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rickwren 's review for:
Cryptonomicon
by Neal Stephenson
Bobby Shaftoe is another one of Neal Stephenson's cornerstone characters - fun to read, pivotal in a grand story, and perfect for the situational comedy he writes his characters into.
Most large books are big because the author didn't have an editor, or couldn't leave out their hard-earned research, but not this book. It's big because that's how long it takes to tell this story, spanning three generations and the greatest war the world has ever known. It's big because Lawrence Prichard Waterhouse, Bobby Shaftoe, Randy Waterhouse, America Shaftoe, Douglas MacArthur Shaftoe and Goto Dengo need that long to tell one of the most fascinating treasure hunts in fiction. It's tight, fast-paced, and well written. The maths are flawless. The codebreaking is believable. The trials and tribulations of his characters are perfect.
It's a great book and a cornerstone of commonality among speculative fiction readers.
Most large books are big because the author didn't have an editor, or couldn't leave out their hard-earned research, but not this book. It's big because that's how long it takes to tell this story, spanning three generations and the greatest war the world has ever known. It's big because Lawrence Prichard Waterhouse, Bobby Shaftoe, Randy Waterhouse, America Shaftoe, Douglas MacArthur Shaftoe and Goto Dengo need that long to tell one of the most fascinating treasure hunts in fiction. It's tight, fast-paced, and well written. The maths are flawless. The codebreaking is believable. The trials and tribulations of his characters are perfect.
It's a great book and a cornerstone of commonality among speculative fiction readers.