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4.03 AVERAGE
4.03 AVERAGE
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
2.5 stars. My first foray into SciFi: I liked the book in pieces, especially Part "The First," but as a whole I don't recommend this one. The atmosphere was neat, the author's imagination is sweeping and impressive, and some of the nanotech ideas are thought-provoking but the pacing is way off in the second half of the book. The last 100 pages felt rushed and scatter shot.
This book would have warranted four stars from me for sheer entertainment value alone had it spent a little less time inventing new technologies and a little more time on character development (does anyone actually know anything about Nell other than the fact that she was abused and has "feral eyes" and a "fashionably narrow waist?"). Also clunkers like "one minute her life had been a meaningless abortion, and the next it all made glorious sense"(478), are just inexcusable, especially from someone otherwise capable of writing "The Baroque Cycle" (which was a very great pleasure to read).
A whirlwind of a story that seemed to be in a real hurry to end. Where small scenes and details were languished over early in the book, the last forty pages were a speed run.
DNF for me unfortunately. I hate giving up on a book when I am so close to the end, but I was struggling so much to read it and really hated the thought of picking it up again.
This one had so much world building which was fascinating (nanotechnology) but it was fairly thin on a decent storyline. I managed to get through Part 1, but was starting to lose interest. I read some spoilery reviews of where the book goes towards the end, and various things that happen and decided it was just not for me.
This one had so much world building which was fascinating (nanotechnology) but it was fairly thin on a decent storyline. I managed to get through Part 1, but was starting to lose interest. I read some spoilery reviews of where the book goes towards the end, and various things that happen and decided it was just not for me.
“Finkle-McGraw began to develop an opinion that was to shape his political views in later years, namely, that while people were not genetically different, they were culturally as different as they could possibly be, and that some cultures were simply better than others. This was not a subjective value judgment, merely an observation that some cultures thrived and expanded while others failed. It was a view implicitly shared by nearly everyone but, in those days, never voiced.”
Every review I have read focuses on the plot and misses the point of this novel. It’s not a story about Nell or nanotechnology; it’s not about the boxer rebellion. It’s about culture.
If matter compilers satisfy the basic needs of life for something close to free (even though more advanced designs and creating new land is reserved for the prosperous phyles), then why is the life of Nell’s parents, and even Harv, so bad?
It comes down to life choices. Removing physical scarcity won’t stop people from abusing each other, physically or sexually; it won’t stop them from ruining their lives with drugs; it won’t even stop theft or gang activity. Harv is trapped in the Dark Castle by his wicked stepmother metaphorically: she taught him habits which served him poorly, and his inability to transcend that and make better choices keeps him trapped in a prison created only by his own habits of mind and action. As a result, no one can rescue him.
Finkle-McGraw’s granddaughter similarly had parents who are less than ideal, though the situation is far less dire. The Primer is an attempt to bypass bad parenting and inculcate virtues like discipline, logical thinking, and empathy systematically. Whether, and to what degree, it works without a loving parent is part of what the story is exploring.
And just as people can be trapped by bad ideas, the same is true of societies. The Celestial Kingdom could be as prosperous as the Vickys, except they’re obsessed with pride and identity (e.g., Dr. X’s insistence that the feed is unacceptable because it has the wrong te, as he sits a short distance from any number of dead bodies who would have been saved by peace, order, and acceptance of the Feed). Their outlook, values, and priorities lead to their squalor and violence: foreign oppression has nothing to do with it.
So the point of the novel is the point which Finkle-McGraw makes early on and which I quoted above: some actions lead to better lives than others. As a corollary, some cultures are better than others. And further: some people are better than others (not inherently, but in practice, given their life choices and habits of mind and action). This is an idea which is not flattering and so is not often popular. But it seems to me to be the central idea of this novel: your choices matter.
Every review I have read focuses on the plot and misses the point of this novel. It’s not a story about Nell or nanotechnology; it’s not about the boxer rebellion. It’s about culture.
If matter compilers satisfy the basic needs of life for something close to free (even though more advanced designs and creating new land is reserved for the prosperous phyles), then why is the life of Nell’s parents, and even Harv, so bad?
It comes down to life choices. Removing physical scarcity won’t stop people from abusing each other, physically or sexually; it won’t stop them from ruining their lives with drugs; it won’t even stop theft or gang activity. Harv is trapped in the Dark Castle by his wicked stepmother metaphorically: she taught him habits which served him poorly, and his inability to transcend that and make better choices keeps him trapped in a prison created only by his own habits of mind and action. As a result, no one can rescue him.
Finkle-McGraw’s granddaughter similarly had parents who are less than ideal, though the situation is far less dire. The Primer is an attempt to bypass bad parenting and inculcate virtues like discipline, logical thinking, and empathy systematically. Whether, and to what degree, it works without a loving parent is part of what the story is exploring.
And just as people can be trapped by bad ideas, the same is true of societies. The Celestial Kingdom could be as prosperous as the Vickys, except they’re obsessed with pride and identity (e.g., Dr. X’s insistence that the feed is unacceptable because it has the wrong te, as he sits a short distance from any number of dead bodies who would have been saved by peace, order, and acceptance of the Feed). Their outlook, values, and priorities lead to their squalor and violence: foreign oppression has nothing to do with it.
So the point of the novel is the point which Finkle-McGraw makes early on and which I quoted above: some actions lead to better lives than others. As a corollary, some cultures are better than others. And further: some people are better than others (not inherently, but in practice, given their life choices and habits of mind and action). This is an idea which is not flattering and so is not often popular. But it seems to me to be the central idea of this novel: your choices matter.
This has all the things I enjoy about Stephenson’s books in one of the better coalescences of his writings. An innovative idea that leads to a completely original worldview and chain of events within that world that seem totally implausible from the beginning. But Stephenson feeds you the kernels of knowledge bit by bit to allow the you to see the cause and effect chain all the way down the line.
Particularly in this book, he plays with the concept of time incredibly well without breaking its linear path. Letting undisclosed periods pass by without comment until another kernel is handed your way.
Particularly in this book, he plays with the concept of time incredibly well without breaking its linear path. Letting undisclosed periods pass by without comment until another kernel is handed your way.
This is a very enjoyable book, which displays similar strengths and weaknesses to the other Stephenson books I have read (admittedly limited to the Baroque trilogy). In the pros column: it is hugely gripping; he creates convincing worlds extremely well; and he is exceptionally good at communicating complicated ideas. The castles in King Coyote's kingdom were a clever and concise description of the underpinnings and development of Computer Science (and is much better than the equivalent explanation of the workings of the emerging financial markets, in the Baroque Trilogy).
He is less good at communicating who is doing what, when and on behalf of whom, and so the plot, while dragging you along at a breakneck pace, is not always entirely coherent. Additionally, his characterisations wander a little, and, in short, his writing isn't as good as it could be.
Unlike The Baroque Trilogy, this is set in the future, on an Earth where nanotechnology has transformed people's lives, and the West has declined in influence in favour of the Far East economies. Without giving a plot synopsis easily found elsewhere, the book frequently employs a story-within-a-story device, which I found reminiscent of Murakami's Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World. I'd recommend the bravura performances of the Baroque Trilogy over this, but it's still a fascinating book, interesting and engaging on many levels, and a great read.
He is less good at communicating who is doing what, when and on behalf of whom, and so the plot, while dragging you along at a breakneck pace, is not always entirely coherent. Additionally, his characterisations wander a little, and, in short, his writing isn't as good as it could be.
Unlike The Baroque Trilogy, this is set in the future, on an Earth where nanotechnology has transformed people's lives, and the West has declined in influence in favour of the Far East economies. Without giving a plot synopsis easily found elsewhere, the book frequently employs a story-within-a-story device, which I found reminiscent of Murakami's Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World. I'd recommend the bravura performances of the Baroque Trilogy over this, but it's still a fascinating book, interesting and engaging on many levels, and a great read.
Would give it 2 1/2 stars if I could. Took me years to finish this book. I would start and stop listening several times. Finally just slogged through. Not for me.