Comments on: Book Review: Anathem

By: gowen

gowen — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 18:50:27 +0000

Re: Ending, to Andrea…

Yes, Stephenson’s endings have always been rushed, inadequate, and/or incomprehensible. I love all his books (starting with _The Big U_) but I can perfectly agree with that criticism.

However, you can’t say that about _Anathem_. It has, not only one ending, but three endings, and I think they’re all good.

Why do I say three?

1) The culmination of the plot points for the main conflict within the novel.
2) The implication of the plot points and the culmination, in understanding and action
3) The effect of the culmination on the meta-conflict within the novel.

In short, the reader isn’t left at the end saying “Wait – what about this? Or that?” They can find answers to most of their questions, without compromising the rest of the book.

By: Kevin

Kevin — Sat, 16 May 2009 04:15:25 +0000

Well, I read Socratic dialogues. They hurt like hell, but I read ‘em alright. That puts me up over 10 points, so I’ll give this monstrosity a shot.

By: Flights

Flights — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 16:26:51 +0000

You are certainly on something regarding shorter attention span. We might see a a new trend of shorter content too, like one or two sentences news for hurried people. How would this be treated by the engines?

By: Kevin Heisler

Kevin Heisler — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 05:01:36 +0000

A Canticle For Leibowitz ranks in my top 5 post-apocalyptic novels of all time. Glad you included it in the test. Props to @kberg for naming Canticle his fave in college.

By: Tina

Tina — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 08:03:36 +0000

I have an aricle about top 5 books in 2008 to share with you:)
http://asontvproducts.blogspot.com/2009/03/best-seller-top-10-books-of-2008.html

By: Gabriel Presso

Gabriel Presso — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 15:02:29 +0000

I got a lot over 10 points and still found the book too long for its thin idea and not-so-original plot. This in spite of the fact that I like long GOOD books. See http://www.antipope.org/charlie/blog-static/2009/02/the_art_of_being_late.html for a writer’s insight to long books and cycles. Or even http://www.soliber.net/books/accelerando-by-charles-stross/ for a quick review on one of Charlie’s books – maybe you want to see for yourself afterward. BTW – I found your blog reading some old rants about no-follow from 2005 – oh, how the world changed, Matt!
all the best!

By: Benjamin Kudria

Benjamin Kudria — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 00:48:55 +0000

Is it OK if I tweeted about the post?
(http://twitter.com/bkudria/status/1298322069)

By: Jeremy Chatfield

Jeremy Chatfield — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 17:05:30 +0000

Hmm. I loved the Baroque Cycle, Cryptonomicon, and Anathem. Logomachists will enjoy Anathem’s twists of language Canticle! I get blank looks when I mention it.

Hmm. I thought Anathem less monastic and more University. Didn’t smack to you of the divisions between string theorists and the rest, when string theory was shunned, until it suddenly became the fashion? The community model is closer to academic – which has deep and twisted roots into religion – also a theme in the Baroque Cycle.

I’d add another qualification question:

* Did you ever consider completing a PhD or becoming a professor? [6 points]

And lose the monk question…

By: Cibeles

Cibeles — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 14:46:54 +0000

By what I have read in the link above and the little intro in that page, the book looks to me closer to “The Name of the Rose” by Umberto Eco than the Fundation series by Isaac Asimov. And if it takes you closer to 100 pages to get to understand the reason of some stuff and its unbearable for 100 pages it’s certainly copying Umberto Eco’s style. “The Name of the Rose” could only be read if you either have some knowledge of Latin (or use Google to translate the Latin in it, ) or buyIng the book with and extra booklet with the translations otherwise you get lost in the narrative. Other Eco’s books has some other “tests” for you to continue reading. No comment on how many times I have tortured myself with books of that kind *rolling eyes in here*.
So if you really want to “test” yourself and you span attention try one of Eco’s books, I will not be made responsible of any side effects due to the reading of same. LOL
Thanks for the recommendation.

By: Maurice

Maurice — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 00:01:09 +0000

re Athenians and Melians so whos Sparta and Persia and whos the Macedonian barbarian waiting in the wings

I realy must re read the peloponnesian war though ime having hard time finding an opponant for fields of glory in that period still probaly saves me buying a ton of 28mm Lead that I wont paint.

if you like big chunky books try Ash by Mary Gentle I think they published it in four parts in the states.