I still say it was really poorly written. There were some clever bits, and the whole thing with the librarian was really neat, but the rest of the book struck me as just okay.
Revisiting the book this year, I totally agree when it comes to Snow Crash. But I do also think that he's gotten better with each novel. Cryptonomicon is leaps and bounds above his first works.
I still say it was really poorly written. There were some clever bits, and the whole thing with the librarian was really neat, but the rest of the book struck me as just okay.
Revisiting the book this year, I totally agree when it comes to Snow Crash. But I do also think that he's gotten better with each novel. Cryptonomicon is leaps and bounds above his first works.
I thought the bit with the Librarian was the worst bit of the book. Or maybe, of the parts of the book that I read, that was the worst bit. When Hiro Protagonist (shoot me now) starts recounting the Librarian's theories to other characters, I just skipped forward until he was over. If the rest of the book was just stupid chase scenes and pointless ideas and impossible physics and disturbing pedophilia, I might have dismissed it as a crass pastiche of cyberpunk themes. But it had ideas above its station.
I think it is a problem with this book in particular though, not of the author. I read Anathem and really loved it. It STARTED with libraries, and later used that library material to inform and give weight to the silly adventure stuff later. Snow Crash started with the silliness, and then tried to add some kind of serious note later on. Too late!
Yeah, I got the message the first time that it was presented, and each subsequent visit to the Librarian just seemed like review. Throw in some hefty use of Deus ex Machina, really uncomfortable erotic scenes, and disjointed and disorganized pacing and narrative, and you have got yourself some grade A schlock. Enjoyable schlock, but schlock nonetheless.
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I think it is a problem with this book in particular though, not of the author. I read Anathem and really loved it. It STARTED with libraries, and later used that library material to inform and give weight to the silly adventure stuff later. Snow Crash started with the silliness, and then tried to add some kind of serious note later on. Too late!
More thoughts here.