ein's review against another edition
4.0
Вариация на тему "Лабиринта отражений" с более наивным сюжетом и яростной гиковской фиксацией на 80-х. Здорово затянуло с первых страниц, но ближе к середине разочаровало некоторой примитивностью. Гикам стоит почитать однозначно, остальным - по настроению.
molika04's review against another edition
4.0
It was good! A bit juvenile (but I think that may have been the point), and the ending was wrapped up nicely (which I wasn't a fan of, but others may love it). Overall, a fun and quick read that any person who identifies as a nerd (or even just a fan of the 80's) would enjoy.
melliermoon's review against another edition
5.0
If you're looking for a book that's straight fun - this is it. It's futuristic fantasy that intersects real life with video games and could not have been done better. I could not have enjoyed it more. There were some sappy points that made my eyes roll, but 100% recommend and would definitely read again.
readingwithhippos's review against another edition
3.0
I should probably begin by acknowledging that I'm not the target audience for this book. For one thing, I was born in the mid-'80s, so a lot of the pop culture references were lost on me. I wasn't watching MTV or hanging at the mall arcade as a three-year-old. For another thing, my experience with video games mostly involved playing Mario Kart against my brother, losing immediately, throwing the controller against a wall, and storming out crying.
So a book that's basically one long ode to '80s geek culture isn't necessarily going to give me a big nostalgic buzz, the way it clearly does for people who recognize Cline's constant references. Adam read the book this spring and absolutely loved it. But then again, in his childhood he signed on to bulletin board systems on a hand-me-down PC running DOS. (I had to ask him how to word that sentence because none of it makes sense to me.) As I mentioned last week, my brother didn't want the book to end, but of course he's also the guy who danced at his wedding (in 2004) to Phil Collins's “Groovy Kind of Love” (released in 1988).
Even though I wasn't grinning in recognition at all the little asides, I enjoyed reading Ready Player One. There's plenty to like. Wade Watts, alliteratively named by his absent but comics-obsessed father, is a classic everyman of gamer culture—an overweight agoraphobe with bad skin. The year is 2044, and Wade spends most of his time in an abandoned van, logged into the Oasis, a massive virtual reality game that has morphed into his preferred method of interacting with the world.
Technically Wade is enrolled in his senior year at a virtual high school run by GSS, the company behind the Oasis, but he spends most of his time and energy on something else. When James Halliday, the creator of the Oasis, passes away without heirs, his will stipulates that whoever solves a series of elaborate riddles he's embedded within the game will win his entire fortune. Since then, years have passed and no one has found anything, but Wade is determined to win. He immerses himself in everything Halliday loved: (you guessed it) classic video games and '80s pop culture.
Following Wade on his way through the vast world of the Oasis is pretty entertaining. The narrative takes a while to get going though—there's a lot of exposition at the beginning, as Cline sets up the external world of 2044 and the virtual world of the Oasis. Then, of course, he has to spend considerable time explaining and describing the historical artifacts Wade studies on his quest to find Halliday's egg. It all starts to feel like one long list after a while. Fortunately, once the action starts, it builds quickly, and I ended up having to stay up past my bedtime to finish the book.
One thing that I found interesting was how differently Cline seems to view technology's role in the future compared to most speculative fiction writers I've read. Usually technology is portrayed as something, if not to outright fear, then at least to approach with caution. The message often seems to be that with the advance of technology comes the erosion of our intelligence and creativity, and if we're not careful we'll end up mindless lumps, staring endlessly into our personal screens. Cline's character Wade takes the opposite view, describing the real world as polluted, dangerous, and beyond hope, and the virtual world of the Oasis as the only world worth living in. With the last sentences he perhaps tempers his argument a little, suggesting there may be some value to unplugging every now and then. Still, it was funny to consider the contrast between Cline's message (“Technology is the only thing that will save our world from being completely unlivable in the future”) and Atwood's message in [b:Oryx and Crake|46756|Oryx and Crake (MaddAddam Trilogy, #1)|Margaret Atwood|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1327896599s/46756.jpg|3143431] (“Technology is the reason our world will be completely unlivable in the future”).
If you grew up playing video games and listening to Rush and watching Pretty in Pink, you'll love this book. If, like me, most of that was outside your childhood experience, you'll probably still have a good time reading it. It's a fun adventure whether you know all the trivia or not.
Now, if someone ever writes a book that combines '90s boy bands, friendship bracelets, and Babysitters' Club references, I'll be on it like white on rice.
This book is part of a series on my website, the Summer of Sci-Fi Challenge. You can find the full text of this review, more information about the Challenge, and many other book recommendations at www.readingwithhippos.com.
So a book that's basically one long ode to '80s geek culture isn't necessarily going to give me a big nostalgic buzz, the way it clearly does for people who recognize Cline's constant references. Adam read the book this spring and absolutely loved it. But then again, in his childhood he signed on to bulletin board systems on a hand-me-down PC running DOS. (I had to ask him how to word that sentence because none of it makes sense to me.) As I mentioned last week, my brother didn't want the book to end, but of course he's also the guy who danced at his wedding (in 2004) to Phil Collins's “Groovy Kind of Love” (released in 1988).
Even though I wasn't grinning in recognition at all the little asides, I enjoyed reading Ready Player One. There's plenty to like. Wade Watts, alliteratively named by his absent but comics-obsessed father, is a classic everyman of gamer culture—an overweight agoraphobe with bad skin. The year is 2044, and Wade spends most of his time in an abandoned van, logged into the Oasis, a massive virtual reality game that has morphed into his preferred method of interacting with the world.
Technically Wade is enrolled in his senior year at a virtual high school run by GSS, the company behind the Oasis, but he spends most of his time and energy on something else. When James Halliday, the creator of the Oasis, passes away without heirs, his will stipulates that whoever solves a series of elaborate riddles he's embedded within the game will win his entire fortune. Since then, years have passed and no one has found anything, but Wade is determined to win. He immerses himself in everything Halliday loved: (you guessed it) classic video games and '80s pop culture.
Following Wade on his way through the vast world of the Oasis is pretty entertaining. The narrative takes a while to get going though—there's a lot of exposition at the beginning, as Cline sets up the external world of 2044 and the virtual world of the Oasis. Then, of course, he has to spend considerable time explaining and describing the historical artifacts Wade studies on his quest to find Halliday's egg. It all starts to feel like one long list after a while. Fortunately, once the action starts, it builds quickly, and I ended up having to stay up past my bedtime to finish the book.
One thing that I found interesting was how differently Cline seems to view technology's role in the future compared to most speculative fiction writers I've read. Usually technology is portrayed as something, if not to outright fear, then at least to approach with caution. The message often seems to be that with the advance of technology comes the erosion of our intelligence and creativity, and if we're not careful we'll end up mindless lumps, staring endlessly into our personal screens. Cline's character Wade takes the opposite view, describing the real world as polluted, dangerous, and beyond hope, and the virtual world of the Oasis as the only world worth living in. With the last sentences he perhaps tempers his argument a little, suggesting there may be some value to unplugging every now and then. Still, it was funny to consider the contrast between Cline's message (“Technology is the only thing that will save our world from being completely unlivable in the future”) and Atwood's message in [b:Oryx and Crake|46756|Oryx and Crake (MaddAddam Trilogy, #1)|Margaret Atwood|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1327896599s/46756.jpg|3143431] (“Technology is the reason our world will be completely unlivable in the future”).
If you grew up playing video games and listening to Rush and watching Pretty in Pink, you'll love this book. If, like me, most of that was outside your childhood experience, you'll probably still have a good time reading it. It's a fun adventure whether you know all the trivia or not.
Now, if someone ever writes a book that combines '90s boy bands, friendship bracelets, and Babysitters' Club references, I'll be on it like white on rice.
This book is part of a series on my website, the Summer of Sci-Fi Challenge. You can find the full text of this review, more information about the Challenge, and many other book recommendations at www.readingwithhippos.com.
darkndani's review against another edition
2.0
I would give the book almost 3 stars, but not quite. I felt the entire book was up and down for me. There were moments I loved it and was hooked, and there were moments I would set the book down and feel no desire to continue reading. The last few chapters are about the only thing I truly liked about this book. So in short, I don’t hate it and I don’t love it. I wouldn’t say it’s a must read but I also wouldn’t say to not read it as well.
laceydbell's review against another edition
5.0
I didn't write anything for my 2015 read of this book, but I did give it five stars!
My 2018 reread via audiobook did NOT disappoint. I will agree that there is some frustrating lull in the middle of this book, but the high-stakes and action of this book are completely engrossing. I really enjoyed Wil Wheaton's narration of the book, and I can say that I'm SO excited for this movie!
My 2018 reread via audiobook did NOT disappoint. I will agree that there is some frustrating lull in the middle of this book, but the high-stakes and action of this book are completely engrossing. I really enjoyed Wil Wheaton's narration of the book, and I can say that I'm SO excited for this movie!
zermaslan's review against another edition
5.0
Tomen un poco de cultura pop, agréguenle una tacita de video juegos, 2 cucharaditas de mixtapes de los 80's, kilos y kilos de memorabilia y una pizca de huevos de pascua; eso es lo que se encontrarán en este ingenioso libro de Ernest Cline, que auguro se volverá un clásico de culto de manera automática.
Tal vez este libro me fascinó porque al fin mis conocimientos sobre video juegos, música, películas, carícaturas y cultura pop de los 80's parecían ser útiles para algo (yo mismo podría considerarme un gunter ) o tal vez es por la forma en que está escrito, pues jamás había tenido una experiencia de lectura como la que se narra en Ready Player One.
Y bien ahora si, este libro nos relata (en primera persona) la vida de Wade Watts, un joven usuario de Oasis, un sistema de realidad virtual que en el futuro es una vía de escape, negocios y educación para lo deprimente que se ha vuelto la vida en el mundo en el 2044, un mundo que poco a poco se acaba, con el cambio climático que cada día está peor, la hambruna mundial, la gran recesión que lleva ya 30 años y la inexistencia del petroleo.
Pero su vida en el mundo real no es lo que verdaderamente interesa, lo que nos incumbe es la gran búsqueda que existe en Oasis desde el fallecimiento de su creador, quien antes de morir ocultó en su juego nada más y nada menos que todo el dinero del cual era dueño (unos cuantos cientos de miles de millones de dólares) en forma de huevo de pascua, con esto comenzó la existencia de los buscadores del huevo (gunters) y aquellos que solo quieren ganarlo para la compañía que pretende comprar Oasis para terminar con el como todos lo conocen hasta ahora (sixers).
Y con esto empieza esta grandiosa historia, una carrera que una vez que empieza no hay forma de parar hasta leer el final, así que preparen su mejor armamento y vehículos y no se preocupen por los caminos, 'cause where we're going, we don't need roads.
Tal vez este libro me fascinó porque al fin mis conocimientos sobre video juegos, música, películas, carícaturas y cultura pop de los 80's parecían ser útiles para algo (yo mismo podría considerarme un gunter ) o tal vez es por la forma en que está escrito, pues jamás había tenido una experiencia de lectura como la que se narra en Ready Player One.
Y bien ahora si, este libro nos relata (en primera persona) la vida de Wade Watts, un joven usuario de Oasis, un sistema de realidad virtual que en el futuro es una vía de escape, negocios y educación para lo deprimente que se ha vuelto la vida en el mundo en el 2044, un mundo que poco a poco se acaba, con el cambio climático que cada día está peor, la hambruna mundial, la gran recesión que lleva ya 30 años y la inexistencia del petroleo.
Pero su vida en el mundo real no es lo que verdaderamente interesa, lo que nos incumbe es la gran búsqueda que existe en Oasis desde el fallecimiento de su creador, quien antes de morir ocultó en su juego nada más y nada menos que todo el dinero del cual era dueño (unos cuantos cientos de miles de millones de dólares) en forma de huevo de pascua, con esto comenzó la existencia de los buscadores del huevo (gunters) y aquellos que solo quieren ganarlo para la compañía que pretende comprar Oasis para terminar con el como todos lo conocen hasta ahora (sixers).
Y con esto empieza esta grandiosa historia, una carrera que una vez que empieza no hay forma de parar hasta leer el final, así que preparen su mejor armamento y vehículos y no se preocupen por los caminos, 'cause where we're going, we don't need roads.
tikio's review against another edition
5.0
Ready Player One is a highly thought out book for the geek in all of us. Whether you know about 80's culture (which I do not) or know everything about 80's culture, Ernest Cline writes a fantastic, futuristic story that anyone can enjoy.
sara_evaney's review against another edition
2.0
This was an interesting concept but so badly executed! It was incredibly hard to read because you weren’t shown anything you needed to know, but got all this information in huge paragraphs of information. And long list of different computer names really don’t help making things more readable, fyi.
toxicpick's review against another edition
3.0
I have a hard time enjoying simplistic YA thoughts and feelings. The main plot and world building were great, but the characters and their interactions with one another were rather one-dimensional and cliche. I understand this as my own personal bias against simple and saccharine young adult love. I'm just an old person hatin' on the heroic, Mary Sue nerd.