Rating: 
Summary: Smartly complex.
Review: I'm 15% through and am enjoying the complex, yet understandable analyses of conversation, people, and information theory -- Stephenson makes you think.
Rating: 
Summary: Obviously three separate manuscripts cobbled together!
Review: In publishing, we call these types of MSS "under the bed" -- an author has some success and is asked for more work, which every author has -- under the bed, in closets, attics, ex-spouse's basements, etc. Here, it looks as if Stephenson got at least three of them and cobbled them together to make up "Cryptonomicon," probably one of the most contrived novels ever. Strangely, some of it is simply wonderful. The rest borders on being an ordeal, but not as bad as "The Diamond Age" (see review)
Rating:
Summary: Ending not bad
Review: I have little to add that hasn't already been said, but with all the flak that the ending to this book is getting, someone's got to stick up for it. I thought the ending was utterly fantastic, a perfect way to cap the book off. The last 100 pages of this book were as much fun as I've ever had with a novel.
Rating: 
Summary: An Addictive Experience!
Review: Who would have thought that a book full of equations would be a great read? Very different from Snow Crash. I wasn't much of a crypto buff before I read the book... but I am now! I LOVED the description of the Capn' Crunch dining experience: a 3 page exploration of the taste sensation of one of my favorite cereals. Also, he deftly skewers all technology start-ups with his brilliant summary of the biz planning and money raising process. I'll use his template for my next plan. I'll never munch Capn' Crunch again w/o thinking of this book.
Rating: 
Summary: A good editor could have done wonders. And should have.
Review: Stephenson seems to have gotten in the good graces of his publisher to an extent where no one reined him in. The premise was great; the characters fascinating and then the book dribbles to a nonsensical conclusion as if Stephenson really didn't care that much and wanted to move on. Too bad as it's now a huge blemish on his reputation. Hope the next one is tighter. Hear this Neal?
Rating:
Summary: The book the keeps going
Review: Well written, but as others have said, the ending is just not there. Stephenson keeps going, and has a hard time ended the story. If you like computers, this book will be more enjoyable.
Rating:
Summary: Starting great and ending fair, it needed editing...
Review: If you haven't bought this one yet, you may find the following valuable. For the first third of the book, I felt I was reading an exceptionally superior piece of work and was tempted to begin throwing the word "masterpiece" around. In the middle third of the book, I began to be irritated by some of the author's attempted humor, and what appeared to be a very self-indulgent style, including long asides in a book that was arguably too long to begin with and in need of editing. Nearer the end of the book, I formed the opinion that the book, though a great story and a book that I found hard to put down, even when I was not happy with it, was flawed. Here are what I would call the flaws of the book: The role of The General (AKA the old soldier who faded away) was terrible. I didn't think the stuff ascribed to Mac fit what I read about him at all. To me, it sounded like a description of Patton retrofitted to the pompous Emperor of The Western Pacific. You might not notice this if you have a higher opinion of Gen'l. Dougie-doo than I do. The role of the heroic Marine is so pumped up as to make anything that Arnold Schwartzenegger did for Hollywood look like sissy stuff. Of course, I realize Marines may have a bias there that would make them think the role was, if anything, understated. <g> The inter-twining of several families through three generations seemed far too far fetched. I think that with better editing and better story advice this would have been one of the best books I ever read. As it is, I am not sorry to have spent the time on it. I guess it is just that after the initial promise I felt the book sagged, and that disappointed me. In any event, Neal Stephenson is brilliant!
Rating:
Summary: Great read!
Review: This was a great book. I design data encryption products for a living, and that aspect was really fun to have in a novel. Beyond that, however, the story had everything - interesting characters that came alive, a truly amazing plot line, when you consider all the angles, outstanding detail in descriptions of places, people, etc., and quite a bit that was thought-provoking. I'm going to move on and read his other books, having now tried this one as my first.
Rating:
Summary: Why not 400 pages of novel and 500 pages of appendices?
Review: If you are a mathematician or a cryptologist, 900 pages of Cryptonomicon will probably be just fine. For the rest of humanity, the story would easily fit into 400 readable pages. Of course, you can skip parts, without missing too much (as Stephenson suggests himself in an interview), but when more than half the book is "skippable", that excercise becomes rather absurd. The story does not have the imagination and sweep of "Snowcrash", but is still worth telling. It has a great feel for Asia and especially the Phillipines, while the part that takes place in Sweden (which I am familiar with) has no feel of place at all. Stephenson's obsession with graphic detail often stops the flow of the story and places a heavy burden on the reader's visual imagination. Who needs or wants to know what practically every object or feature in the book look like? And why does the author show off, to such an arrogant degree, his command of technical terms? You need a couple of specialized dictionaries to read this tome. Cryptonomicon is a Boys' Book all the way. Stephenson seems to find women much more inscrutable than Asians. The main character's sex life throughout the book is one brief episode of premature ejaculation. How nerdy.
Rating:
Summary: Mind food!
Review: This has it all--excitement, intrigue and challenging brain gymnastics. I highly recommend this novel, and if you enjoyed CRYPTONOMICOM, another mind-blower is Glenn Kleier's THE LAST DAY. A highly provocative and challenging read.
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