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kylekettler's review
adventurous
challenging
funny
mysterious
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? Yes
4.5
This book is not for everyone. It’s long, complicated, and difficult, but if you stick through the difficulty of the beginning it is a beautiful, funny, and rewarding journey! The world-building, ideas, and prose are all top notch. Some of the characters are somewhat one dimensional, but I still grew to love the entire cast by the mid point. I don’t tend to reread books, but this one that I think it would be worth revisiting in the future.
jbliv's review
5.0
It's been a while since I have been so astounded by a novel, so moved to heights of intellectual astonishment. While I loved Snow Crash and liked Cryptonomicon, I checked out of the Baroque Trilogy. But Anathem puts Stephenson back on the map. He riffs on so many concepts, from philosophy through religion onto lots of science, that during the reading, and especially after, you can't he;p but feel giddy at the mental gymnastics on display. And yet I found it easy to follow along, relishing each twist and turn and discovery.
The novel starts with the fascinating concept of a society in which science and its study have been split from the regular "saecular" world and sequestered in compounds, or maths. People enter them as "tenners" but can move on to become "hundreders" or "thousanders" (yes, think about it). For the tenners, the gates to the outside world only open every 10 years, at which time the maths can mingle with the saeculars. The concept of a world so frightened by technology that they place it behind walls to be studied in 10, 100, and 1,000 year increments was utterly fascinating to me. And that is but the setup.
From there, Stephenson takes you on a journey totally unexpected and utterly surprising at every turn, in a world both shockingly different from and yet eerily similar to our own. Not a single revelation was what I expected, and yet each was pitch perfect. He mixes the aforementioned concepts along with space travel, evolution, and quantum mechanics and makes it all fit and flow and jolt with awe.
Anathem is a book I will treasure and read again, and again. It even has its own Wiki: check it out at http://anathem.wikia.com/wiki/Anathem_Wiki.
The novel starts with the fascinating concept of a society in which science and its study have been split from the regular "saecular" world and sequestered in compounds, or maths. People enter them as "tenners" but can move on to become "hundreders" or "thousanders" (yes, think about it). For the tenners, the gates to the outside world only open every 10 years, at which time the maths can mingle with the saeculars. The concept of a world so frightened by technology that they place it behind walls to be studied in 10, 100, and 1,000 year increments was utterly fascinating to me. And that is but the setup.
From there, Stephenson takes you on a journey totally unexpected and utterly surprising at every turn, in a world both shockingly different from and yet eerily similar to our own. Not a single revelation was what I expected, and yet each was pitch perfect. He mixes the aforementioned concepts along with space travel, evolution, and quantum mechanics and makes it all fit and flow and jolt with awe.
Anathem is a book I will treasure and read again, and again. It even has its own Wiki: check it out at http://anathem.wikia.com/wiki/Anathem_Wiki.
hakimbriki's review against another edition
5.0
Anathem is the only book I have read (twice now) that perfectly blends first-class world-building, philosophy, mind-melting concepts, and a riveting plot. This is a book I know I will keep reading on a regular basis until I die.
Although it takes a while to get accustomed to the jargon (Stephenson took the concept of "grok" to the next level) and to grasp the inner workings of this alien world, the novel is never boring. I found myself deeply absorbed in the characters' philosophical musings and dialogues, fully knowing that Stephenson leaves nothing to chance. The characters feel different and wildly foreign, yet very relatable. The politics, the history, the societies, science, and overall systems of the alien world are nothing short of gobsmacking. The intrigue does not unfold early on, and this keeps the reader tangled in several layers of grandiose mystique. When the intrigue is unveiled, and when (some of) the answers are finally provided, the experience becomes exhilarating. Each time I pick up a new book, I hope I experience this kind of catharsis. Unfortunately, 99.9% of books out there are nowhere near as good as Anathem.
Although it takes a while to get accustomed to the jargon (Stephenson took the concept of "grok" to the next level) and to grasp the inner workings of this alien world, the novel is never boring. I found myself deeply absorbed in the characters' philosophical musings and dialogues, fully knowing that Stephenson leaves nothing to chance. The characters feel different and wildly foreign, yet very relatable. The politics, the history, the societies, science, and overall systems of the alien world are nothing short of gobsmacking. The intrigue does not unfold early on, and this keeps the reader tangled in several layers of grandiose mystique. When the intrigue is unveiled, and when (some of) the answers are finally provided, the experience becomes exhilarating. Each time I pick up a new book, I hope I experience this kind of catharsis. Unfortunately, 99.9% of books out there are nowhere near as good as Anathem.
tomcamp's review
5.0
Once again Neal Stephenson has taken us to another world, this time literally. Arbre is a planet similar to Earth, but with slight differences. Stephenson was able to free himself of the constraints of Earth's history by creating a new planet complete with his own version of its history. Prepare to be immersed into the mind of Stephenson, a world where mathematicians are treated like monks, cloistered away from the rest of the world.
It is quite lengthy, but also gripping. Sit down, grab a beer and enjoy the ride.
It is quite lengthy, but also gripping. Sit down, grab a beer and enjoy the ride.
halcyonb's review
5.0
Read this one in a fury.
Features
- Lots and lots of Philosophical debates
- Academic, communal life and relationships
- Heroism
- Great worldbuilding that relates back to real world and lots of symbolism.
- Scifi
- A heap of techjno-jargon that you will pick up as you read the book.
Great book :)
Features
- Lots and lots of Philosophical debates
- Academic, communal life and relationships
- Heroism
- Great worldbuilding that relates back to real world and lots of symbolism.
- Scifi
- A heap of techjno-jargon that you will pick up as you read the book.
Great book :)
jomasini's review against another edition
3.0
This was hard work, and not wholly sure it was worth it, but I'm stubborn so stuck with it.
It is very slow and involves a lot of conversations - philosophical/ theological debates - which reminded me of the Brothers Karamazov (not necessarily a good thing),
but I liked the concepts and ideas; the world which was created
It is very slow and involves a lot of conversations - philosophical/ theological debates - which reminded me of the Brothers Karamazov (not necessarily a good thing),
but I liked the concepts and ideas; the world which was created
songwind's review
5.0
This is a hard review to write. Like all of Stephenson's books, Anathem is a complex work that intertwines multiple themes. In my opinion this is Stephenson's best work putting them together. He also manages a more complete and gradual ending, so those readers who like Stephenson's style, but were frustrated by his endings might find this one easier to swallow.
The story takes place in a world like Earth, but one whose history is extremely different. They stand later on the timeline, but upheavals in their history have caused profound changes in the shape and type of progress they have made. At some point in the past, scientists and theoreticians were cloistered away to lead monk-like lives as the "avout." The limits on their tools and procedures have caused major changes in the way new sciences develop and are disseminated.
Enter Fraa Erasmus. He's a young student, nearing majority. The story follows him through his life at the Concent of Saunt Edhar for a time, giving us a feeling of what is normal for him, so we recognize it as things begin to change. The changes are wrought by strange news and behavior from within and without the cloistered community.
These changes, and where they take Fraa Erasmus and his fellows are complex, ambitious, and enjoyable, but I don't want to give anything away.
A few other reviews I have read made mention of Stephenson's invention of terms. Some like it, and some dislike it. Personally, I come down on the side of those that liked it. I am generally skeptical of changing words when there are perfectly good English words already. Stephenson faced an interesting challenge in Anathem, however. There were two major languages spoken by the main characters, and he had only one (English) in which to render them. The use of slightly different, but still recognizable word-forms served multiple purposes. For one thing, it allowed us to understand the strangeness of the common (Fluccish) language to the ears of the avout, who would not interact with it for years at a time. It also clearly illustrated both the similarities and differences between Arbre and our own Earth. Most of Stephenson's new terms were clearly derived from an English word, suggesting a different process of coming to its modern form. The rest were clearly explained in the text.
I was deeply impressed by this book. The humor, science, adventure, romance, and politics were all well written and engrossing.
The story takes place in a world like Earth, but one whose history is extremely different. They stand later on the timeline, but upheavals in their history have caused profound changes in the shape and type of progress they have made. At some point in the past, scientists and theoreticians were cloistered away to lead monk-like lives as the "avout." The limits on their tools and procedures have caused major changes in the way new sciences develop and are disseminated.
Enter Fraa Erasmus. He's a young student, nearing majority. The story follows him through his life at the Concent of Saunt Edhar for a time, giving us a feeling of what is normal for him, so we recognize it as things begin to change. The changes are wrought by strange news and behavior from within and without the cloistered community.
These changes, and where they take Fraa Erasmus and his fellows are complex, ambitious, and enjoyable, but I don't want to give anything away.
A few other reviews I have read made mention of Stephenson's invention of terms. Some like it, and some dislike it. Personally, I come down on the side of those that liked it. I am generally skeptical of changing words when there are perfectly good English words already. Stephenson faced an interesting challenge in Anathem, however. There were two major languages spoken by the main characters, and he had only one (English) in which to render them. The use of slightly different, but still recognizable word-forms served multiple purposes. For one thing, it allowed us to understand the strangeness of the common (Fluccish) language to the ears of the avout, who would not interact with it for years at a time. It also clearly illustrated both the similarities and differences between Arbre and our own Earth. Most of Stephenson's new terms were clearly derived from an English word, suggesting a different process of coming to its modern form. The rest were clearly explained in the text.
I was deeply impressed by this book. The humor, science, adventure, romance, and politics were all well written and engrossing.
squimbus's review
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75