sillypunk's review against another edition
2.0
This was a nanotechnological puddle of WTF: http://blogendorff.ghost.io/book-review-the-diamond-age/
chtapodi's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
inspiring
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
sidneyua's review against another edition
challenging
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
Дуже багато напхано ідей, як і завжди у Стівенсона, але цього разу з набагато слабшим сюжетом, який просто не витягує такий вантаж. Також книжка надзвичайно фрагментарна, і багато персонажів зникли, щоб потім більше ніколи не зʼявитися. А фінальна розвʼязка взагалі прийшла ніби із зовсім іншої книжки. Ну і не впевнений, що я думаю про Барабанщиків, які, з одного боку, таки отримують логічне пояснення, а з іншого, все одно віддають «еджлордством».
Content Warnings
Moderate: Rape
iantrich's review against another edition
3.0
I was expecting great things from this book as the first of the series, Snow Crash, is one of my favorite books. However the book was slow building and didn't really have a payoff until the last three chapters. I was hoping for something closer to what I remember from the first of the series and did not get it.
bookmaekel's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.5
jmercury's review against another edition
5.0
Another classic from Stephenson. While not as electric as Snow Crash, The Diamond Age is another thrilling vision of the future enmeshed in our collective psyche of fairy stories and antique fancies. Princess Nell fucking rules.
designedecho's review against another edition
4.0
My first Neal Stephenson read which set my future standard for science fiction. The world he created in this book was elegant and visually appealing in every way I could think of. The story within the story intertwines so nicely with the reality story that I get lost in between the two and read them as a whole. Simple amazing and Neal Stephenson has become my all time favorite author!
internationalkris's review against another edition
4.0
Super cool world-building, those phyles! those devices! Many cool characters too but I always knew the main people were blessed by the author and would be fine, so I could have used a little more tension in the plotting.
nakedsushi's review against another edition
5.0
Is it possible to feel nostalgia for a place in the future? The crowded, multi-factioned, multi-leveled city of Shanghai and nearby Pudong made me miss my hometown terribly. Stephenson's descriptions of brightly lit Nanjing Road and small, dim, alleys of hawkers was so spot on. The mix of high technology, the sophisticated neo-Victorians, and the Confuscians made a confusing but ultimately satisfying story.
I came to The Diamond Age with a vague idea of what the book was about. Like previous steampunk books I read, there was a combination of neo-Victorian sensibilities, technologies different than what we're used to, and a huge disparity between classes. While that may be what gets the book labeled as 'steampunk' by some people ,it surpasses that label and has so much more.
It has cyber-punk technologies. It has dystopian characteristics. It's part adventure story, part riddle, part allegory, part detective story, and best of all, it feels epic without losing its main characters in too wide of a scope.
Reading Stephenson is always hard for me but I always enjoy it. Part of the difficulty lies in the fact that his books are not easy to skim through. Go too quickly in The Diamond Age and you end up in an underwater rave wondering what the heck just happened.
The book was definitely worth reading for any fan of the author. It certainly is my favorite book of his so far. My only complaint was that Nell was too perfect. While it could be said that it the Primer had something to do with that, if I take a step back and look at the character, her lack of faults is unbelievable.
Other than that one little complaint, I loved every part of the book from the heart-wrenching stories in the Primer to the action-packed lead up to the Mouse Army. I also liked all the mentions of tea.
Protip: Fountain pens were mentioned at least nine times in this book!
I came to The Diamond Age with a vague idea of what the book was about. Like previous steampunk books I read, there was a combination of neo-Victorian sensibilities, technologies different than what we're used to, and a huge disparity between classes. While that may be what gets the book labeled as 'steampunk' by some people ,it surpasses that label and has so much more.
It has cyber-punk technologies. It has dystopian characteristics. It's part adventure story, part riddle, part allegory, part detective story, and best of all, it feels epic without losing its main characters in too wide of a scope.
Reading Stephenson is always hard for me but I always enjoy it. Part of the difficulty lies in the fact that his books are not easy to skim through. Go too quickly in The Diamond Age and you end up in an underwater rave wondering what the heck just happened.
The book was definitely worth reading for any fan of the author. It certainly is my favorite book of his so far. My only complaint was that Nell was too perfect. While it could be said that it the Primer had something to do with that, if I take a step back and look at the character, her lack of faults is unbelievable.
Other than that one little complaint, I loved every part of the book from the heart-wrenching stories in the Primer to the action-packed lead up to the Mouse Army. I also liked all the mentions of tea.
Protip: Fountain pens were mentioned at least nine times in this book!
wojevan's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
informative
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0