakes! EVERYBODY IS A FAN OF HOLLIS' BAND? Why? Tell me HOW a band, always presented as an underground small band of little success made Hollis basically the equal of Madonna on the indie scene of the world??? Ugh... It hurts me SO BAD every time one fan appears. Get your shit together Gibson!! You created the cyberpunk mythos! You created intelligent AI that assimilated Loas as their representations! You are so creative and now you present me mysterious JEANS?!? For fuck sakes, I expect it to get better. Please, be a better book. PLEASE!
Oh, and I like how Milgrim don't give a fuck that Bigend is waiting for him. It fits nicely with his character. But his hot pants for Hollis? Not all that much... I believe is like his thing with his teeth: it's new, (usually addicts loose all their libido. It kinda fits with how Milgrim is looking & evaluating all women he sees) it's fresh & he feels like he must use it.
And Heidi came by. Seriously, when I compare those two books to all other books from Gibson, it seems so weird. This one, at least have Milgrim as a key figure. And I'm still hoping for it to be a better book...
Oh! Oh! And I got an insight: I know now why I hate Hollis & her gang. They are spoiled brats! I used to date a piece of trash like that. All about how they don't care for money, but wasting money like there's no tomorrow. Cayce had a lot of problems, but she was a working woman. She paid her stuff with her hard work. Those little shits had a band and been living out of it, maybe doing some different stuff here & there, but overall? Spoiled brats. Yeah. Do I feel better? No. It bothers me even more now.
The relationship between Milgrim & Bigend also is interesting. We know that aside from being the ultimate Deus Ex Machina of this series, Bigend has an amazing eye for talent. And he invested massively to "recover" Milgrim. Why? Curiosity. Yeah. Simple, elegant & beautiful explanation. Bigend has the money to pay for all his curiosities. Milgrim being one. And their relationship reflects that. Hollis on the other hand... As a brat, she's incapable of being grateful. And whine all the time.
In particular I like how Milgrim & Bigend acts together. Milgrim don't give a crap about how important Bigend is, but understand him & help him in a very peculiar & intimate way. Bigend, out of curiosity, fixed him & realize how important he could be.
Anyway, this is the exact point where I lost stuff. I was going to describe the book in more detail, but I'll resume it since this book doesn't deserve a better treatment.
Investigating for the jeans, they find some leads. The guys that Milgrim scanned the jeans come after them & attack, in a really amateurish/Hollywood way. Obviously it goes wrong. But they ambush & get a coder from Bigend: Chombo. Yes, the ass hole from the previous book. They want Milgrim in exchange. Bigend is about to agree, but then Hollis' boyfriend comes as a, once again, Deus Ex Machina & make a propose/blackmail to him: release Hollis, give her lots of money & help her friends. There: two deceptions, Bigend agreeing to exchange Milgrim & accepting this proposal. Oh, and the point of maximum bitchness: "release" Hollis... seriously? She's there because she needs, because she's incapable of doing finance. Because she does not have any useful ability to generate mone! If anything, she can be accepted as a charity work from Bigend! Anyway, the plan is planned, Milgrim get some action with a courier from Blue Ant, we got some real bad action scenes & it ends with everybody living happy ever after!
Oh, and as the book says, Bigend became a Bond's villain. Milgrim got the girl & got to keep his job. Hollis go live in Germany with her boyfriend. The end.
I was going to re-do all the review & everything else, but... it's garbage, worthless. It's been a long time since I had to read a book that get to me on a physical level. It got me tired, irritated & mostly bored. It's a bad story. Real bad.
The great mystery? That brand? It's made by Cayce. Yes, that Cayce. It was a little obvious in a background way. It's interesting to see what & how she's doing, but the trilogy felt like a Disney's sequel: shitty, bad written, bad directed & pointless.
Don't read it. It's not worthy. Or read it & then blame yourself for it.
Anyway, this is the exact point where I lost stuff. I was going to describe the book in more detail, but I'll resume it since this book doesn't deserve a better treatment.
Investigating for the jeans, they find some leads. The guys that Milgrim scanned the jeans come after them & attack, in a really amateurish/Hollywood way. Obviously it goes wrong. But they ambush & get a coder from Bigend: Chombo. Yes, the ass hole from the previous book. They want Milgrim in exchange. Bigend is about to agree, but then Hollis' boyfriend comes as a, once again, Deus Ex Machina & make a propose/blackmail to him: release Hollis, give her lots of money & help her friends. There: two deceptions, Bigend agreeing to exchange Milgrim & accepting this proposal. Oh, and the point of maximum bitchness: "release" Hollis... seriously? She's there because she needs, because she's incapable of doing finance. Because she does not have any useful ability to generate mone! If anything, she can be accepted as a charity work from Bigend! Anyway, the plan is planned, Milgrim get some action with a courier from Blue Ant, we got some real bad action scenes & it ends with everybody living happy ever after!
Oh, and as the book says, Bigend became a Bond's villain. Milgrim got the girl & got to keep his job. Hollis go live in Germany with her boyfriend. The end.
I was going to re-do all the review & everything else, but... it's garbage, worthless. It's been a long time since I had to read a book that get to me on a physical level. It got me tired, irritated & mostly bored. It's a bad story. Real bad.
The great mystery? That brand? It's made by Cayce. Yes, that Cayce. It was a little obvious in a background way. It's interesting to see what & how she's doing, but the trilogy felt like a Disney's sequel: shitty, bad written, bad directed & pointless.
Don't read it. It's not worthy. Or read it & then blame yourself for it.
Tomorrow: more of Japanese weirdness, tales of revenge, public masturbation and shame! Onani Master Kurosawa! Yes, it's gonna be weird.
See ya
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