The design and UX isn't done, Rob and Abbie, okkurrrr! 😌
shaxx's review against another edition
4.0
DODO aneb detašované oddělení diachronních operací byla taková lahůdka. Je to dlouhé, je to rozvláčné, ale bavilo mě to. Obsahuje nesmyslné množství vtipných zkratek, jak už samotný název napovídá, příběh je vyprávěn zajímavou formou zpráv, dopisů, oznámení, zápisků.. Ale všechno to skvěle sedne dohromady a nepůsobí to rušivým dojmem. Ačkoli je tam přehršel informací a odboček, bez nich by to nějak nebylo ono. Když se čtenář přizpůsobí tempu vyprávění (pomalé), tak mu to ani nepřijde. V knize se objeví spoustu historicky známých (i neznámých, znali jste Grace O'Malley, pirátskou královnu? Já taky ne :D) postav a událostí. Postav je tu tak akorát, aby se člověk nepřestal orientovat. Konec trochu vlažnější, ale očekávaný. Trochu mi atmosférou kniha připomněla Čas čarodějnic. Jen bez upírů, romance a vlastně asi všeho (až na čarodějnice a cesty do minulosti :D). Nepostrádá humor, zajímavé historické informace a hezky vystavěný příběh. Byl by z toho fakt dobrej seriál.
Recenze: https://www.cbdb.cz/recenze-1156-s-pomoci-vedy-na-zachranu-magie
Recenze: https://www.cbdb.cz/recenze-1156-s-pomoci-vedy-na-zachranu-magie
casim's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
skybalon's review against another edition
3.0
I'm a sucker for time-travel novels. I like the attempt in this book to pseudo-science an explanation for both magic and time-travel. Honestly, like every Stephenson novel that I've read, it is too long. It is fine but feels like it could have been tightened up some. Still worth the read.
zekelikeybooks's review against another edition
3.0
remembered that i read this book. it was pretty good. really long but decent story. said some mean things to capitalism and american society a couple times so i liked it. but the ending was annoying but nothing out of the ordinary for a book like this. characters are good. good jokes sometimes. i just remembered that there is also good metaphysics. and time travel. i like time travel. this was a good book. maybe if i reread it i will like it more but i am fine with it just being a fun read.
fredosbrother's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Doesn't end just stops
ablotial's review against another edition
4.0
This book started out amazing and ended up just ok. As someone who has a little bit of experience working in bureaucracy, parts of it were downright hilarious. It's clear the authors did their research. The first third of the book was great, for that reason. Plus, the heroine is a linguist! Yay! Can't get any better than that in my opinion.
The middle of the book was pretty tedious though. She travels back to the same point in history multiple times repeating events with just slight changes. Then this begins to happen with a second place and you think OH UGH this is going to go on forever... One might think that this is inevitable with time travel books, but I've read plenty and it's definitely not. It's just the way that this book is set up, how they have to work it in order to accomplish anything.
Which brings me to the last part of the book... grrrr. This is where I get angry, because that thing I just said about "how they have to work it in order to accomplish anything"? Yeah, well, suddenly it doesn't work that way anymore. You can't just change the rules like that. No, no, no. So you lose a star. Plus, the way it ends it just ... ends. Kind of seems like maybe they were setting it up for a sequel?
Anyway, I enjoyed it. I loved the historical characters, especially Magnus. And poor Ersabet's story, once it comes to light. (and again, she shouldn't have been there damnit).
Anyway, if you like time travel books and especially if you have any experience dealing with government work, you'll likely enjoy this one, even though it's probably twice as long as it needs to be (but that's what you get with [a:Neal Stephenson|545|Neal Stephenson|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1430920344p2/545.jpg].
The middle of the book was pretty tedious though. She travels back to the same point in history multiple times repeating events with just slight changes. Then this begins to happen with a second place and you think OH UGH this is going to go on forever... One might think that this is inevitable with time travel books, but I've read plenty and it's definitely not. It's just the way that this book is set up, how they have to work it in order to accomplish anything.
Which brings me to the last part of the book... grrrr. This is where I get angry, because that thing I just said about "how they have to work it in order to accomplish anything"? Yeah, well, suddenly it doesn't work that way anymore. You can't just change the rules like that. No, no, no. So you lose a star. Plus, the way it ends it just ... ends. Kind of seems like maybe they were setting it up for a sequel?
Anyway, I enjoyed it. I loved the historical characters, especially Magnus. And poor Ersabet's story, once it comes to light. (and again, she shouldn't have been there damnit).
Spoiler
And just generally... I have to say the one major flaw I see in this book is that Melisandre and Tristan never seem to wonder or ask when/how Ersabet met Mel in the past. That would have been my first question, I think, and they are definitely smart enough to have figured this out...Anyway, if you like time travel books and especially if you have any experience dealing with government work, you'll likely enjoy this one, even though it's probably twice as long as it needs to be (but that's what you get with [a:Neal Stephenson|545|Neal Stephenson|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1430920344p2/545.jpg].
banjax451's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
smithel's review against another edition
4.0
I don't often bother to review books, but I won a copy of this as part of a Goodreads giveaway so I thought I would put in my two cents. I was so excited to win this! I've absolutely loved all the books I've read by Neal Stephenson (which is a fair few). When I started The Rise and Fall of D.O.D.O., though, I will admit to some disappointment. Melisande felt more than a little Mary Sue to me in the first chapters - an attractive young woman who is equally skilled in making accurate translations in languages that span, as far as I can tell, the whole planet and about twelve millennia. And this is quite aside from the fact that she's a humanities scholar who is perfectly happy to sign up to a secret military organisation without any moral qualms or hesitation about walking away from her existing academic job. Moreover I was slightly uncomfortable about the women throughout the book, not least because they seemed to be separated into the categories of "femme fatale" and "assistant".
That said. After an initial disappointment, I quickly found that I was completely sucked in and frankly couldn't put it down. The ways in which magic and technology flowed back and forth were fun, and the ways in which different strands of possibility played out were intriguing. Thinking through all the possibilities of the characters' actions, once I was nested inside the witchy time travel framework of the book, was endlessly enjoyable and the plot had more than enough twists and turns to keep me feeling pleasantly off balance.
The mix of kinds of material presented was also interesting and worked well. Not only did it give each of the characters their own distinct voice, but the D.O.D.O. ended up being sort of a character in itself, and the universal office-ese gave some grounding to some frankly off the wall plot lines.
On the whole, it is an enjoyable romp of a book! I would certainly recommend it.
That said. After an initial disappointment, I quickly found that I was completely sucked in and frankly couldn't put it down. The ways in which magic and technology flowed back and forth were fun, and the ways in which different strands of possibility played out were intriguing. Thinking through all the possibilities of the characters' actions, once I was nested inside the witchy time travel framework of the book, was endlessly enjoyable and the plot had more than enough twists and turns to keep me feeling pleasantly off balance.
The mix of kinds of material presented was also interesting and worked well. Not only did it give each of the characters their own distinct voice, but the D.O.D.O. ended up being sort of a character in itself, and the universal office-ese gave some grounding to some frankly off the wall plot lines.
On the whole, it is an enjoyable romp of a book! I would certainly recommend it.