Nerdly Book Review:
Cryptonomicon
February 3, 2010 by Kyle BradyTags: Book, Cryptonomicon, Neal Stephenson, Review
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Stephenson’s highly-rated Cryptonomicon is one of the weirdest and most awkward books I’ve ever read – it reads like someone with Alzheimer’s Disease decided to write a book about only the the most tangentially related subjects, all while having a good grip on cryptology, modern technology, and the world of geeks. At 1168 pages, it’s also one of the longest, with only Battlefield Earth or Lord of the Rings, if you consider it as one book, being within range.
This novel follows the lives of a few seemingly random individuals at various times in the 1900’s that spans from WWII to what Stephenson intended to be present day, although it’s slightly dated because of the technology, and is divided into different chapter-like segments that are told from the perspective of the characters. One of the most frustrating things is that while the activities of some of these characters is extremely detailed and interesting, those of the others is not – then this flips on itself at some point halfway through. Cryptology, WWII battles, black ops shenanigans, jungle rot, and numerous other war-related topics make appearances throughout, along with a very confusing and random Internet-related business that mutates into something even more unbelievably random.
For the good majority of the book, readers have no idea what’s going on, as there is essentially no overall plot other than “these people do interesting things”, and Stephenson makes a transparent and annoying attempt at the end to tie it all together. After 1168 pages, the reader is left without a climax or a conclusion – it just simply ends. Even worse, half of the subjects addressed or introduced in the book are just left as dangling plotlines or informational threads that get ignored because Stephenson decides to ramble on about something else.
It took forever to read, and is probably not worth the time or money invested. If you’re interested in this odd mix of WWII, shady business, and love story that Stephenson seems to think he’s presenting, then perhaps it’s worth a read; otherwise, it’s just easier to stay away from this sorry excuse for a rambling novel by an author who apparently has an obsession for devoting hundreds of words and multiple pages to the description of entirely trivial items, events, and people.
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