Snow Crash

La prima metà del libro è un capolavoro, dalla seconda metà diventa sempre più difficile leggerlo fino alla fine. Parte con 150 pagine su sumeri per poi complicarsi e non far capire più niente, oltre a perdere la bellezza della scrittura iniziale che si addentra in descrizione di tecnicismi cybepunk superflui e sempre meno entusiasmanti. Le ultime 200 pagine ti spingono ad abbandonarlo, devi resistere a un caos di scrittura di vari eventi in cui hai ormai perso e non compreso i dettagli della storia.

I suspect that I would have enjoyed this a lot more if I'd read it 30 years ago. Reading it now, the cyberpunk stylings all feel incredibly dated and are unable to paper over the many problems with this novel. Starting with the characters, who amount to a collection of one-dimensional stereotypes about which it is impossible to care.

The plot doesn't feel like it's going anywhere for much of the time and when Stephenson starts talking about technology, everything starts to become increasingly ludicrous. This book really hasn't aged well.

My girlfriend lent me this to read on the plane when I had a long flight. Overall entertaining, I didn't feel like I was slogging through (mostly), but it takes itself Way too seriously for a book whose main character is named Hiro Protagonist.