Cryptonomicon

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.

Rating:
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.

Rating:
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...

Rating:
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.

Rating:
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!

Rating:
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!

Rating:
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.)

Rating:
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.