From the Bookshelf of Reading the Chunksters…

Cryptonomicon

Neal Stephenson

Start date: October 5, 2018

Finish date: January 11, 2019

Discussion: Cryptonomicon

Why we're reading this: Fun read
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Cryptonomicon

* Reading schedule
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* Chapters 97-101 Cryptonomicon
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Apr 27, 2016 Greg rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 20th-century, reviewed, 1001-books-to-read

UPDATE: Oh. I get it. For the child within us all, Stephenson provides a specific genre, beautifully rendered. But he buries it within a generous amount of smart and often hilarious wanking. What better way to tackle this genre than to bury it? Brilliant: a literary trick from 1999 with which to span, and end, the 20th Century. And his "Crypt" invention eerily foretells what we now call the "dark net" (which I know about only because I subscribe to Wired magazine. Honest.) So I've added a star t UPDATE: Oh. I get it. For the child within us all, Stephenson provides a specific genre, beautifully rendered. But he buries it within a generous amount of smart and often hilarious wanking. What better way to tackle this genre than to bury it? Brilliant: a literary trick from 1999 with which to span, and end, the 20th Century. And his "Crypt" invention eerily foretells what we now call the "dark net" (which I know about only because I subscribe to Wired magazine. Honest.) So I've added a star to my original three-star review (I haven't been blindsided by an author in years), which follows:
At heart, this is a treasure story: gold is carefully hidden in the 1940s and fifty years later the search is on. And I like this genre: Clive Cussler's "Treasure" is among my favorite treasure/thrillers. So, yes, Stephenson steps up to the plate and does deliver a huge and often fascinating plot. There are also big ideas and thought-provoking discussions. For example, a character refuses to use the term "addict" and instead uses "morphine-seeking", then explains his reason: the noun utilization of "addict" obliterates an entire person. (And how often are we all guilty of these kinds of labels even if only in thought?) Stephenson is smart, and his opening leap from preset stops of a musical organ to the way computers might work is an interesting discussion. But Stephenson seems to want to strut his stuff, he wants to throw everything in. Not that that's necessarily a bad thing, but when he throws in the term "quantum physics" for no apparent reason (to me at least) I question his intentions: is he writing to entertain the reader, or just wanking? The author does use this term, then oddly feels the need to explain what the term means. So on the one hand he respects his readers by writing smart, big ideas, then for some reason needs to explain "wanking". Okay, so maybe in 1999 "wanking" wasn't very popular. (The word, that is.) I did like this book, but the wild tangents had me checking out of the story on occasion. And I'm going to read more from this author, as I already have a big, beautiful hardback of "Anathem" here at home on my "to read" shelf. ...more

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Oct 19, 2023 Jess Penhallow rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: libby, own-hard-copy, boxall-s

This book was A LOT. Huge in length, scope and ideas. I feel like I've been reading it for ages and can't say that I'm not somewhat relieved that I finally finished it. Neal Stephenson is a master at world building and plotting. He has devised a very believable alternative history that is so close to reality that I had to constantly be looking up which parts came from history and which from his imagination. There are so many ideas about mathematics, finance and global politics and although I tri ...more

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