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A review by afranchilli
Cryptonomicon by Neal Stephenson
5.0
When a book defies all genres, it's hard to grade it by comparing it to other books you have read. Cryptonomicon doesn't have much of a structure to wrap your head around, but it's so packed with great set pieces, interesting characters, hilarious dialogue, and shrewd observations, that the loosely sketched plot does not seriously detract from the book as a whole.
In the end, it's narrative is the story of why and how cryptology is important, historically and prospectively. But what keeps the book afloat are the story lines that center around the thrill of entrepreneurship, adaptability in the face of adversity, and the "mathematicizing" of life.
The criticisms I have read are not all off the mark. For one: it is inconsistent at times. There are intermittent lags where the level of detail is simply not necessary. On the other hand, some deviations from the plot are among the most memorable sections - the explanation of various cultures' treatment of geeks as a reflection of their religion stands out for me, but lets not forget about the various disquisitions on topics like cap'n crunch cereal or staple removers.
Another complaint is the ending. And again I would have to refer to the fact that this is a unique work. I was not disappointed when I finished it, and because I enjoyed his writing so much during the journey, I didn't feel let down by the finished product.
It's not a perfect book, but it still gets 5 stars because I am hard pressed to find a book I enjoyed more.
In the end, it's narrative is the story of why and how cryptology is important, historically and prospectively. But what keeps the book afloat are the story lines that center around the thrill of entrepreneurship, adaptability in the face of adversity, and the "mathematicizing" of life.
The criticisms I have read are not all off the mark. For one: it is inconsistent at times. There are intermittent lags where the level of detail is simply not necessary. On the other hand, some deviations from the plot are among the most memorable sections - the explanation of various cultures' treatment of geeks as a reflection of their religion stands out for me, but lets not forget about the various disquisitions on topics like cap'n crunch cereal or staple removers.
Another complaint is the ending. And again I would have to refer to the fact that this is a unique work. I was not disappointed when I finished it, and because I enjoyed his writing so much during the journey, I didn't feel let down by the finished product.
It's not a perfect book, but it still gets 5 stars because I am hard pressed to find a book I enjoyed more.