Rating: 
Summary: FAR BETTER than most books on the shelves, but.....
Review: I love books that give you plenty to chew on, and this one is no exception. Definitely for the nerd at heart. I did not feel that it was too long as others have stated. However, I did feel that the ending wasn't near long enough to accomodate the hearty meal of prose I had thus far digested. The end was hurried and ... overedited maybe? The characters were each one very interesting; though at times they seemed to speak with the author's idiomatic voice instead of their own. This was a problem when reading some of the chapters taking place during WWII. All in all, the problems I had with this book mainly lie in the editor's domain. The editor fell asleep on this one folks. If you're a grammar stickler, a hell of a lot of type o's await you. And as I said, problems with voice and semantics and cohesiveness should have caught the red pen before making it to print. But the ideas, asides, and theories alone left my nogen satiated and pleased. N. Stephenson is emerging as one of my favorite writers of late. He is daring, imaginative, and takes Cyber-punk to the next level. A true return to the epic Sci-Fi writings of old.
Rating: 
Summary: Think: best parts of Michener, Dickens, Eco & Clancy.
Review: You come away with the impression that you may know more about the time period and events in question than the actual participants. However, the book is in excess of 900 pages, and there are no pictures. Readers whose attention span is momentary, and who are accustomed to reading text enclosed in a balloon coming out of the speaker's mouth will find this book very challenging. The faint of heart would be well advised to put this one down and return to the comics aisle for the latest edition of the Hulk, or whatever.
Rating:
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!
Rating:
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
Rating:
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.
Rating:
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.
Rating:
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.
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