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4.12 AVERAGE
4.12 AVERAGE
challenging
informative
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
Boring book, hoped there would be cryptography and PC. Disappointed
adventurous
funny
informative
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
4.5* for the historical plotline, which features lovable characters and intriguing premise.
3.0* for the "modern"-day (at the time of publication) plotline, which features amusing (mis)adventures and also introduces some interesting real-life concepts and algorithms, but I find it hard it to care about the main character's enterprise, which I can't imagine delivering on its promises or really being useful in any real capacity.
3.0* for the "modern"-day (at the time of publication) plotline, which features amusing (mis)adventures and also introduces some interesting real-life concepts and algorithms, but I find it hard it to care about the main character's enterprise, which I can't imagine delivering on its promises or really being useful in any real capacity.
adventurous
challenging
medium-paced
As usual Neal Stephenson provides a terrible non-ending. It's like he just sorta gets tired of writing... Lots of the book is interesting, but a lot is very extraneous to the plot. Could have benefited from a good editing.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Body horror, Child death, Confinement, Death, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Homophobia, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual content, Slavery, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Trafficking, Grief, Cannibalism, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, Deportation
Logorroico e parecchio complesso, ma anche tremendamente gratificante e con dei personaggi indimenticabili. Indispensabile per ogni geek che si rispetti.
I earned my B.S.E.E. undergraduate degree summa cum laude so it goes without saying that I aced all my mathematics courses that were in competition with all those math majors, so the math in this novel did not deter me. However, the illogic pipe organ RAM (random access memory) impressed me NOT at all as my first exposure to RAM was an actual working 8K ferrite core array in a massive vacuum tube digital computer in the 1950's! Also, the idea that destroying a deck of 80 column punched cards (that were not used in any normal business procedure as an original backup) containing encrypted "intercepts" that was apparently used in attempts to decode them is totally unreasonable! Any rational process would obviously use duplicated decks!
I was amused at the humorous encounters with General Douglas Macarthur and in awe of the genius, misfortunes and success of that heathen Christian convert Goto Dengo! The description of that Galvanick Lucifer seemed ingenious, the use of the Gedanken thought experiment, knapsack problem resolved in the parking lot to distribute heirlooms was inspired, but I was disappointed that he makes no mention of the Victorian Lady Lovelace and that Babbage Analytical Engine but is so impressed by the imagined activities of Alan Touring!
I was amused at the humorous encounters with General Douglas Macarthur and in awe of the genius, misfortunes and success of that heathen Christian convert Goto Dengo! The description of that Galvanick Lucifer seemed ingenious, the use of the Gedanken thought experiment, knapsack problem resolved in the parking lot to distribute heirlooms was inspired, but I was disappointed that he makes no mention of the Victorian Lady Lovelace and that Babbage Analytical Engine but is so impressed by the imagined activities of Alan Touring!
A dense but exciting read. The characters are well developed and generally likable. I found the graphic description of the horrors of wartime made it difficult to binge read, but the story had so much adventure I eagerly picked up again.
adventurous
funny
informative
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes