5 ms·

I haven't read Reamde, yet. I've read lots of complaints about it on Goodreads, so I'm kind of on the fence about getting it. In your opinion, how was Reamde c

I haven't read Reamde, yet. I've read lots of complaints about it on Goodreads, so I'm kind of on the fence about getting it. In your opinion, how was Reamde compared to works like Anathem, Snow Crash, Diamond Age and Cryptonomicon? I'm asking because I like your ranking :)

devindotcom 11y ago
Reamde was just bad. Not even on the charts. It's extremely tedious and narratively preposterous. http://coldewey.cc/post/26464791525/reamde-neal-stephenson-2011 http://coldewey.cc/post/26464791525/reamde-neal-stephenson-2... I'm going to read a few reviews of Seveneves before I read it, Reamde burned me so bad. Although now that I know this huge plot point (spoiler warning!?!?).... I don't know which way that tips the scales.
- rosser 11y ago
  I genuinely don't understand it when people talk about their experience of a work as if their opinions are somehow objective facts. "It was bad" vs. "I didn't like it", for example. That just doesn't make sense to me. I'm sorry you didn't like it, but that has no bearing whatsoever on the material, itself, or anyone else's experiences of it.
  - ibash 11y ago
    I think that is just a quirk of the English language... For what it's worth, I also didn't like it - I thought the characters were dry and cliche. Multiple times I caught myself thinking "that makes no sense"...
  - CamperBob2 11y ago
    He cites a few specific issues, like random animal attacks that appear just in time to steer the plot, that are arguably grounds for calling it "bad." Well-written review IMHO.
- aaronbrethorst 11y ago
  I'm disappointed that I haven't seen your review of Reamde until just now. I think it's spot on, with the exception that They pull the gun out from the holster, chamber a round, flip the safety off, line up the sights... understates the stultifying minutiae of the Makarov holster that Stephenson explores. edit: Ah, never mind. Just hadn't read far enough into your review.
arcadius 11y ago
In my mind it's much more like Zodiac. It's not nearly as "smart" as Snow Crash or Cryptonomicon, and at least to me sort of screamed "grocery store fiction" as I was reading it. That said, I could not put it down, and found myself following every twist and turn with a grin.
rosser 11y ago
Not the GP, but I quite enjoyed it, personally. It's probably the least "Neal Stephenson"-ish work in his oeuvre, to be sure — if you come to it expecting another Snow Crash, you're going to be disappointed — but I had fun with it.
geuis 11y ago
I've read Reamde several times. It's a fantastic book. It's an interesting story set in modern times. I actually think it's a little more down to earth than some of his other work, more of a traditional story arc. I'm a huge fan of Anathem and Reamde is a very different style. The audiobook is also really good with a great narrator.
jkaunisv1 11y ago
The cool ideas it presents aren't as cool as those in Snow Crash or Diamond Age, and when it goes off the rails it does so way worse than the other two. As I recall it's about 70% bad Tom Clancy plot. I don't think you'd miss much if you never read Reamde. Whereas Snow Crash & Diamond Age (haven't read the other two) really do have fascinating premises & ideas.
unoti 11y ago
Reamde is totally worth reading. Great fun!

devindotcom 11y ago

Reamde was just bad. Not even on the charts. It's extremely tedious and narratively preposterous. http://coldewey.cc/post/26464791525/reamde-neal-stephenson-2011 http://coldewey.cc/post/26464791525/reamde-neal-stephenson-2... I'm going to read a few reviews of Seveneves before I read it, Reamde burned me so bad. Although now that I know this huge plot point (spoiler warning!?!?).... I don't know which way that tips the scales.

rosser 11y ago
I genuinely don't understand it when people talk about their experience of a work as if their opinions are somehow objective facts. "It was bad" vs. "I didn't like it", for example. That just doesn't make sense to me. I'm sorry you didn't like it, but that has no bearing whatsoever on the material, itself, or anyone else's experiences of it.
- ibash 11y ago
  I think that is just a quirk of the English language... For what it's worth, I also didn't like it - I thought the characters were dry and cliche. Multiple times I caught myself thinking "that makes no sense"...
- CamperBob2 11y ago
  He cites a few specific issues, like random animal attacks that appear just in time to steer the plot, that are arguably grounds for calling it "bad." Well-written review IMHO.
aaronbrethorst 11y ago
I'm disappointed that I haven't seen your review of Reamde until just now. I think it's spot on, with the exception that They pull the gun out from the holster, chamber a round, flip the safety off, line up the sights... understates the stultifying minutiae of the Makarov holster that Stephenson explores. edit: Ah, never mind. Just hadn't read far enough into your review.

arcadius 11y ago

In my mind it's much more like Zodiac. It's not nearly as "smart" as Snow Crash or Cryptonomicon, and at least to me sort of screamed "grocery store fiction" as I was reading it. That said, I could not put it down, and found myself following every twist and turn with a grin.

rosser 11y ago

Not the GP, but I quite enjoyed it, personally. It's probably the least "Neal Stephenson"-ish work in his oeuvre, to be sure — if you come to it expecting another Snow Crash, you're going to be disappointed — but I had fun with it.

geuis 11y ago

I've read Reamde several times. It's a fantastic book. It's an interesting story set in modern times. I actually think it's a little more down to earth than some of his other work, more of a traditional story arc. I'm a huge fan of Anathem and Reamde is a very different style. The audiobook is also really good with a great narrator.

jkaunisv1 11y ago

The cool ideas it presents aren't as cool as those in Snow Crash or Diamond Age, and when it goes off the rails it does so way worse than the other two. As I recall it's about 70% bad Tom Clancy plot. I don't think you'd miss much if you never read Reamde. Whereas Snow Crash & Diamond Age (haven't read the other two) really do have fascinating premises & ideas.

unoti 11y ago

Reamde is totally worth reading. Great fun!