Rating: 
Summary: The best book I've read in 10 years
Review: *Cryptonomicon* was absolutely superb. Incredibly, Neal Stephenson's skills have grown since writing *Diamond Age*. His prose is so inventive and image-provoking that I re-read passages multiple times just to savor the language. I had to interrupt my wife numerous times to read parts to her, just to spread the enjoyment. Despite the length of the book, I didn't want it to end. Others have commented on the likelihood that non-technical readers might have a difficult time with the mathematical descriptions of cryptanalysis. I disagree. Most readers of the book are fairly sophisticated anyway, and should have no trouble if they otherwise enjoy the book. I can't wait for Mr. Stephenson's next effort. One point of correction-- the Skunk River doesn't go as far North as Ames, IA. ;)
Rating: 
Summary: Pretentious, ponderous, and self-absorbed
Review: I was only able to get to page 64 of this clunker. Genitalia is mentioned often; the author even manages to slip in a reference during the attack on Pearl Harbor. I should mention that I am not a fan of cyberpunk, and thought Snow Crash was only OK.
Rating: 
Summary: A technical read
Review: The impressive part of this book, besides the fully developed characters, is the level of techincal expertise that N. Stephenson has. He shows a firm grasp and understanding of crypto and other technologies and doesn't overly explain everything to the reader. This could, however, be a detrement for non-technical readers, but they could still enjoy the book.
Rating:
Summary: Mind Pumping Powerhouse of a Novel!
Review: A pinnacle in a world of shallow plot lines, Cryptonomicon, has to be the best novel I've read in five years. Its multi-threaded plot lines and blending of historical fact with fiction were very engaging. The depth of the technical details make it appealing to the technically wise but may be a deterant to those not so. The discussion of WWII Allied and US cryptoanalysis efforts was particularly interesting. I look forward to rereading it in the future.
Rating:
Summary: More Power to Dwarves!!
Review: Possibly the best book I've ever read. (I'll need to read it a couple more times to make sure.) Laughed so loud I woke (notoriously narcoleptic) family members in distant rooms. LOVED the dwarf analogy. Always considered myself an elf, but Neal's theorum does a lot to explain my waistline. (But we know who REALLY made the rings of power.) Snow Crash was a joy, The Diamond Age was brilliant (if a little slow), but Cryptonomicon is Stephenson's very own killer app. Thankyou.
Rating:
Summary: Praise for the highly unusual
Review: Cryptonomicon is an unusual hybrid of historical fiction, spy story, hacker lore and cryptography text book. With much of Europe, North America and the South China Seas as it's backdrop, this sprawling work deals with the codebreaking efforts of both the allies and enemy in the 1940's, and the repurcussions of such actions in the present day. Fully two thirds of the book takes place immediately prior to or during the Second War, and it can sometimes be difficult to determine which parts of this are actually fiction and not history. Obviously, many of the characters will be familiar to everybody, but there were a few who I initially took to be fictional who turned out to be real. There are many different characters in this book, and as there are really two stories being told there is a high danger of this novel becoming confusing. Somehow Stephenson has avoided this and in fact the large cast actually makes the nine hundred pages of this work justified. His characterizations are so deep that his narrative style has to change chapter by chapter to fit the person. Many times when reading a novel of this size, it can become tempting to skip over the less exciting characters. Thankfully, that is not the case here, Stephenson has the knack of leaving a character at the appropriate time and returning to them at just the right moment. All the characters are essential to the plot and none of them are boring. The book move along at a fair pace with only a few stumbling blocks. Most of the sticking points are in the explanations of cryptography for the layperson. But, to his credit, Stephenson has done a great job of making the subject matter accessible and also impressing on the reader it's military importance. The author also helps the reader to visualize concepts and constructs by a use of diagrams that I have never seen in fictional work before, which is surprising given how effective it is. Finding the correct genre for this book is difficult and it's premise may be off-putting to some, however this is a great book for anyone to read. Stephenson is an extremely talented and witty writer and he gets better with each book. Some of his prose makes me down right jealous. This is one of those books that you can almost open at any page and have a good time reading.
Rating:
Summary: Wit and Wisdom
Review: I found this book to be very witty and to have some really cute insights. I can't get into those without spoilers, but suffice it to say that as a computer scientist, I really felt like this book had been written with people like me in mind, and it felt great! I was kind of disappointed by the ending, which I felt was rushed: "uh-oh, 900 pages, better wrap it up". And there were a couple of plot holes or points of confusion for me -- one of which you could drive a truck through. But this didn't really reduce the enjoyment of reading the book, and I am recommending it highly to my friends.
Rating:
Summary: Very Good, but flawed
Review: It is unfortunate that a book that ranges over many interesting ideas founders at its conclusion over the incredible assertion on the role of gold and currency.
Rating:
Summary: A fine book
Review: Cryptonomicon is a great read. The story is fascinating and the characters are rich, but the real joy of this book is Neal Stephenson's prose. His writing is passionate and funny-I didn't skip or skim or single line of this 800+ page book. The story doesn't have much emotional impact, but this is a grand adventure and a flight of fancy, not a romance. This is Pulp Fiction on intellectual steroids. Lots and lots of fun.
Rating:
Summary: me like book
Review: The parts of this book which take place in WWII are fascinating. The parts which take place in the present are less compelling. In particular the main character, Randy Waterhouse, who is supposed to be some sort of cool hacker guy, struck me as an annoying weenie, and I had begun to loathe him by the end of the book. I just can't accept that America Shaftoe would be at all interested in him. And the storyline involving the data haven and Epiphyte reads like it came straight out of a five year old issue of Wired. I found myself tempted to just skip over those chapters to get to the really good parts. But the good parts are good enough to make the novel worthwhile.
| 
