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Cryptonomicon
Cryptonomicon
Author: Neal Stephenson
With this extraordinary first volume in what promises to be an epoch-making masterpiece, Neal Stephenson hacks into the secret histories of nations and the private obsessions of men, decrypting with dazzling virtuosity the forces that shaped this century.In 1942, Lawrence Pritchard Waterhouse - mathematical genius and young Captain in the U.S. N...  more »
ISBN-13: 9780380973460
ISBN-10: 0380973464
Publication Date: 5/1/1999
Pages: 928
Rating:
  • Currently 4.1/5 Stars.
 24

4.1 stars, based on 24 ratings
Publisher: Eos
Book Type: Hardcover
Other Versions: Paperback, Audio Cassette
Members Wishing: 4
Reviews: Member | Amazon | Write a Review

Top Member Book Reviews

allietx avatar reviewed Cryptonomicon on + 15 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 4
This book is not the type my bookclub usually reads, so when one of the members selected it, I was leery. Then I bought it and was further daunted by the size. However I LOVED it. I don't think I have ever read a book that I found so engrossing. It zoomed to the top of my "Best Ever" list and a copy still sits on my "SAVE" shelf.
jeffp avatar reviewed Cryptonomicon on + 201 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 3
This was an interesting read. At a bit over 900 pages in an oversized paperback edition, it was a huge, long read as well.

I enjoyed this book a fair bit, actually. The first third or so might have been a bit slow - it took me a long time to get through it - but the rest went reasonably quickly. This is a geek book, though. It discusses any number of topics in depth, possibly far more depth than you're interested in reading if you're not a geek. Happily I am a geek and it worked well for me.

The plot revolves around the interconnected lives of several people at two different times: during the second world war and now. In particular we follow a marine in WW II, and cryptographer and mathematician working in WW II, and a programmer working now. Others factor in, of course, but those are the three main points of view. The marine winds up doing and seeing all kinds of interesting things during the war, some of which are never adequately explained, the cryptographer is more straight forward in some ways, and the programmer could be any of a number of people I know, at least in terms of background.

I think that - apart from it's sheer size - Cryptonomicon is an approachable book by Stephenson. I've read two others by him Snow Crash and The Diamond Age. For my money, this may be the best of the three. If you're looking for something substantial to read, this might be it.
reviewed Cryptonomicon on + 30 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2
Great book! It's long, but worth the read!
arianna avatar reviewed Cryptonomicon on + 21 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2
Simply my favorite book ever. Stephenson shares his intricate knowledge of so many things in the world. I am ever his loyal fan.
reviewed Cryptonomicon on
Helpful Score: 1
It's been a long time since I enjoyed an author's mastery of hyperbole and colorful descriptions of characters and their actions as much as this book, to the point where the plot seemed almost irrelevant at times. The jumping around in time and location was a little hard to follow occasionally, but seemed to come together well at the end. I'm looking forward to reading his other books.
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tracyisreading avatar reviewed Cryptonomicon on
Neal Stephenson's "Cryptonomicon" is a phenomenon not to be missed. His brilliance and extensive research shine as in few other books. If you're looking for the kitschy sci-fi of his former work, you won't find it here. This is a serious work of intelligent entertainment which made me laugh out loud -- okay, I SNORTED! -- and kept me on the edge of my seat throughout. This is a book to be savored and re-read multiple times for the sheer joy of immersing yourself in the work of a master wordsmith, as well as discovering subtleties you might have missed first time round because you were turning the pages so quickly. He handles the different time-frames of the two stories so deftly, you immediately understand their interconnectedness. He also raises an urgent and salient question about our global economy in light of current technology.
This book also introduces you to families revisited in his subsequent trilogy "The Baroque Cycle", which includes "Quicksilver", "The Confusion", and "The System of The World." Stephenson fleshes out realistic characters committing acts of super-reality, yet with flaws we all see in the mirror each day. I cannot recommend this book, or this author, highly enough.
althea avatar reviewed Cryptonomicon on + 774 more book reviews
Enjoyed it a lot. I found it very informative as far as giving a lot of actual real information about the history of computers and codes... it inspired me to look up some facts to double-check things! Not really SF, per se, but definitely for those interested in sf/cyberpunk, as well as historical fiction.
reviewed Cryptonomicon on + 61 more book reviews
Typical Neal Stephenson story - lots of interesting characters, plot twists, and a touch of technology. I read everything of his that I can get my hands on.


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