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3.66 AVERAGE
3.66 AVERAGE
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-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:
Complicated
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
I love Neal Stephenson. I love spy novels. I am curious about all things Soviet era. This book should have been a slam dunk ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ for me. I excitedly bought the hardcover and chose to start the series before it was completed.
My faith in Neal was not rewarded. This is the shortest Stephenson work I've read and it was the longest slog.
My faith in Neal was not rewarded. This is the shortest Stephenson work I've read and it was the longest slog.
- The setup is a great idea. The backdrop of the World's Fair is promising.
- The execution doesn't work for me. It all fell flat and I'm not going to finish the trilogy.
- The book meandered. I expected it was the beginning of a trilogy but I didn't walk away caring about any of the characters or what would happen next.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual assault
A bookclub read I really enjoyed, set in 1930s America and Soviet Russia. I loved the main character and some standouts in the supporting cast. Stephenson is in his element here, in a world on the edge of modernity.
adventurous
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Maybe a generous rating, it really depends where it goes from here. It definitely feels incomplete as a standalone, but does set things in motion for the next book.
A bit more restrained than some other Neal Stephenson books, but still has some of the deep dives into his new hobby horses (polo) and unusual justifications for automatic weapons (are wolf circles the new feral hogs?).
A bit more restrained than some other Neal Stephenson books, but still has some of the deep dives into his new hobby horses (polo) and unusual justifications for automatic weapons (are wolf circles the new feral hogs?).
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-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