A review by luckypluto
Bug by Ellen Ullman

5.0

The Bug is probably my favorite of the books I’ve read in 2012. Ostensibly about the frustrations and minutiae of programming, the book is an excellent work of literary fiction that delves into some philosophical thoughts on the nature of humanity itself. It tells the story of a young programmer whose quest to fix an obscure but critical bug consumes his personal life, which crashes down around him just as the bug crashes the computers it runs on. Although a bit tedious in some parts, the novel is paced well, and gives a good look into the minds of the programmers it portrays. The ending is surprising, and unexpected. The only thing that didn’t quite work about the book was the dovetailing stories of the narrator and protagonist; the intertwining of their lives felt a bit forced. Even so, the book is a great read, especially for professional programmers who deal with the problems presented in the book on a day-to-day basis.