Cryptonomicon

Rating:
Summary: I'm in (data) heaven....
Review: Cryptonomicon is without doubt one of the best books I've read in quite some time. The story told in this book is well thought out, well researched, and very thought provoking. A lot of modern day social issues relating to technology are explored within the context of the story. It took me a long time to read through the first 75 pages or so, but after that I could scarecly put it down.

At its core, Cryptonomicon revolves around cryptography, or in other words, the art/science of encrypting information. The story follows two families who are both involved in the allies cryptanalysis and information warfare efforts during WW2 into the modern day, as they strive to create an offshore "data heaven" - and try to get rich while their at it.

I wholeheartedly recommend this book, but before purchasing it there are a few warnings for the perspective reader:

First, be forewarned that if you don't have a background in computers and math, Cryptonomicon may loose you in places since the author goes into a bit of technical detail from time to time.

Second, Stephenson's writing style can distract from the story on occasion. By this I mean that he will occasionaly rattle off pages of uninteresting detail that also turns out to be more or less irrelevant to the story. This book could have lost 150 pages and still been every bit as good, if not better.

Third, the book is a bit hard to follow - the book covers two time periods (WW2 and the present day), and several characters within each. The author freely moves back and forth between relating events in both time periods, which in itself is fine. But often we come to a passage about a character that seems to be completely disjoined from the last events the author related about the character, because the author has skipped ahead in the character's timeline so that he can relate the intervening events that occured to the character in the past tense. Unfortunately, while this is a nice literary device, it also makes following the book more difficult and even a bit frusterating at times.

Rating:
Summary: Easily the coolest book I've ever read
Review: I've read Cryptonomicon twice now and am convinced that while this is very tough read, it is both highly entertaining and extremely educational. Stephenson has a tendency to weigh the reader down with minutae, but it's the kind of information that'll make you hit the internet to learn even more about. The plot switches back and forth between two eras: 1940s in both the Atlantic and Pacific theaters of WWII and in present day. If you're a technically minded person interested in historical fiction, cryptography, and the evolution of currency (i know, sounds weird but is highly interesting written by Stephenson), this is a must read.

Rating:
Summary: A Masterwork
Review: Last year I read and enjoyed Neal Stephenson's Diamond Age, but was left dissatisfied by the abrupt ending. It was clear to me that Stephenson was something of a genius, with an exceptional grasp not only of science and technology, but also history, politics, anthropology and sociology. I was also struck by his sheer literary talent--mind-boggling creativity and a wicked sense of humor coupled with an ability to create memorable and engaging characters. Diamond Age failed, however, to provide a conclusion that properly brought together all the threads of the complex plot and to tell the reader what happened to all the main characters.

Cryptonomicon is a better book because Stephenson manages to match or even improve upon the strengths of Diamond Age while providing a more satisfying conclusion. It is difficult to summarize a book of this scope, which comes close to a thousand pages and follows a large cast of characters through two pivotal periods of modern history: World War II and the information revolution of the 1990s. Stephenson's book makes most of Charles Dickens' works look spare by comparison.

As indicated by the title, the book's central focus is cryptography and the role of computers in both processing and concealing information. Stephenson describes a fascinating crew of fictional characters, from hackers and nerds to Navy SEALS and leathernecks, who interact with the likes of Douglas MacArthur and Alan Turing to show the importance not only of military and economic might, but also the use and control of information, in determining the destiny of nations and the course of world history.

No book is perfect, however. Stephenson has a unique authorial voice: breezy, conversational, and definitely never dull, whether he is describing the intricacies of cryptography or a bloody marine landing on a Pacific island. Yet the blunt, colloquial style of writing may not appeal to readers who prefer more elegant, refined prose. (Stephenson's characters don't make love, they f*ck, for example, and Stephenson pulls no punches when describing bodily functions that some people would rather just be left to imagine themselves--or not think aobut at all). I didn't mind it, but I'm sure many others will. What did irk me was that many of the characters (particularly the American hackers of the 1990s) speak and write in almost exactly the same tone, use exactly the same vocabulary, and ruminate on exactly the same subjects as Stephenson himself. In some cases, even characters like Enoch Root, an enigmatic and apparently ageless ex-Catholic priest, also fall into an identical style of speech. While this does lend the book a certain stylistic unity, it also sometimes makes it difficult for the reader to suspend disbelief and to distinguish the characters' viewpoints from those of the author himself.

Ultimately, though, any criticism of this book pales in comparison with its immense achievements. No review can do justice to the genius of the Cryptonomicon--it transcends genres and is one of the few books that really deserves the overused adjectives "unique" and "original". Read it!

Rating:
Summary: A litmus test for cool....
Review: Neal Stephenson has been a respected sci-fi writer for some time. SNOWCRASH, and his later DIAMOND AGE, were great books, but the sci-fi appellation somehow seemed to cheapen their status and Mr. Stephenson's credibility. It's as if a good sci-fi novelist can't be as good as a good "serious" novelist. CRYPTONOMICON eliminates any doubts as to Mr. Stephenson's abilities.

CRYPTONOMICON requires the reader to be intelligent and inquisitive. It's a big book that requires the commitment that all big books require, namely, that you read it to the end. In return it delivers an absolutely engrossing story that spans 50 years, 3 generations, 4 continents and one world war. It has one of the best characters ever, Bobby Shaftoe, and one of the best systems ever devised for dividing up the remains of a deceased parent's estate. It tells its story while also expounding on mathematics, computer science, cryptography, engineering and Marines. In short, it is incredibly witty and smart.

Two additional notes: 1. As I read the reviews for this book I noticed something startling. The people who give this book a one-star rating sound like incredly shallow, attention-deficient children. Their biggest complaint is that CRYPTONOMICON is too long. But those who give it a good review sound intelligent. They sound like people I would want to have a chat with. That makes sense. Those who like Neal Stephenson tend to be cool. Those who do not like Neal Stephenson think People Magazine has trenchant articles on current events.
2. If you read a review and it complains about the Cap'n Crunch eating scene (as several do), discount the review's validity. That description comes very close to the beginning of the book and indicates that the reviewer did not read the entire novel.

Rating:
Summary: A sprawling powerhouse of a book - a 'must-read'...
Review: Stephenson is once again showing his chops. The comparisons to Dickens (even absent the cutesy intentional anachronistic neo-Victorian touches of The Diamond Age) are becoming almost cliche but ring true.

Considering the challenges of a 900+ page book (cf. Infinite Jest, the Otherland series), the fact it takes place in two intertwined time-lines, throw in the present tense, multiple POVs, use of historically real characters (Turing, Reagan...), scientifically valid yet readable expositions of cryptography, van Eck phreaking, and the Riemannian zeta function -- you got to give the guy credit for hanging it all together pretty darn well.

I usually rush through books in a single sitting, but this one I'm savoring as I go (so I'm really only reviewing the first 400 pages - a normal book!) It's got a lot to chew on and is *amazingly* stimulating.