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Summary: cryptonomicon
Review: I have read most of Stephensons work, and was drawn to him ,initially, out of my enjoyment of and interest in the Cyberpunk genre. So Snowcrash was fit the bill as a great, fun novel. This book is significantly more mature, brilliant, and, frankly, worthy of comparison with some of the best American authors. I don't think that Thomas Pynchon would be too offended to hear me compare him to Stephenson; and I would do so with little hesitation. I would even go a step further and say that while Gravity's Rainbow is clearly a comparable, and Vineland is as "hip" or timely (for it's time) I have to say that Cryptonomicon is both a major work AND a very contemporary piece of literature.While the digressions into cryptography, greek mythology and WWII history are terrific, so is the plot and the character development. I especially enjoyed Stephensons' barely concealed contempt for the now de rigeur,post modern and politically correct stance that Randy's first girlfriend adopted in the beginning of the book. The polemic between Randy and the Finnish professor is funny and great to see in print. I strongly recommend this book for those of you with enough time available to give it justice...
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Summary: Highly entertaining pseudohistory and modern nerdtech
Review: Stephenson has become a better writer and story teller since Snow Crash. The agile leaps around in time, as well as around the world, are as enthralling as his technothrillers, but better glued-together. This is the best book I've read in a very long time. It held my attention throughout (well, OK, I skimmed pretty quickly through some of the math explanations), and like another reviewer, was disappointed when it ended. If you like mysteries, treasure hunts, WW2 stories, cynical but endearing (and extremely well-developed) characters, computer history, cryptology, any or all of the above, you will love this book. The only problem I had with the book was numerous typos--don't they have good proofreaders for this stuff?
Rating:
Summary: Excellent
Review: What a commitment one has to make! This book follows Stephenson's style well and the microdetails make this a near-ready screenplay for any movie version. The characters are realistic and there are no sides chosen here. Everyone has their agenda for better or worse, and even the Dentist comes across as nothing worse than an agressive version of Bill Gates. The plot sprawls out ad infinitum and I wondered when the book would start living up to the description on the inside jacket. Trust me, the book lives up to its description, but you have to look at the entire work. I reread the first two chapters and marveled how the characters evolved. This book brings in NS's knowledge of Philipine politics to wacked-out stunts to destroy information being collected by the Government. The only potential flaws are the occasional anti-government text and the unbelievable odyssey of Shaftoe. Take it in stride and reveiw your College Calculus books while reading.
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Summary: I am recommending Cryptonomicon to everyone!
Review: There are few things in life I love better than a great story linking past and present-Michener's "The Source" was my all time favorite, until now. Details? Yes-of course. In excess? No. "Cryptonomicon" is not the "Puzzle Palace", which I have (for years) used as the ultimate cure for insomnia. For the non-professional in the art of cryptography or the art of war, this will provide more than a little insight into the ways and means employed in this arcane industry-by all nations. Grab it before it grabs you! Jerry Furland, author of "Transfer-the end of the beginning..."
Rating: 
Summary: Tedious
Review: This was a real waste of time...with very few rewards for allthe tedium. ...'vainglorius'...I totally agree!
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Summary: Techno-epic
Review: Don't start this and expect to relax and be entertained. On the other hand, if you enjoy reading as an active adventure, dive in!
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Summary: As exciting to read as any book in years...
Review: Stephenson's Cryptonomicon was thoroughly enjoyable. I had more fun reading this book than I've had reading any book in the past several years. Stephenson has perfectly captured the various personalities he describes, whether it's the tech start-up in the Valley, the cryptanalysts in Bletchley Park, or the insanity of war from the perspective of the grunts who fight it out. It's all there. For anyone who has even a passing interest in issues of cryptography, government regulation, war-time espionage, information theory, or technical innovation, this book is a must read. When I finished the book, I was actually disappointed there wasn't more to read. I was excited to hear that he's already working on the next episode in this story... there is certainly more to tell. One last thing: Memo to Tom Clancy - There is a way to make long books enjoyable. (Hint: it has a lot to do with good writing, a thorough knowledge of the subject matter, and a lack of a political agenda.)
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Summary: Brain food bonanza
Review: This is 900+ pages of concentrated brain food. In addition to being a cracking good suspense story on multiple levels and in two timelines, and working just fine and dandy as a complex techno-thriller a la early Michael Crichton, CRYPTONOMICON is even MORE rewarding if you are interested in history (especially WW2), cryptography (especially WW2 crypto efforts), UNIX, Perl, the Open Source movement, academic foufous, Asian cultures, or international politics. If you understand German and/or Japanese, it gets even better. And it improves over multiple readings.
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Summary: Like seeing _Star Wars_ for the first time
Review: If you can remember what it was like to see Star Wars for the first time, then you know what it feels like to read Cryptonomicon. It's as though a new universe has opened, where these heroic characters still live and have adventures. This rich book combines meticulous research, shrewd social commentary, and vivid observations on human relationships with information theory and the history of cryptography in WWII, a fascinating subject in itself. And even though parts of Cryptonomicon are hilarious, the intertwined stories show the suffering of all people in WWII, not just the Allies. This is a book to be read again and again, by anyone who's ever wondered how the Enigma encoding system could be related to Alan Turing's bicycle chain. Buy it for every nerd on your list!
Rating: 
Summary: No metaverse but still...
Review: What the hell! What's up with all this WWII and Internet business? Cryptology? Sounds interesting...but where's the metaverse? skull guns? Or grunge chicks on flying skateboards? This is exactly how I felt when I read reviews about Cryptonomicon. So it was with some trepidation that I picked it up and over the course of a month, was literally blown away! At a 1000 pages this is no easy commitment, but after reading it in it's entirety, you'll be glad that Neal had taken the time(and extra pages) to carefully flesh it out. The attention to detail is painstaking while his knowledge of the various local cultures is acute. There's been plenty of criticism over the lengthy prose and true, he does get carried away at times(do we really need a graphical analysis of Waterhouse's libido?) but not so much as to lose the reader completely. Depending on who you are, you'll find it all extremely banal or utterly insightful, maybe even hilarious. I found myself laughing out on several occasions. There are many more comedic moments than his previous works and this is due to the fact that I could relate much better to Randy, Shaftoe and the rest than I could with Hiro. Other than the odd throwaway character, the characters in Cryptonomicon are like people I know, which serves to deepen my appreciation of what's happening to them. The plot itself is well constructed and interesting. Though a bit dubious at times, it does manage to sustain you to the end. This is Neal at his sardonic best; at times making me want to scream "Yeahhhhh! That was way cool". His technical know-how is par excellence as usual, taken with his writing style, gives an immensely pleasurable read and enough brain food for non-techies/techies alike. However, the legal and business scenarios are not quite convincing and could have done with a bit more working through. Whereas his previous books used sci-fi and technology to ease readers into viruses and epistomology, here he uses crypto and technology to talk about conspiracies. So although the formula may be the same, he does, however, show more restraint and does not fly off into what-the-hell tangents and subplots as much. Ultimately, his technological/conceptual ramblings, though many, do not overwhelm and in the end fit nicely into the story for a tighter, more focused thoughtful piece of work. No doubt the subject material may not go down well with fans of his old books, but I am glad that the author once again manages to challenge and provoke.
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