Reading the Chunksters discussion
Cryptonomicon
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Chapters 73-80 Cryptonomicon
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Linda, who are the current day people exploring the mine shafts? I'm lost on that one. Oh ... is it where the Crypt is? As for Randy and Amy, I thought they should be way beyond "Is she interested?" now since she has followed him to another continent and put up with his whole extended family. And that attitude of "Is she a lesbian because she's not jumping into bed with me" is soooooo 1990s LOL
I thought it was amazing that Andrew Loeb's father should have been one of the approx. three people that have invested in Epiphyte(2). But obviously there are a ton of coincidences going on here, and this is how the world works in the universe of this book.
Yes, I believe the old mine shafts are what is called the Crypt today, but I could be wrong on that. It just seemed to make sense. I don't think anyone we know directly (Randy, Avi, Cantrell, etc) are exploring the shafts, but I'm wondering if something is going to happen soon while the team (whoever they are) is exploring. Especially with Randy headed back to the Philippines.The Crypt chapter was so long ago now that I have forgotten the particulars.
I finished this week’s reading so don’t read below if you don’t want to be spoiled. Part of the Pontifex chapter was confusing to me, I think because I’m having a hard time remembering anything about the Comstock character and how he relates to everyone else. I did find it funny how Randy explained that even though Doug’s phone had an Australian number, that it will ring anywhere on the planet. I also love how Randy reads all the informational cards in the plane seat pocket.
The Glory chapter was good, I always look forward to the Bobby Shaftoe chapters. But dang it, what a devastating end that chapter had! :( After everything Bobby has gone through to get back to Glory, and he’s been quite lucky getting to this point, I think, to then be faced with such an unexpected sight of disfigurement. I’m sure he was in complete shock when he saw her, it probably had not crossed his mind that anything of the sort would have occurred. I wonder if we are going to be privy to a conversation between Glory and Bobby or if the book is going to skip over that part. It was pretty awesome, though, when Bobby found out that he had a son and that he was, indeed, named Douglas MacArthur Shaftoe.
But in the final chapter, The Primary, Doug mentions that he never met his father. That was pretty sad, I was hoping we would get to see Bobby finally meet his little boy.
Anyway, I guess now we get to look forward to seeing what’s actually encoded on those cards.
Lorna wrote: "In the PONIFEX chapter I kept trying to figure out who the old man on the phone was, wouldn't it be crazy if it was Goto Dengo?"For some reason I thought the guy on the phone was Root, but I would need to go back and find the passages that made me think that.
Yes, I think it's Root. I think at some point he refers to the emails they exchanged where he was signing root@eruditum. I suppose that the Comstock in Randy's life is related to the Comstock who was in the war - but I can't remember exactly what that one did - was he the boss of Ultra, or someone who didn't approve of Ultra that Lawrence Waterhouse and Shaftoe had to work around?
I will be starting the next chapters this weekend because I'll be away Monday to Friday next week and I don't plan to take this massive book with me!
Oh yes, it was the email name. Also looking back, Randy says on the phone - “What should I call you — Root? Pontifex?”I’m halfway done with the next week’s section. I will probably end up finishing this before the New Year, but will of course still comment on the threads as they are posted.
Lorna, the next chapter DELUGE with Goto is a good one!
Randy and Amy have another 300 pages to get their situation figured out. The way they are going, I’m not so sure that that’s going to be enough pages. Lol.