knicke25 's review for:

Cryptonomicon by Neal Stephenson

4.0

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Not perfect, but every Stephenson novel I've read thus far has been worth it in that it's thought-provoking and at least entertaining. I much preferred the WWII segments - the pace of the present day plot is glacial until near the end - but liked Randy Waterhouse as a character well enough. Also, in retrospect, I feel sort of let down over the fact that the final triumph is that a mountain of bloody gold is fused into...a new electronic currency which is somehow going to create...world peace through economic stability? Talk about unlikely, and BORING. Doesn't seem like much a victory. Honestly, if Stephenson had cut the ridiculous jungle throwdown with Andrew Loeb, he could've ended the book with Bischoff's ascension from the depths, which was sublimely described and a lovely ending if not all that imaginative.

The lead up to it was great fun though, and greatly affecting in places too - Goto Dengo's chapters especially. Made me want to learn more about the Pacific Theater. I thought Stephenson was sneaky and clever to put the tedious technical bits into the internal narratives of Asperger-y savants Waterhouse and Waterhouse.

A pretty OK audio version, though initially I felt as though I was "missing" bits as the plot jumped around.