Snow Crash
Neal Stephenson
1992
480 pages
********************
Overview from B&N:
One of Time magazine’s 100 all-time best English-language novels.
Only once in a great while does a writer come along who defies comparison—a writer so original he redefines the way we look at the world. Neal Stephenson is such a writer and Snow Crash is such a novel, weaving virtual reality, Sumerian myth, and just about everything in between with a cool, hip cybersensibility to bring us the gigathriller of the information age.
In reality, Hiro Protagonist delivers pizza for Uncle Enzo’s CosoNostra Pizza Inc., but in the Metaverse he’s a warrior prince. Plunging headlong into the enigma of a new computer virus that’s striking down hackers everywhere, he races along the neon-lit streets on a search-and-destroy mission for the shadowy virtual villain threatening to bring about infocalypse. Snow Crash is a mind-altering romp through a future America so bizarre, so outrageous…you’ll recognize it immediately.With a wave of critical acclaim and an unusually strong performance in trade paperback, Snow Crash is poised to break out in mass market. Set in near-future Los Angeles, this strange, exciting novel takes readers on an adventure in a post-modern landscape that mirrors our contemporary psyche
I’m no expert on Stephenson, since the only other book of his that I’ve read is Reamde, but I’m going to go out on a limb and say that he’s matured as a writer.
Because the best way I can describe Snow Crash is as a hot mess. It was fun, and had a lot going on, but geez louise, Stephenson put waaaaaaaaaaay too much into that book. And I know people would argue that that’s what makes it so great, but by the time I got to the end, I’d burnt out.
Reamde was great because of the characters and the fact that everything tied in somewhere…eventually. Snow Crash had some good characters, but they just weren’t quite at the same level. And the book was overflowing with arcane ideas. I couldn’t keep up, and by the end, I just didn’t care.
Sometimes it just doesn’t pay off to read an author’s most recent work and then go back almost to the beginning. I should’ve stuck to my guns and just read Cryptonomicon, instead of taking a co-worker up on his offer to borrow this one. Because now I don’t even want to read Cryptonomicon.
That’s funny because after Reamde, I was going to read Anathem, which a lot of people say is his best, but then I looked at how big it was and I said, ugh, I can’t do this again! But I remember LOVING Cryptonomicon, even though I now can’t remember a single thing about it. Jim also loved it. wonder what it was about? heh
rhapsodyinbooks´s last [type] ..Review of “Zone One” by Colson Whitehead
I generally don’t like it when an author tries to put too much into a book, but it does work for me from time to time. I don’t think I’ll be in a big hurry to grab this book.
bermudaonion (Kathy)´s last [type] ..Author interview: Lesley Kagen
My husband and son read this book, and their opinion was much like yours. When I found out how they felt about it, I was sort of scared away, and really, with as many books as I have to read, I am not sure I will ever make time for this one. Now Reamde on the other hand…
zibilee´s last [type] ..The Doll: The Lost Short Stories by Daphne du Maurier — 224 pgs
I’m not terribly fond of Stephenson. I think he’s self-indulgent in ways that don’t improve his writing and he really does need someone to tell him to SHUT UP when the 3,000,000 page tome has a story that would’ve been great at 250 pages or so. I love good long books, but if they’re long just to be long I’m not doing it – not gonna commit that much time out of life to someone I don’t even know who only nominally requires that much time to spew.
I also disagree strongly with the NY Times about Snow Crash – the book that wishes it was Vurt by Jeff Noon. Noon’s book is far far superior and one of the better high speed mountain drives I’ve been on.
/rant off
Caitlin´s last [type] ..Book Review – The Wedding Gift by Kathleen McKenna
I’ve not read this guy … and I won’t be reading this one I suppose.
Jenners´s last [type] ..Review: The CHICK-tionary by Anna Lefler
BUMMER!! But you’re probably right (I don’t know with certainty since I haven’t read Reamde). Though it was tough to slog through this one I really enjoyed it. Plus you have to appreciate how visionary Stephenson was!
Trish´s last [type] ..Fun with Charts…or…Facepalm
Aw, geez, I’ve got a copy of this one. And, thanks to Caitlin, I’ve just requested a copy of Vurt from Paperback Swap. I am too easy. I see where the name “book slut” came from.
I only remember that it was ‘fun’.
Care´s last [type] ..Christmas Crustacean
You’re not kidding that there was a lot going on in this one. I liked the book on the whole, but toward the end I was getting impatient with all the big exciting developments. That opening scene, with the pizza delivery, was some fabulous action writing. I want to try Cryptonomicon someday, since it seems to be one of his most-liked books.
Teresa´s last [type] ..Nicholas Nickleby
OOPS! And here I was hoping to read all of Stephenson’s works! I think I will try his earlier works first and then go forward. If I manage to.
Aths´s last [type] ..Good Neighbors by Ryan David Jahn (WOW!)
Good point. Last year I found an older title of Justin Cronin’s on my shelf. I was so excited as I didn’t know who Cronin was until I picked up his book at BEA in 2010, The Passage. Well…yeah… lets just say I really enjoyed The Passage
Sheila (Book Journey)´s last [type] ..Happy Accidents by Jane Lynch
Neal Stephenson is one of those authors who really intimidates me and just generally turns me off due to the length of his novels. I mean, I can see writing ONE book that is ridiculously long, but EVERY SINGLE ONE? That just sounds like he can’t be concise.
Aarti´s last [type] ..Musings: The Heiress Companion
I have two Stephenson books – Snow Crash and Anathem – but I have yet to dig into either. They look like such time commitments, and I’m super lazy these days.
Trisha´s last [type] ..An Old Favorite: Don’t Let’s Go to the Dogs Tonight