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4.12 AVERAGE
4.12 AVERAGE
Well, I made it through this one. It kept seeming like it would go somewhere interesting. But instead we spent a ton of time reading about whether a dude did good math dependent on how long it had been since his last ejaculation.
It just felt like Stephenson really wanted to write a sprawling epic, and instead he just wrote something boring, often offensive, and unfocused.
2 stars for some of the interesting math and crypto parts. Most of it is swill, though.
It just felt like Stephenson really wanted to write a sprawling epic, and instead he just wrote something boring, often offensive, and unfocused.
2 stars for some of the interesting math and crypto parts. Most of it is swill, though.
adventurous
challenging
informative
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Bobby Shaftoe is another one of Neal Stephenson's cornerstone characters - fun to read, pivotal in a grand story, and perfect for the situational comedy he writes his characters into.
Most large books are big because the author didn't have an editor, or couldn't leave out their hard-earned research, but not this book. It's big because that's how long it takes to tell this story, spanning three generations and the greatest war the world has ever known. It's big because Lawrence Prichard Waterhouse, Bobby Shaftoe, Randy Waterhouse, America Shaftoe, Douglas MacArthur Shaftoe and Goto Dengo need that long to tell one of the most fascinating treasure hunts in fiction. It's tight, fast-paced, and well written. The maths are flawless. The codebreaking is believable. The trials and tribulations of his characters are perfect.
It's a great book and a cornerstone of commonality among speculative fiction readers.
Most large books are big because the author didn't have an editor, or couldn't leave out their hard-earned research, but not this book. It's big because that's how long it takes to tell this story, spanning three generations and the greatest war the world has ever known. It's big because Lawrence Prichard Waterhouse, Bobby Shaftoe, Randy Waterhouse, America Shaftoe, Douglas MacArthur Shaftoe and Goto Dengo need that long to tell one of the most fascinating treasure hunts in fiction. It's tight, fast-paced, and well written. The maths are flawless. The codebreaking is believable. The trials and tribulations of his characters are perfect.
It's a great book and a cornerstone of commonality among speculative fiction readers.
adventurous
challenging
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
informative
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Following my "traveling is for re-reads" strategy, I picked this up remembering it to be a pretty solid five-star read and was surprised to find that it didn't resonate with me very strongly this time around. Whether it was Stephenson's tendency to head off into strongly nerdy digressions, or my mood, a busy and distracting trip, or the fact that the book has become dated I'm not sure (I suspect the later, although perhaps more likely it is all of the above).
This is a book I've read many times, and while I'm sure I'll pick it up again at some point in the future, it may be later rather than sooner.
(update: upgrading to 4 stars after a re-read in 2016. not sure what was up with my last read, but I'm better with this now)
This is a book I've read many times, and while I'm sure I'll pick it up again at some point in the future, it may be later rather than sooner.
(update: upgrading to 4 stars after a re-read in 2016. not sure what was up with my last read, but I'm better with this now)
Neal Stephenson writes two interconnected stories in different timelines with an unusual theme: cryptography. But if the Enigma Cipher and one-time pads aren't you're cup of tea, rest assured that this is an adventure story at its core, suspended in a framework of fascinating historical trivia, and populated with articulate, compelling characters.
adventurous
informative
inspiring
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Slow in parts and certainly convoluted, but I enjoyed it and might have even learned something.
challenging
informative
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated