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Title: Pollen
ISBN: 033033882X
Author:
Jeff Noon
Publicate Date: 2001-12-07
Publish: 2001-12-07
List Price: $14.45
Average Customer Rating: 5.0
Format: Paperback
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Amazon Lowest Used Price: $10.89
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| Customer Review: |
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1: A True Cyberpunk Novel
This is the first book by Jeff Noon I've read; I now consider myself a fan.
This is a book that I would classify as one of the 'truer' cyberpunk books out there. What I mean by that is the setting in Noon's book plays a central role in the story itself. Make no mistake this isn't some romance, western or sleuth story thrown in a cyberpunk setting. This story could not be told in any other world but the one Noon created. What I like so much about this story is that Noon explores the implications of his hybrid technological/drugged-up setting through the viewpoints of not only his characters but the society in which they reside and through the story itself. Indeed all three of these elements are symbiotically linked to the weird and unique world Noon has created. It's great to read a cyberpunk book where the cyberpunk elements actually ENHANCE the story being told.
Another wonderful thing that Noon considers in his story is the concept of balance. In particular, characters with unhuman strengths also have great frailties. Genuine fragilities. Noon puts his characters into situations where their 'strengths' become completely benign or detrimental, while their 'weaknesses' become strengths. Noon understands when you merge a dream world with reality, rules and balance are needed to maintain the literary strength of your story. Without rules, powers go unchecked and the characters have no real conflicts. Noon does an excellent job of making his setting TRULY interesting because he respects the rules he lays out for his story and thus maintains an idea of consistency in his plot and characters.
Lastly, I love the prose and punctuation Noon uses in this book. It is rare that an author can pull off a first-person perspective that actually enhances the story. I believe Noon did this very well indeed. Even though the perspective bounces around a bit--and some of the transitions are a bit rough--Noon does a noteworthy job of handling his first-person perspectives. Noon's artistically rhythmic use of punctuation fits in perfectly with the tone of the book; and his use of simple but VERY effective vocabulary make even the most stream-of-conscience sequences easily readable. Despite the extreme setting and ideas present in this book, Noon's mastery of the English language makes this work much more timeless than less-risque works in science fiction.
Normally, I am a very harsh critic of science fiction; but Noon's work I believe to be truly exceptional. Not only are his ideas really unique and interesting, he fully explores the implications of his ideas. Also, Noon is a wordsmith. No, he doesn't rip out the fifteen letter words for even the most benign conversations. Noon is a master of simple and effective language that is riddled with subtlety. I really enjoyed reading this book, and I can't wait to get my hands on Noon's other works.
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2: excellent futuristic book
Pollen is the sequel to Noon's most known book Vurt. The madness of the Vurt drug is spreading and our dreams and becoming alive and are ready to take over the world.
Noon's book oozes sex, heroism and psychedelia and won't disappoint. I really love Noon's work.
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3: novel
i gave this book as a gift to my teenage brother and he really enjoyed it!
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