I have noticed, in my perusal of old children's literature, that the stories are told in a very streamlined fashion. There is no time wasted on a lot of exposition, description, or characterization, because that would get in the way of the plot, and kids are easily bored. Children tell their own stories in much the same fashion: plot point, plot point, plot point, keep it moving.
This is also how the old folk tales are told, and likely for the same reason: people were either speaking aloud the stories they'd been told, or coming up with new ones in the moment. There's no time for characterization or exposition because everyone listening would get bored, the fire's burning low and you can't remember the little details anyway. Just keep the story moving.
Neuromancer is the exact opposite of that style.
Five hours of audiobook and I never figured out where the plot actually began or what was going on because I got lost in the Expospeak and technobabble. Something about Babylon? Rastafarians in space? Wintermute is doing something weird to Armitage? Guy's what's going on, I'm lost.
It might have helped if I read the text instead of listening to the abridged audiobook but I tried reading the book first and I got even more bogged down.
What a drag.