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4.06 AVERAGE
4.06 AVERAGE
adventurous
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This book had an entertaining premise and some fun action and references.
Unfortunately, it went way, way overboard with the references. I felt like I was reading a book of 80s trivia instead of a novel sometimes. It was too much and took me out of the narrative. When that much of your wordcount is blatantly pulled from other sources, it starts to become a problem.
I was also very disappointed and irritated at how it seemed like the author was trying to do some subversive things but kept taking the easy way out. Parzival falls for Art3mis in the OASIS and she keeps saying he won't like her in real life... and it turns out that. When they made their big assault on the castle we knew only three of the four could get in, and I KNEW it would be who wouldn't make it in. Aech's revelation fell rather flat--situations like his would likely be VERY common in something like the OASIS. Maybe even the norm.
Parzival's really stretched the limits of credibility. You can play fast and loose with credibility in the virtual environment of the OASIS, but less so with the real world. There were also a few too many strokes of wildly improbable luck.
The entire subplot with the crush on Art3mis was cliche and annoying. Juvenile boy wish fulfillment. He'd been totally obsessed with the search for the egg most of his life, then when he made some progress with it he just shrugged to go hang out with his virtual not-girlfriend with her stereotypical overwrought girl angst. Yawn. I've read this story so many times... and the end. Bleh.
There was some interesting world building though. I would have liked to read more about the OASIS and how the real world and virtual worlds interacted and contrasted. There's a whole universe of potential here that is somewhat lost under the 80s nonsense and trite love story.
The book started out clumsy and somewhat pulled together, but kept going into deus ex machina territory and framing the main character as so much better than he actually was.
Update: Revisiting this book I think I was far too generous. I keep seeing this book on 'best of' lists and it pisses me off. Ready Player One is less a novel than a smug, self congratulatory piece of 80s nostalgia porn combined with a Twilight level stalkerish "love" story. What this book really is is a bizarre glorification of consumption--all Wade does with his life is consume 80s trivia and media, and he is richly rewarded by the narrative and patted on the back by the author for it. It is a book about unhealthy obsessions and being rewarded for them. Fandom can be fun, but it is not a virtue, especially when taken to its extremes. I have read better litRPGs since reading this one, and it really throws the weaknesses and flaws of this one into focus.
Unfortunately, it went way, way overboard with the references. I felt like I was reading a book of 80s trivia instead of a novel sometimes. It was too much and took me out of the narrative. When that much of your wordcount is blatantly pulled from other sources, it starts to become a problem.
I was also very disappointed and irritated at how it seemed like the author was trying to do some subversive things but kept taking the easy way out. Parzival falls for Art3mis in the OASIS and she keeps saying he won't like her in real life... and it turns out that
Spoiler
she just has a big birthmarkSpoiler
the obviously Asian guySpoiler
in which the avatar deliberately did not reflect the playerParzival's
Spoiler
infiltration of the IOI complexThe entire subplot with the crush on Art3mis was cliche and annoying. Juvenile boy wish fulfillment. He'd been totally obsessed with the search for the egg most of his life, then when he made some progress with it he just shrugged to go hang out with his virtual not-girlfriend with her stereotypical overwrought girl angst. Yawn. I've read this story so many times... and the end. Bleh.
There was some interesting world building though. I would have liked to read more about the OASIS and how the real world and virtual worlds interacted and contrasted. There's a whole universe of potential here that is somewhat lost under the 80s nonsense and trite love story.
The book started out clumsy and somewhat pulled together, but kept going into deus ex machina territory and framing the main character as so much better than he actually was.
Update: Revisiting this book I think I was far too generous. I keep seeing this book on 'best of' lists and it pisses me off. Ready Player One is less a novel than a smug, self congratulatory piece of 80s nostalgia porn combined with a Twilight level stalkerish "love" story. What this book really is is a bizarre glorification of consumption--all Wade does with his life is consume 80s trivia and media, and he is richly rewarded by the narrative and patted on the back by the author for it. It is a book about unhealthy obsessions and being rewarded for them. Fandom can be fun, but it is not a virtue, especially when taken to its extremes. I have read better litRPGs since reading this one, and it really throws the weaknesses and flaws of this one into focus.
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
funny
reflective
medium-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:
Complicated
This was a fun book full of adventure and pop culture references that seems more accessible than a lot of similar dystopian books with virtual reality settings. It's a very enjoyable book, mostly because it reads like a screen play with a really good mix of dialogue, description and action. The pace is great and I was able to finish this book in just a few sittings.
Our protagonist, Wade, is smart -- he studies and sacrifices, memorizes vast amounts of information and makes strategic decisions. The "hero's journey" is very clear -- and this is one of the things missing from the film adaptation: Wade's parents died ignominiously, he was unwanted but motivated, chubby and isolated, went off to his own self-imposed imprisonment to pursue his quest, infiltrated the enemy to help his friends and came out victorious in the end.
I thought that the whole concept of the "lost generation" of young Japanese who stayed in the virtual reality world who were enabled and cared for by their parents. I also liked the concept of apartment buildings that were basically virtual reality pods with toilets and showers (which conveniently dispatched depilatories in the soap), but offered enough space for prison-style body weight exercises (and offered apps with lockouts) to maintain fitness. You get into enough debt in the virtual world and you get taken into custody as an indentured servant with a video game creditor -- sort of a reference to "The Matrix" where the slaves are required to serve the system and can never leave because the cost of their debt & upkeep is never paid off (like coal miners and the company store).
The book doesn't cover any new ground but it's fun and a great read before checking out the film. They are substantially different as to be two different stories but complementary and both worthy in their own rights.
Our protagonist, Wade, is smart -- he studies and sacrifices, memorizes vast amounts of information and makes strategic decisions. The "hero's journey" is very clear -- and this is one of the things missing from the film adaptation: Wade's parents died ignominiously, he was unwanted but motivated, chubby and isolated, went off to his own self-imposed imprisonment to pursue his quest, infiltrated the enemy to help his friends and came out victorious in the end.
I thought that the whole concept of the "lost generation" of young Japanese who stayed in the virtual reality world who were enabled and cared for by their parents. I also liked the concept of apartment buildings that were basically virtual reality pods with toilets and showers (which conveniently dispatched depilatories in the soap), but offered enough space for prison-style body weight exercises (and offered apps with lockouts) to maintain fitness. You get into enough debt in the virtual world and you get taken into custody as an indentured servant with a video game creditor -- sort of a reference to "The Matrix" where the slaves are required to serve the system and can never leave because the cost of their debt & upkeep is never paid off (like coal miners and the company store).
The book doesn't cover any new ground but it's fun and a great read before checking out the film. They are substantially different as to be two different stories but complementary and both worthy in their own rights.
adventurous
dark
funny
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
emotional
funny
informative
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Entertaining mix of dystopian sci-fi, video gaming, 80s pop culture and other nerdy stuff.
It didn't blow my mind but it was fun. I definitely wanted more details on the dystopian world outside of the Oasis.
Audiobook was well narrated.
It didn't blow my mind but it was fun. I definitely wanted more details on the dystopian world outside of the Oasis.
Audiobook was well narrated.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Slavery, Violence, Murder
Minor: Alcoholism, Bullying, Cancer, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Fatphobia, Homophobia, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Rape, Suicide, Death of parent, War
The world building that I thought was so great before wasn’t as good as I remembered, but it’s still the strongest part of the book, and the book as a whole was still pretty fun.