I also listened to it as an audiobook and while I very much got the vibe, I have no idea what was going on, which is kinda rare (I listen to a lot of audiobooks). It's as if I didn't even read it... buy kinda did. I duno.

I had the same experience reading neuromancer in the last year. I felt like I got the vibe of what was going on, but struggled to understand the details and figure out what was actually happening in the story.

I've read it probably four times over the decades, most recently this year. I think I more or less have a handle on the story now, but after the first read I remember having been sort of confused.

I think ambiguity is somewhat intended. It also is continued in the rest of the trilogy. Some things are clearly left for the reader to guess or to interpret. It does make it a not very easy read.

i've read neuromancer at least five times and i still feel like i never actually read it. it's a weirdly-written book with little environmental exposition - but i still love it.

Every time I read it I catch something I missed previously. Feels true of all the sprawl and bridge books.

There's something magical about a strongly consistent fictional world where all the characters understand the world and what's happening but the reader is baffled. It elevates the experience of visiting a strange new place to a new level of immersion.

Came to say exactly this. It's my favorite, but I still feel like I haven't read it after like 5 reads.

Same. I've probably read it 7 times now, counting a recent listen to the audiobook version on Youtube mentioned above. And I could still read it again tomorrow and I think I'd feel like it was a brand new story.

And truth be told, I probably will read it again, although it might not be tomorrow. :-)