Rating: 
Summary: Neal Stephenson's most satisfying novel yet
Review: Be warned! This book WILL consume your free time, and probably start stealing your sleep. At over 900 pages, it's a hefty read, but I'm glad Neal Stephenson was able to get the entire length published. Not a word is wasted. My grandfather was a cryptologist in WWII, part of the Asiatic fleet, and so this book had particular relevance for me. I have shared this book with him, as well as many hours of discussions and tangents as a result. For the reader who enjoys Cryptonomicon, I also suggest as further reading:
Codebreakers: The Inside Story of Bletchley Park by Hinsley and Stripp
and
The Puzzle Palace by James Bamford
Rating: 
Summary: Cleverly plotted, but overwritten and underedited
Review: Before I read Cryptonomicon, I read comparisons to Pynchon, especially Gravity's Rainbow. Those comparisons sounded overblown, and now that I've read Stephenson's book I'd say they are foolish--Cryptonomicon comes nowhere close to Pynchon. But being judged a lesser work than Gravity's Rainbow is hardly damning. Cryptonomicon is cleverly plotted. Stephenson sustained his narrative well enough to pull me through 900+ pages, which is no small accomplishment. If you think such profluence, as John Gardner called it, is easy, I suggest you try it for yourself. I enjoyed every night I spent with Stephenson's story. The book *is* overwritten. I had the sense that Stephenson went off on his rambles (e.g. the Capn Crunch section) just because he could, not because they served his book. I'd estimate that about 100 pages could be whacked without harming the narrative. Characterization? Unsubtle. The Shaftoes, in particular, are a collection of cliches, especially Bobby the Marine. I found Randy Waterhouse to be the most engaging. For me, the story, not the characters, kept my attention. I simply wanted to see what happened next. Finally...did *anyone* proofread the page proofs? The frequent errors were a distraction.
Rating:
Summary: GREAT!!!
Review: Of all of the books I've read this year only "The Triumph and the Glory" was as gripping and powerful as Cryptonomicon. I couldn't put it down, it was s-o-o-o-o-o great! The action is non-stop, the characters vivid, and the style very entertaining.
Rating:
Summary: Complex, convoluted, and absolutely brilliant
Review: This is the best book I have read in months. It alternately provokes laughter, thought, contemplation, and sadness. I'm not sure it's as good as Snow Crash or The Diamond Age, but is definitely in the same overall league of excellence. Due to its complexities, I think, though, that I'll appreciate it even more the second time through. The only drawback: shoddy proof-reading; typos abound.
Rating:
Summary: very enjoyable despite the math
Review: Don't get frightened off by reviews of this book that stress the amount of math and other geekspeak contained in Cryptonomicon. This book is very enjoyable, and quite an interesting take on WWII. Looking forward to the next installment.
Rating:
Summary: This book kicks a--!
Review: Like all of neals books this one is a sure bet. if you liked the diamond age(kicked a--) then your sure to love this one. the characters are real and full(like zodiac), much better than snow crash and sure to be the start of a great epic.
Rating: 
Summary: Wait for Stephenson's next sci-fi -- this one's not it.
Review: Totally unlike Snow Crash or Diamond Age, this novel lacks any sci-fi imagination and instead is a disjointed journey from WW2 cryptography to modern data warehousing. I finally gave up trying to follow the plot after 400 pages.
Rating: 
Summary: Vivid characters
Review: The one thing that impressed me most about Cryptonomicon was that, for an action-based story, there was such a high level of character development and plausability. The characters were so believable that I actually miss reading them now that I've finished the book. There were parts that felt like filler, towards the beginning, but I was even more impressed that most of them panned out into plot points later on. I'm not sure if this book has total mass appeal, however. Beyond entertaining, this book is mind-expanding and speaks to topics both human and technical which will play ever more dominant roles in American life in the next century.
Rating:
Summary: a book for very bright people
Review: A book that I will probably reread at least twice. Full of brilliances, but in need of some pruning. Our most original SF novelist, but this is NOT Science Fiction. It's a book for very bright people, with a background in math and computer science. WOW!
Rating:
Summary: This book had me hooked!
Review: After reading Applied Cryptography, I became hooked on the subject of cryptography. This book increased my fascination with the subject. Cryptonomicon is filled with excitement especially if you enjoy German, Japanese, and Math like I do. The book is filled with things that made me laugh out loud such as the geometry of Cap'N'Crunch, using a supercomputer decide who gets posessions, the mathematics of a bad bike, Bletchly Park sending messages so that the Germans would attack their own sub, and many more. I believe that the ending could have been better, however, I guess it was the only way to end it. I can't wait for the next book in the series!
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