1000 pages of this shit
and is literally plebit: the book
great criticism, im sure it will spark an inspiring debate
This book is absolutely flawless. I don't see how some of you guys speak of a "non-ending". I mean, the quest ends. Is he really gonna tell all the post-story about what they do in Kinakuta and whatnot? I think it was pretty well wrapped up.
That being said, I envision Cryptonomicon to be, down the road, recognized as the first great novel of the 21st Century (even tho its barely in the 20th). Some people mention the cryptology/math/phylosophical parts being "boring" or cumbersome, but as a person who is an absolute layman in Mathematics (High School Graduate, although I've always been interested in these topics), Cryptonomicon makes a fun, accesible approach to these subjects. Not only it illustrates perfectly the impact of high-level math on out everyday lives and on our history, but it takes you through the tour of how do people even come up with such genious stuff. I would not know today who Turing was (I would know he was some gay math guy, but that's it) without Stephenson.
His approach to the whole Hacker Culture phenomena has excelled in making hacking as theatrical and exciting as it is, without going into utter bullshit or Jamesbondish exaggerations. I was fascinated by Phreaking Van Eck, I was fascinated when he develops the "face recording software" on the fly on the meeting on Kinakuta, I was fascinated with with the whole idea behind information warfare, and the whole plot about "we know but we cant let them know that we know" during WWII.
The fact that he can go into such complex, "cumbersome" heavy subjects (like for example Enoch Root's dissertation about Ares/Athena, which was one of my favorite parts of the book) while at no point forgeting to make you smile, or to make you expectant or to make you excited was absolutly new for me. Before Stephenson, Novels were plots, stories, mere fiction for funs. If I wanted Knowledge, I went to non-fiction. Stephenson changed this for me, being at the same time entertainer and teacher with his writing. To me, it was deeply and utterly mindblowing, new and perfect.
10/10
>>7807305
It's one of the two modern books (alongside Gaiman's American Gods) that I can really see being true classics down the line.
>>7807305
What amazes me about Reddit is it produces posts more powerfully stupid than any parody on an hourly basis.
>>7807324
>It's one of the two modern books (alongside Gaiman's American Gods)
You know what, I was actually intrigued about the book until that sentence. You almost got me there buddy
>>7807324
>American gods
>classic
I read it and enjoyed it, but, please elaborate on what in your mind constitutes a classic. Just because you liked it doesn't mean it adds anything to the literary landscape other than an enjoyable Stephen King knock off.
>>7807395
>a book about Americana satire written by a non American comes off as kitschy
no shit.
