System restart
System Restart is a novel by William Gibson . He concludes the Bigend trilogy around Hubertus Bigend, who has already appeared in pattern recognition , as well as Hollis Henry and Milgrim from source code . It is an economic thriller set in contemporary London and Paris .
action
After completing a fashion spy assignment in South Carolina , Milgrim is ordered by Hubertus Bigend to London to look for the designer of the secret brand Gabriel Hounds with Hollis Henry . Bigend's current interest is in the fashion market, especially the interplay between work, street and military clothing. He hopes to land lucrative military contracts with the Gabriel Hounds design.
The search first leads Hollis and Milgrim to Paris , where they face unexpected persecution. It turns out that Bigend has an aggressive competitor in ex-military Michael Preston Gracie, whose criminal past calls on DCIS agent Winnie Tung Whitaker. Milgrim acts from now on in consultation with Bigend as a double agent , while some other employees take Bigend's side on Gracie's side.
Shortly before the final showdown, Hollis' missing friend Garreth appears. He succeeds in punishing Bigend for his obscure machinations, while at the same time saving him the business through a spectacular strategic approach in a hostage exchange in the middle of London , which Milgrim should have fallen victim to.
main characters
- Hollis Henry was a famous singer in the rock band The Curfew . Due to the stock market crash, she lost a large part of her fortune, which is why she now works as a journalist and is also forced to accept orders from Hubertus Bigend. Although she hated working for the marketing mogul, she still couldn't quit. The background story of the Hounds designer moves her, however, to defy his will. She is in a broken relationship with the extreme athlete and activist Garreth.
- Milgrim - an ex-junkie who, thanks to Hubertus Bigend, is clean for the first time in a decade. As a Russian translator with an exceptional eye for detail and sensitivity to his surroundings, Milgrim has piqued Bigends interest. Initially an inconspicuous person, he experiences the greatest development in the novel, which culminates in a relationship with the charismatic courier driver Fiona.
- Hubertus Bigend is the founder of the marketing agency Blue Ant . He is a self-centered, opaque magnate of Anglo-Belgian descent. Bigend is the link between all the characters as well as between the parts of the trilogy.
interpretation
The novel represents Gibson's answer to 21st century cultural capitalism. The stupid inundation with brands and products, the constant pursuit of profit of capitalism lead to the numbness of the people against war and suffering, the only thing the protagonists of the novel are concerned with is the most effective marketing of the military. In addition, he criticizes the baiting of recruits with fashionable clothing, catchy slogans or rousing melodies with satirical sharpness.
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ DNB 1008469181
- ↑ Deutschlandradio Kultur from July 19, 2011: When fashion victims meet advertisers