Questions About Mona Lisa Overdrive (Sprawl, #3)

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Answered Questions (3)

Can I read this as a stand alone without reading the previous 2?

Eliot I did and it made reading Neuromancer afterwards easier for me. But there are some things I understand better now that I've read Neuromancer.

It doesn'…moreI did and it made reading Neuromancer afterwards easier for me. But there are some things I understand better now that I've read Neuromancer.

It doesn't "spoil" anything to read this one first and I followed it fine.(less)

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So is anyone else really annoyed that Sally Shears, despite her name, never shows her blades in this book? This is one of my favorite books of all time, but that one thing just drives me up a wall about it.

Khae

This answer contains spoilers… (view spoiler)

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What is the significance/background of Kumiko having a mask of her mother's face? It's the cover image and I still don't understand it's importance. Is it related to her feelings of anger to her father (as after she asks him about her mother, she can't summon the mask anymore)?

Tim I do not interpret it as a literal mask. Kumiko has a facial expression that is similar to her mother's facial expression. Maybe she is imitating her …moreI do not interpret it as a literal mask. Kumiko has a facial expression that is similar to her mother's facial expression. Maybe she is imitating her mother to appear more mature, in control, or aloof. Perhaps she feels sad, out of place, or constrained by her father, as her mother was.

It had not occurred to me that Kumiko's "mask" is referenced on the cover. I think of it as more closely related to the title character, or connecting the series as a whole. There are several characters that have altered or artificial faces, so perhaps the cover references that broader theme. Almost every character has secret intentions or plans they are hiding, so that is another theme that is presented by the idea of a mask in the opening of the book.(less)

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