treyhunner's review against another edition
2.0
For me this was too long of a book for what was in it.
Frequent references to the thousands of years of history on this not-Earth world and the fact that many key terms are invented words make this a very dense book. Density aside, it's also a very long book.
If you enjoy nerding out with lots of philosophical dialogue using not-quite-English words, you may enjoy this as a book. I suspect this story would well as a movie.
Frequent references to the thousands of years of history on this not-Earth world and the fact that many key terms are invented words make this a very dense book. Density aside, it's also a very long book.
If you enjoy nerding out with lots of philosophical dialogue using not-quite-English words, you may enjoy this as a book. I suspect this story would well as a movie.
snivets's review against another edition
4.0
Neal Stephenson is the most Extra author I've ever read, which is impressive. This book is sprawling and devotes 50% of its runtime to an infinitely detailed portrait of both the cloistered life of the universe's most nerdy faith, and complex hard philosophy, then suddenly becomes a different kind of book. It's perplexing, but I think it works.
donkeyeatsbacon's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
jammasterjamie's review against another edition
5.0
Ooh, that was fun! Anathem starts off a little slowly with all of the necessary world-building, but the pace steadily accelerates throughout to the point where putting the book down as it approaches its climax isn't even an option. There is a lot of math and philosophy in this book, but spooned out in a palatable way that makes it accessible, and the conversations around them are so well-written that you don't even mind taking the break from the action for an info-dump, especially because you know that what Stephenson is telling you will come back to into play later - He writes long books, but he doesn't waste a lot of words. I thoroughly enjoyed this one, and as soon as I finished I went back and re-read the beginning just to get an appreciation for how far I'd travelled and how well set-up the whole story was. I'll be reading this one again relatively soon.
th206's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
stellajo's review against another edition
4.0
In Neal Stephenson’s novel, Anathem, the “avout” (many of whom read as intellectuals and mystics) live in monastery-like settlements, separated from the general population (the seculars) except for decennial (or less frequent) meet and greets.
While the seculars, incessantly tapping on their screens whilst wearing their baseball caps backwards, wage wars, engage in commerce and rear children, the avout theorize and garden.
Society imposed this set up on the avout following a series of pesky innovations, like nuclear weaponry; best to stash the weirdos in an enclosed space. To further discourage innovation, computer access is restricted, and a separate caste, the Ita, manages all the avout's IT issues.
After a series of unfortunate but very interesting events, the seculars seek the avout’s help, and a new era dawns. As a fan of personality diversity, I found the ending quite satisfactory.
At its core, Anathem, is a sci-fi hero saga. The novel’s stand-out feature is the world-building. In a cosmos based on the many worlds interpretation of quantum mechanics, the planet Abre is a clever reflection of our Earth. And the monastery is populated by an entertaining range of oddballs. Sure, these characters diverge into long philosophical or mathematical debates, but these passages may be skimmed without losing the plot. The plot progresses with various twists and turns, ending with a dream-like quest into multiple dimensions. Some might ask for more consistent action and less philosophic digression, but I read books featuring people contemplating at the bottom of a well, wandering the misty shore, or collecting bones in the forest. So, to me, Anathem seemed action packed.
My favorite quote from this book is:
“Our opponent is an alien starship packed with atomic bombs… We have a protractor.”
Stephenson, Neal. Anathem (p. 358). William Morrow. Kindle Edition.
While the seculars, incessantly tapping on their screens whilst wearing their baseball caps backwards, wage wars, engage in commerce and rear children, the avout theorize and garden.
Society imposed this set up on the avout following a series of pesky innovations, like nuclear weaponry; best to stash the weirdos in an enclosed space. To further discourage innovation, computer access is restricted, and a separate caste, the Ita, manages all the avout's IT issues.
After a series of unfortunate but very interesting events, the seculars seek the avout’s help, and a new era dawns. As a fan of personality diversity, I found the ending quite satisfactory.
At its core, Anathem, is a sci-fi hero saga. The novel’s stand-out feature is the world-building. In a cosmos based on the many worlds interpretation of quantum mechanics, the planet Abre is a clever reflection of our Earth. And the monastery is populated by an entertaining range of oddballs. Sure, these characters diverge into long philosophical or mathematical debates, but these passages may be skimmed without losing the plot. The plot progresses with various twists and turns, ending with a dream-like quest into multiple dimensions. Some might ask for more consistent action and less philosophic digression, but I read books featuring people contemplating at the bottom of a well, wandering the misty shore, or collecting bones in the forest. So, to me, Anathem seemed action packed.
My favorite quote from this book is:
“Our opponent is an alien starship packed with atomic bombs… We have a protractor.”
Stephenson, Neal. Anathem (p. 358). William Morrow. Kindle Edition.
chaghi's review against another edition
4.0
It was hard to come up with a rating for Anathem... I couldn't decide between giving it 3 stars or 5, so I settled in the middle :)
I would give it 5 stars for its originality and its richness. I would give it 3 stars because the language was a barrier for me, I struggled a lot with it, and I didn't enjoyed it as much as I suppose I would have enjoyed it if English were my first language.
I would give it 5 stars for its originality and its richness. I would give it 3 stars because the language was a barrier for me, I struggled a lot with it, and I didn't enjoyed it as much as I suppose I would have enjoyed it if English were my first language.
allisongm's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-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
4.75
mothmans_mum's review against another edition
4.0
For most of the book I was pretty hooked and I kept wanting to read more. Even the huge passages of characters discussing philosophy and mathematics kept me interested and turning the pages. The theories they discussed were very thought provoking and I liked the way the mathematics was explained in a very accessible way.
The only thing I found didn't quite do it for me was the ending (spoilers): Suddenly some characters can phase between universes? They can change people's memories and/or the actual past? These bombshells were dropped and then glazed over without getting into the implications, leaving the end of the novel feeling a bit unfinished.
The only thing I found didn't quite do it for me was the ending (spoilers): Suddenly some characters can phase between universes? They can change people's memories and/or the actual past? These bombshells were dropped and then glazed over without getting into the implications, leaving the end of the novel feeling a bit unfinished.