Anathem

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It's a hit!

Don't try and figure out if this is the best Stephenson book or not. That is a worthless, bulshytt task. Instead, ponder on how completely differen... (show more)

Don't try and figure out if this is the best Stephenson book or not. That is a worthless, bulshytt task. Instead, ponder on how completely different this work is from the rest of his catalog, yet how perfectly completely his themes (rationality, world-changing events, geek culture, male maturity, the failure of postmodernism, military culture) are captured here. The central mysteries of this book are resolved in a queerly satisfying, though oddly mystical (for Stephenson) way.

Action items:
Learn Orth
Establish a math
Grow a tangle
Watch Anathem when it comes out on speely (show less)

 

 

by Nathan

No, it's a flop!

I really want to like Neal Stephenson. I start each new novel of his with a sense of anticipation hoping “this will be the one.” Anathem wasn’t.

T... (show more)

I really want to like Neal Stephenson. I start each new novel of his with a sense of anticipation hoping “this will be the one.” Anathem wasn’t.

The concept of having knowledge cloistered away to protect the general population was interesting, but not new. It’s impossible to do a review of Anathem and not acknowledge its similarities to Walter M. Miller's A Canticle for Leibowitz.

In Anathem, knowledge is allowed to evolve to a high level but eventually it leads to the potential destruction of a planet (note “a” planet as this is a work of speculative fiction) so all scholarly or learned people are interred into a monastic setting (“reconstituted”) with limited tools and resources. Eventually, the secular world (“extramuros”) needs their assistance (because they have the ability to learn and advance knowledge) and must release them to solve some problem- and the cycle repeats itself- continually.

Once again, this was 981 pages (932 if you discount the required glossary and “calca” or theoretical proofs) that I had to struggle to finish. The plot moved along quite well, but the frequent speed bump of launching into theoretical discussions that only PhDs in quantum theory could completely follow made completing the book a chore. Also, the book literally uses a language of its own. Use the glossary! Some words are similar to true English, for example, “aut” is an “act” or rite but others are “made up” but are integral to understanding the book and the reader needs to be clear on their meaning upfront.

I do have to say that the characters in Anathem were richer and more well defined than other Stephenson works. Fraa Erasmus or “Raz” is a classic, archetypal hero. Put in situations not of his choosing, he often needs to make choices that place him in danger to save others. The reader can actually build up a relationship and feel something which hasn’t happened in his past novels.

For me, this was the best of Stephenson’s works but I still can’t say that I like his writing. Maybe the next one? (show less)

 

 

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  After much deliberation, I've decided this is quite possibly the best written work I've read. Neal Stephenson is some kind of genius.

  The concepts presented within - political, cultural, scientific, philosophic, are all, in my opinion, fascinating, and the author paints a beautiful picture of a world that, while certainly alien, leaves the reader wishing for more.

  Of course, it's not for everyone. Stephenson does his research, and presents it in almost excruciating detail. He makes the assu... (show more)

  After much deliberation, I've decided this is quite possibly the best written work I've read. Neal Stephenson is some kind of genius.

  The concepts presented within - political, cultural, scientific, philosophic, are all, in my opinion, fascinating, and the author paints a beautiful picture of a world that, while certainly alien, leaves the reader wishing for more.

  Of course, it's not for everyone. Stephenson does his research, and presents it in almost excruciating detail. He makes the assumption that all readers are capable of thinking on his level. And of course, your mileage with his idiosyncratic writing style may vary.

  That being said, I loved this book. It was incredible. Certainly not for the faint of heart. But still marvelous.

  It might be best to start with some of Stephenson's earlier works (Snow Crash, perhaps?), move up to Cryptonomicon and The Diamond Age, and then read the Baroque Cycle before attempting to tackle this book.

  Or perhaps not. Again, your mileage may vary. (show less)

   

   

  by Hawk Weisman on Feb 13, 2009 at 02:04AM

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  Every time I read a Neal Stephenson book, I find a new reason to love his writing. Anathem is no different: over the several weeks it took me to plow my way through, I had at least three different conversations about concepts that he brings up as a part of the plot and came to the realization that Stephenson's greatest gift as an author is to do what Michael Crighton could not in State of Fear: engage the user on an effective, yet layperson-friendly intellectual level while still telling a f... (show more)

  Every time I read a Neal Stephenson book, I find a new reason to love his writing. Anathem is no different: over the several weeks it took me to plow my way through, I had at least three different conversations about concepts that he brings up as a part of the plot and came to the realization that Stephenson's greatest gift as an author is to do what Michael Crighton could not in State of Fear: engage the user on an effective, yet layperson-friendly intellectual level while still telling a full story. There were days when my head spun from the intriguing physics concepts his characters explained in highly comprehensible detail, and others where my heart raced as I drank in the action of the story (and to be honest, most days both happened). If you love science, or philosophy, or just having brain tweaked a bit, you will love this book. (show less)

   

   

  by Eric B. Hanson on Mar 05, 2009 at 09:47PM

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