Customer Reviews

Vurt

5 star:		(73)
4 star:		(14)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

"A young boy puts a feather into his mouth..."

From the first sentence of the book, I was drawn in. I forced myself to read only one chapter at a time, to actually consider what I'd read and let it sink in, and that made this book that much richer. To me, it heralded back to Clockwork Orange. The Stash Riders (made up of Scribble, Beetle, Mandy, and Bridget) have their own vocabulary grown from the world they inhabit - where feathers can hold their fondest dreams or worst nightmares, where the worst poison comes from dreamsnakes, where pure is poor, and where shadowcops lurk above every all-night Vurt-U-Want.

Scribble is a young man, not so out of the ordinary, who wants nothing more than to have his sister back again. That want drives him to a destiny he'd not even considered, gaining and losing almost everything in the process.

I'm enamoured with this book. It stays on my nightstand so I can hear Scribble tell his story whenever I want. Let Jeff Noon take you into his tangibly ethereal world.

I LOVED this book. It's unlike any other science fiction book...or any book for that matter...that I've ever read. Jeff Noon writes in such a way that whether you want to be or not, you're swept up in the book's quick pace. It's fun...like a chocolate sunday (okay I am a girl!)... and it's deliciously weird. It take a few pages to get in tune with his way of writing, which is part of the fun, and when you do it's a roller coaster ride. I didn't want it to end! Not only is it fun, but actually has a really interesting plot and keeps you guessing till the end. I would highly recommend it! :)

Vurt, by Jeff Noon is one of the most creative books that I have read in the sf&f world. It seems almost like a combo of A Clockwork Orange (the way Jeff Noon invents words, deriving them from words already in existance; also the all night Vurt-You-Want is analagous to the Korova Milkbar), Neuromancer (the general style of writing, cyberpunk theme), and Alice's Adventure's in Wonderland (the sort of mysticism that surrounds the plot, how a child is chasing down something that seems trivial to others, how he encounters a strage and almost magical world, paralelling to reality), and finally of Tekwar (the theme deals with the solicitation of drugs that don't exist in the non fiction world, and the battling that goes along with them). The plotline is very simple when you strip it of detail, which is part of why it becomes such an intriguinging, such a simple plotline bears such a complex plot. I think that Jeff Noon did a commendable job on his first book, and look ! forward to reading more books by him.

I personally really enjoyed this book, but I've also enjoyed other works by Noon, so maybe it just comes down to my taste. I could see why some wouldn't like it, it's not revolutionary or anything. I did however, find the characters to be compelling and realistic and I didn't have a problem with the dialogue as suggested in another review. Then again I've done a lot of drugs, hung out with addicts, squatters, and punks, and generally enjoy books about these topics. The characters reminded me of old friends I've had and the scenerio was exciting enough to keep me interested.

Please don't read Vurt if you are a sub-culture literature snob. And don't read it if you are a Sci-Fi elitist. And if you like to intellectualize the merit of a work against the established canon (even if that canon is considered cultish or underground or whatever) or critique it within a particular lineage, please stay clear of this book.

I can see why this book is not for all. I can even relate with the negative reviews it has been receiving on this web site. If I were to remove myself from the emotional and the more intuitive responses this novel evokes in me, I too might label it drug-obsessed and not the most original; or the writing style somewhat pretentious and over-the-top.

But, whether because I stem from a culture of electronic music, psychedelic drugs, and crusty fashion or because I tend to romanticize everything in life to death, this book has captured and moved me deeply.

So please, read this book if you too are a dreamer, like me. And read it if you've ever found yourself looking over that field of shattered glass, like an illusion gleaming, hiding the scum and the stench of Anytown-Bottletown, hoping for something better. Searching for a reality more satisfying than this, because you've always known this world is not your own. Linking the hunger with sexual love then discovering (in letting it go) that the insatiability goes far beyond.

It's about escape. This book is a momentary escape.

Vurt is unique.The more you read,the more original it gets.It starts off like some crappy cheap cyberpunk book-a bunch of sterotypes robbing a drugstore,but soon turns into an incredibly original maelstrom of twisted events fluxing in and out of a cyber-plethoric orgy of reality and dream world.It's towards the end,where you really learn of the relationship between the main hero and his sister,that the reader is blown away.It still leaves an infintude of questions relating to the operations of the vurt and the characters,of which the answers are constantly hinted at in his other books.I'm not suprised it won the Arthur C.Clarke award!

Noon catapults the reader into world in which the boundaries between dreams and reality have collapsed. The unreal becomes more real than the real. A hypnotizing adventure, I read it in a single spellbound sitting. I cannot recommend this book enough. Inspired.

Break your head open. You know you want to. Noon's staccato, simplistic writing style lends to the frenetic pace of this modern metaphysical classic. A delightfully unique take on the potentials (and pitfalls) of traveling along other planes of consciousness...and a hoot to read!

I have to admit I was really turned off by the whole feathers thing at first. But Jeff Noon has a way of bringing you into the story even if you do agree with some core issues. Anyway as the story goes we have a group of British stash riders who are living day by day life on the edge. Feathers are used to take you to another world, another plane of existence, sometimes good, but always with consequences. The main character scribble is on a mission of love. Unfortunately, yes this love is physical and when you find out how it may disgust you. This book centers around the lost of a loved one due to a yellow feather (don't worry you will find out more about yellow feathers and other feathers as you read the book.) We have a thing, a van, shadowcops, and a lot of feathers. Not to mention numerous instances which will remind you of the Cheshire cat in Alice in Wonderland?

Honestly this book was a much better read then I first thought it would be. I did see how it could be classified cyberpunk, but it seemed to lack the technology aspect, or at least did not have as much. It has a very well done story line with some incredible plot twists. The feathers bugged me a little and at times reminded me of what I thought an LSD trip would be like. All and all it has been an enjoyable book. If you haven't read it before, read it. If you are like me and have read it at least once, then maybe once is enough. It all depends on your tastes.

For those who enjoy being challenged by what they read, enticed into a world so different that one can actually relate to it, then Jeff Noon's novel Vurt is for you. Do not despair if others have rated this work poorly; this is only because they are not willing to open their minds and revel in the totality of this book's genius. Vurt is an awesome read that will make your head spin, sending ideas and messages much appreciated if you can only interpret them. Although I cannot openly give this book to all of my friends, those whom I knew would appreciate it returned it with much praise. Vurt comes with a well warning, but like English Voodoo (you'll find out about this later) will also captivate your mind with some truly amazing literature. Vurt deserves every laude it receives.