Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.8 AVERAGE
3.8 AVERAGE
I stumbled upon [b:The Rise and Fall of D.O.D.O.|32075825|The Rise and Fall of D.O.D.O.|Neal Stephenson|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1486520624l/32075825._SX50_.jpg|52724049] in a browsing session on my library's audiobook app. I'm always interested in magic as a subject, and this book is certainly laced with it, along with a healthy dose of time travel. I downloaded it and over the next four days, I listened while I attended to my client's gardens. It was a perfect companion for such work!
The first thought that comes to mind is that I am glad I chose to listen to the book as opposed to reading it. The format is unorthodox, and relies heavily on military time-date stamps, which would have made for cumbersome reading for me personally. As such, it worked very well as an audiobook. The time stamping of the story events kept me in the correct time (year) and place, which is important as the story progresses. It might be something for others to keep in mind, if you pick up the book and it looks daunting, the audiobook is great!
The characters are well-written and realistic, it is very easy to empathize with them, and in the audiobook, the accents of the characters are excellent! Word choice in the dialogue is perfect for coloring the major players in the story. This particular audio production cast different people as the voices for the characters of different nationalities, and it enhanced the story many-fold. I enjoyed the vocal nuances the narrators brought to the tale.
The setting is drawn from local places (I happen to be in MA, where it takes place), and represented accurately. Several times I chuckled at descriptions or local euphemisms. The reasons for the loss of magic are well thought out and logically presented. It is a premise that propels the novel forward. It made me want to go back in time and try to reverse it!
Time travel carries its own set of rules, which of course makes it a risky prospect, and the story contains its share of twists and turns. Thematically, time travel lends itself to exploring greed and manipulation, but also the danger of not heeding and seeking to change the outcome of history. [b:The Rise and Fall of D.O.D.O.|32075825|The Rise and Fall of D.O.D.O.|Neal Stephenson|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1486520624l/32075825._SX50_.jpg|52724049] is an entertaining look at how intentions can go awry, trust can be misplaced, and how events can suffer when power, greed, and money are in the wrong hands. I wonder if there will be a follow-up, as the resolution was not absolute, and if there is, I will read (listen to) it.
If you are game for a different format and enjoy history, time walking, and magic, [b:The Rise and Fall of D.O.D.O.|32075825|The Rise and Fall of D.O.D.O.|Neal Stephenson|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1486520624l/32075825._SX50_.jpg|52724049] is well worth reading.~
The first thought that comes to mind is that I am glad I chose to listen to the book as opposed to reading it. The format is unorthodox, and relies heavily on military time-date stamps, which would have made for cumbersome reading for me personally. As such, it worked very well as an audiobook. The time stamping of the story events kept me in the correct time (year) and place, which is important as the story progresses. It might be something for others to keep in mind, if you pick up the book and it looks daunting, the audiobook is great!
The characters are well-written and realistic, it is very easy to empathize with them, and in the audiobook, the accents of the characters are excellent! Word choice in the dialogue is perfect for coloring the major players in the story. This particular audio production cast different people as the voices for the characters of different nationalities, and it enhanced the story many-fold. I enjoyed the vocal nuances the narrators brought to the tale.
The setting is drawn from local places (I happen to be in MA, where it takes place), and represented accurately. Several times I chuckled at descriptions or local euphemisms. The reasons for the loss of magic are well thought out and logically presented. It is a premise that propels the novel forward. It made me want to go back in time and try to reverse it!
Time travel carries its own set of rules, which of course makes it a risky prospect, and the story contains its share of twists and turns. Thematically, time travel lends itself to exploring greed and manipulation, but also the danger of not heeding and seeking to change the outcome of history. [b:The Rise and Fall of D.O.D.O.|32075825|The Rise and Fall of D.O.D.O.|Neal Stephenson|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1486520624l/32075825._SX50_.jpg|52724049] is an entertaining look at how intentions can go awry, trust can be misplaced, and how events can suffer when power, greed, and money are in the wrong hands. I wonder if there will be a follow-up, as the resolution was not absolute, and if there is, I will read (listen to) it.
If you are game for a different format and enjoy history, time walking, and magic, [b:The Rise and Fall of D.O.D.O.|32075825|The Rise and Fall of D.O.D.O.|Neal Stephenson|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1486520624l/32075825._SX50_.jpg|52724049] is well worth reading.~
I enjoyed this but I think I was looking for something with the same story but a little more serious in tone. It just didn't quite work for me.
A clever starting premise, but oh, it dragged so many times. It needed at least 30% chopped out of it. And they didn't even resolve it! There's another one! Gah! The main characters were well-developed, though there were enough supporting characters that I had trouble keeping track of them all. One of the things I love about Stephenson books is the deep-dive into theoretical science. That didn't really come to fruition here. I came away from this flat - pleased I finished it because it was a slog, but overall... just... meh.
In typical (recent) Neal Stephenson fashion, the middle of the book dragged quite a bit.
Book club / half read half listened on audible: it was okay. If it wasn't a book club choice I would have stopped it around page 100. I'm glad I finished it but I won't read any sequels.
adventurous
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
