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Summary: AWESOME!
Review: Just my favorite! The plot thickens with every turn of the page. Plus I feel connected to a lot of the places mentioned in the book. Very different from previous books Neal has written but definitely one of the BEST!
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Summary: One of my all-time favorites
Review: Although I only mildly enjoyed his previous works, this one is awesome. I devoured and chewed each and every page. Highly recommended
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Summary: A BIG book in so many ways
Review: This book took me a LONG time to work through. I attacked it in chunks--each day getting through another couple of dozen pages--and I enjoyed every damn minute of it!Stephenson strikes me as very similar to Don Delillo for some reason. Maybe it's the plot that at times just barely slides into the hum-drum only to be rescued by the brilliant literary quirkiness. Perhaps its the enormous issues which bubble up deep from within the surface plot. Maybe it's that both authors introduce multitudes of ideas, concepts, themes, people, places and things in their novels--mixing them all together into a printed form of cacophonous assault. At times, it can almost be too much, but Stephenson does manage to keep it all together (albeit loosely) and move the whole mass to some sort of conclusion. Is the ending as satisfying as it could have been? No. Are the characters as deep, realistic and engaging as could be? No. I enjoyed the book imensely for what it brought out in me. My imagination was rekindled. I was forced to think--to consider new concepts. I felt I was reading a novel written in a newly developed style. Bottom Line: Cryptonomicon forced me to interact with the novel rather than read it passively and for that I'm grateful. Thank you, Mr. Stephenson!
Rating: 
Summary: A Great Book with a few flaws
Review: Despite all the reviews that brand this book too long, I feel that without the length the author couldn't bring matters to a satisfactory conclusion. That said, though the ending was sadly limp and unexiciting which is a pity considering what a good read this really is. Leaving aside the typos (where was the editor?), Stephenson has written a storming read and roll on the sequel
Rating:
Summary: Excellent read, some weaknesses
Review: This is an incredibly absorbing book in the tradition of Umberto Eco's "Foucault's Pendulum," only better plotted and less dry than Eco's work. Stephenson must have a deep background with computers; it's hard to imagine how he could write an such a convincing insider's view of information systems and cryptanalysis otherwise. Even at 900+ pages, it's a gripping read. Half the fun is just trying to figure out how the different storylines relate to each other. I do fault the book for an insufficient climax. The ending is fun, but feels fairly tacked-on. As a friend of mine put it, "this book keeps a high level of tension all the way to the end--and then it just ends!" The plot never drops, but neither does it pick up. Fans of Stephenson's earlier works may find Cryptonomicon's world less imaginative than the futuristic mileus of "The Diamond Age" or "Snow Crash," but such is the danger of writing historical fiction. To his credit, Stephenson makes the 1940s just as interesting as the 2140s. This is a must read.
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Summary: Excellent, gripping read
Review: Wow - what a trip. Kept me engrossed for a week. Don't get put off by what some of the other reviews have said - the book is not too long (but then again my previous book was Vikram Seth's A Suitable Boy which is substantially longer - so maybe I'm a sucker for punishment). The small details MAKE the book. Take the time to read the math sections slowly and don't skip them as others have suggested - you'll actually learn something. I have to admit the ending was weak which turned a 5* book into a 4* - but the rest is well worth the trip. Can't wait for the sequel.
Rating:
Summary: 918 pages long - I could have read twice as much
Review: I came across Neal Stephenson with Snow Crash, which was nearly as good a first cyberpunk novel as Neuromancer. I found Diamond Age to be too slow for my tastes, but with Cryptonomicon, Stephenson has really hit his stride. This book has believable characters with real depth, and a well-developed dualism between the WWII-era and present day characters. Along the way, he sprinkles in some Tom Clancy-like digressions into the details of crypto systems and Greek mythology. Thorougly satisfying.
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Summary: Too much fun
Review: Describing Snow Crash and Diamond Age to friends, I called Neal Stephenson the Carl Hiaasen of sci-fi... he was that much fun to read. This is even better. In Cryptonomicon, Stephenson's wonderful digressions (how to eat Cap'n Crunch... my god! I can now prove to my wife that I am not the only person (nerd?) who could write an ISO 9000 procedure for breakfast) make the book. I nominate Stephenson to be an honorary Southern author, based on his digressions. T.R. Pearson would be proud! The descriptions of the start-up mind-set and all that goes along with made me want to go out and do it again. The only problem: it ended and ended too fast. I can't wait for the next in the series.
Rating:
Summary: I guess its a love it or hate it thing.
Review: And I loved it. There are hundreds of other reviews here, so I won't bore you by making comparisons to Pynchon, Heller, Sterling or even Irving. You should be able to tell from them if it's your cup of tea or not.
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Summary: Sergeant Rock gets a laptop
Review: Stephenson mixes a delicious stew of cybertech and over-the-top characterization. The two main characters of this melange are the families Waterhouse and Shaftoe. The Waterhouses being the ultimate math nerds and the Shaftoes are all gun-toting men ( and women) of action. ( a la Sergeant Rock) They and their descendents lives touch, skew, arc, and intersect during WWII and the present. The plot involves the creation of a data haven with its own digital cash and flashbacks to the 1940's and the exploits of the Bletchley Park gang. Among other topics explored are: cryptography, cryptanalysis, the art of skip-bombing in the Bismarck Sea, the effete twits of the MLA, guerilla warefare ,a literal mountain of gold, reptilian corporate types, the creation of the computer, IS theory, a cultural anthropology of cyber geeks, number theory, randomness, white noise, U-boat warfare, GPS, post traumatic stress syndrome, modulo math, mining engineering, the flora and fauna of the Phillipines, how to eat Capn' Crunch, urban warfare and the performance of due diligence. Mix this with a generous dollop of what high velocity or sharp pointed objects do to human tissue, and you have one hell of a roller-coaster ride. The characters are almost unbelievable. Their saving grace is the fact that they take what the do seriously , not themselves. The pace is breathless as my sentences above. There are cameos by Ronald Reagan (lame) and Douglas MacArthur (dead on target ). There is a hacking/cryptanalysis scene that is this tomes real climax and will thrill anyone with just minimal knowledge of computer ops and crypto. If you've read Simon Singh's "The Code Book", you'll be able to watch the Simpsons and read this book at the same time without missing a beat. I did. Considering the length of the book (approx 900 pages), it's a quick read. That's because it's like a box of Cracker-Jacks; a new toy or factoid in every chapter. If you think the plot is far-fetched, there's a guy selling shares in hunt for WWII Japanese gold buried in the Phillipines. See the latest edition of Digital Forbes.
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