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3.67 AVERAGE
3.67 AVERAGE
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I have loved lots of Stephenson’s books and read nearly all of them. This was just a bit boring for me. Its main character also feels creepily a little like the novel version of the straight guys you encounter on gaming forums who design female main characters with little clothing and post pictures of them.
The political “critique” here is tedious - basically “those silly leftists are silly and don’t realize how silly they are! Thank God there are and always will be real non-ideological mid-level engineers and technocrats to keep our world safe.” More or less retread of the same “critique” Stephenson has offered in a bunch of other books. He seems really enamored with the explanatory power of these lessons. Feels like he’s just preaching to the choir- roughly, the members of the 2600 Facebook group.
The political “critique” here is tedious - basically “those silly leftists are silly and don’t realize how silly they are! Thank God there are and always will be real non-ideological mid-level engineers and technocrats to keep our world safe.” More or less retread of the same “critique” Stephenson has offered in a bunch of other books. He seems really enamored with the explanatory power of these lessons. Feels like he’s just preaching to the choir- roughly, the members of the 2600 Facebook group.
“What is this, Neal Stephenson for ants?” - text from my friend when we saw the mere 300-something page length of this book.
Took a minute to hook me - 50 pages or so. I can’t say I have a huge interest in the early 30s, but Stephenson’s great research and captivating interest in his subject eventually pulled me in.
I felt he looked more directly at some of the repeating patterns of male-female dynamics in his works, albeit through a darker lens. There was also some really interesting play with power dynamics.
I get the sense that Stephenson is very much thinking about worse case scenarios in front of us, through the lens of history.
There were some of course some truly enjoyable Stephensonisms, such as the inevitable stick based sport, a mention the human processes of elimination, and a super smart and charismatic teen girl protagonist.
I look forward to seeing where he goes with this series.
Took a minute to hook me - 50 pages or so. I can’t say I have a huge interest in the early 30s, but Stephenson’s great research and captivating interest in his subject eventually pulled me in.
I felt he looked more directly at some of the repeating patterns of male-female dynamics in his works, albeit through a darker lens. There was also some really interesting play with power dynamics.
I get the sense that Stephenson is very much thinking about worse case scenarios in front of us, through the lens of history.
There were some of course some truly enjoyable Stephensonisms, such as the inevitable stick based sport, a mention the human processes of elimination, and a super smart and charismatic teen girl protagonist.
I look forward to seeing where he goes with this series.
adventurous
dark
medium-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
medium-paced
adventurous
informative
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Historical fiction set in the early 20th Century. An enjoyable fast read. Your enjoyment will increase if you read up on atomic physics and the Soviet Union.
An unusual story set in the early 30s in the USA and Russia. It took a while to get into the rhythm but then I was hooked. A young woman who has survived a lot. Communists in the US and Russia. Fascists in the US. Spies and counterspies. Neal Stephenson is an excellent writer and this is another enjoyable read. Looking forward to the next installment.
This audiobook suddenly appeared on Storytell and I couldn't wait to see how it was going to end. First disappointment: it doesn't end. Second disappointment: no word on when it continues. Other than that, though, I really enjoyed it. The main protagonist is wonderful as both Dawn and Aurora. The context is most interesting, at least for me, because I ignored it completely and knew nothing about it. At this point, I hope the sequel comes soon.
Questo audiobook é comparso all'improvviso su Storytell e non vedevo l'ora di vedere come andava finire. Prima delusione: non finisce. Seconda delusione: non si sa quando continua. A parte questo peró mi é piaciuto parecchio. La protagonista principale é meravigliosa sia come Dawn che come Aurora. IL contesto é interessantissimo, quanto meno per me, perché lo ignoravo completamente e non ne sapevo nulla. A questo punto, spero che arrivi presto il seguito.
Questo audiobook é comparso all'improvviso su Storytell e non vedevo l'ora di vedere come andava finire. Prima delusione: non finisce. Seconda delusione: non si sa quando continua. A parte questo peró mi é piaciuto parecchio. La protagonista principale é meravigliosa sia come Dawn che come Aurora. IL contesto é interessantissimo, quanto meno per me, perché lo ignoravo completamente e non ne sapevo nulla. A questo punto, spero che arrivi presto il seguito.
dark
tense