Cryptonomicon by Neal Stephenson Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of Cryptonomicon
Book Review: A little bit too much blah, blah, blah...
Summary: 2 Stars
I got 650 pages into this blimp and had the same feeling I have when I'm sitting on an airplane next to someone who 1) won't shut up and 2) won't get to the point. This book is over 1100 pages long with about 400 pages worth of story. I didn't bother finishing because life is too short to squander on this sort of logorhea.Book Review: A magnificent book with irritating flaws
Summary: 4 Stars
I really wanted to give this book a 5-star rating. I enjoyed most of it more than most books I've read, and the enjoyment it provides is quite unlike any other book I have ever read. But I found a few glaring flaws (not those most are bothered by, it seems) that made it impossible to give it such a rating. Having said that, DO read this book. I don't care whether you know anything about modular arithmetic or computer science; everything is explained lucidly enough that you don't need to have any background. I have to admit that I probably enjoyed the math-heavy sections of the book (mostly those centering around Lawrence Pritchard Waterhouse) more than most would , but that's okay, because those aren't even the best parts of the book. The complete realization of characters like Bobby Shaftoe are what make this book seem so vivid.
Having said that, his characterization can also be his weakest point; more specifically, his characterization of women. I am not the type of nitpicky PC-obsessed reader who normally lodges complaints like this, but there is not a single believable or fully realized female character in this book. Some seem to have been thrown in as an afterthought (such as Beryl), and play such a minimal role that they easily could have been left out. Others are crucial to the plotline, and could have been very interesting characters. America/Amy in particular disappointed me; it didn't seem like Stephenson had a firm grasp on her character, and as a result I found her later actions in the novel hard to swallow after her initial set-up.
In direct relation to the female problem this book has is its romance problem. Stephenson's descriptions both of sexual attraction and sex itself struck me as stiff and awkward. I found myself wanting to skip ahead through these parts, rather than savoring them as the culmination of tension established between characters.
I would be remiss to dedicate this review to criticism, though; its 910 pages flew by for me, and now that I'm finished with it I'm headed straight out the door to purchase another of Mr. Stephenson's books. It delighted the Alan Turing fan and discrete math nerd in me, and awakened an interest in history that I didn't think I possessed. It made me chuckle and chortle and long for Captain Crunch. It's a heck of a book.
Book Review: A male techno-geek fantasy
Summary: 4 Stars
I read this book after my first semester of college at the recommendation of several young male techno-geek friends of mine...no insult meant to them, I think they would have happily described themselves this way. This novel is rich in historical and technical detail--it's worth reading just as a crash-course in cryptography, information economy...and for that matter, scuba diving in underwater caves. Stephenson writes well and absorbingly--I truly enjoyed this book. My one real complaint about this book (and Stephenson's other books) is that they appeal to a sort of vindicating techno-geek fantasy--as I read Cryptonomicon I occasionally paused to question portions of the plot, and could only conclude that they had been included, not because they were necessary, but because they were "cool".
Well, I'm female and could never muster the qualifications to be a techno-geek, so I expect that there are certain parts of these books that I will never identify with. Still, all in all, this book is very much worth a read.
Book Review: A master wordsmith
Summary: 5 Stars
I have read this book three times and purchased a new (used) copy each time. I don't currently have a copy because this book is too good not to give away. S. is a true wordsmith with a wonderful way of showing you the many intricacies (sp?) of english and causing you to think. A great thing for a book to do! It is the sort of book you wish would continue long after the final page due to your involvement with the characters. Truly engaging and a worthwhile read; once, twice or a half dozen times. For anyone who enjoys english, philosophy, laughing, mathematics, logic, or a well written book. I can't praise it enough!Book Review: A math geek's bible
Summary: 5 Stars
As an incurable math geek, I have to say, this book made me ridiculously happy. If you love the Baroque Cycle, you must read this. If you don't know the Baroque Cycle, order it and start reading! The continuation of the story of Natural Philosophy from the Reformation up to the birth of hackers is a major feat of storytelling, and a joy to read.