<i>Cryptonomican</i> by Neal Stephenson

My second Stephenson novel in six months. I am convinced that I like him. Though I really like this book, I had a hard time getting going with this write-up.

The first thing that may be tripping me up some is that this is the first fiction book set in a very defined time period (at least partially) that I've read in over a year (The Unbearable Lightness of Being being the last) and I may be a bit out of practice in thinking about such books. Additionally, what I have read of Stephenson so far (Diamond Age and Snow Crash), is clearly set in the future.

With all that said, there were some ideas, characters and directions in this book I really liked. I found it very easy to connect to the WWII stories---particularly those of Lawrence Waterhouse and Bobby Shaftoe. I had a much harder time connecting myself with Randy Waterhouse's part of the story, despite (or maybe because of) its present day setting. While I really *liked* the ideas Randy encountered---like the EMP to kill the computers, or the complicated methodology for distributing his Grandmother's possessions among the family---it possibly felt too much like dot-com stories we've heard over and over for the last ten or so years. In comparison the WWII portions felt fresh---maybe since so little time is generally spent on WWII crypto, U-boats and anything that happened in the Pacific other than the Batan Death March and the nukes hitting Japan in school.

I particularly liked, or found compelling, Bobby Shatoe's character and looked forward to getting back to his storyline. His rather human traits---morphine addiction, etc---somewhat balanced out his super-human abilities as a Marine. His most prized quality, in himself and found in others, as he told his son, was adaptability. He showed it himself through his varied positions throughout the war and at times when he wasn't directly involved in the fighting, such as in Sweden and when looking for his son. When plans went awry, he came up with a new plan and quickly enacted it. There was also a particularly great quote regarding the role of enlisted vs. officers, which echoed this:

The extreme formality with which he addresses these officers carries an important subtext: your problem, sir, is deciding what you want me to do, and my problem, sir is doing it. My gung-ho posture says that once you give the order I'm not going to bother you with any of the details---and your half of the bargain is you had better stay on your side of the line, sir and not bother me with any of the chickenshit politics you have to deal with for a living.

insomuch as his goal is to achieve his objective in any way possible.

Two other characters I enjoyed from Shaftoe's time and place were Enoch Root, who just continually seemed out of place (purposely so) and Lawrence Pritchard Waterhouse. Waterhouse was a lynch-pin of the story, but I found part to be most compelling up to when he was at Blechtley Park, then setting up Qwghlm. After that, his story fades too much to stay interesting.

A final plot point I want to mention is Goto's mine. The idea of it having different designs and goals known to different levels involved in the project was quite interesting. I may have to go back and read some of those sections again to get a full understanding of the structure. The diagrams Stephenson includes help, but a reread is definitely in order.

Overall, an excellent read, though some weak points existed in the modern portion of the story.

7/10

<i>Logicomix</i> by Apostolos Doxiadis and Christos H. Papadimitriou

I like these graphic novels with a historical basis. It gives me a quick read covering a historical topic in a manner that sticks with me a bit more as it is visual.

This graphic novel, much like Persepolis, covers a topic knew little about going into: Bertrand Russell and his work. While I have heard of Russell,I had no knowledge of his area of expertise, other than him being an intellectual.

This book tells the story of his intellectual development from his youth up through his older age, including his encounters with other logicians and mathematicians. I particularly liked the coverage o his youth, how he spent his time wondering around his grandparents's place. One other scene that was great and took advantage of the graphic novel format was a fist-fight between a group of mathematicians. it went from a discussion in one block to a BIFF! BAM! comic book fight. Amusing and effective in conveying the passion they had in their beliefs.

Although I enjoyed the book overall, I was a bit distracted by how the authors and artists were inserted into the story. I, personally, don't like that device, as I tend to immerse myself in the book, so stepping out breaks my concentration on the story more than, I think, the authors intend. I know they are trying to provide a certain perspective when using such a device, but I find it rarely works for me.

Here, I also felt the device wasn't as effective as intended. Including more context through more tales of Russell would have gone further and kept me engaged in the story. Also, since the story of Russell was told in a flashback, there were already to layers tot eh story. Coming out to the level of the authors added a third, further distancing me from the real point of telling this story: to teach people about logical modes of thought and Russell's work.

7/10

<i>A Private Hotel for Gentle Landies</i> by Ellen Cooney

I took a class from Ellen Cooney at MIT on writing short stories. It was a good class, though it happened during a rather tumultuous term. She talked about what she wrote in class , but never had us read anything of hers. That is probably a sign of a secure writer---that you don't have to get validation from the class of students you are teaching.

About the book. I enjoyed it---it was a nice diversion. I instantly thought of my mother as I read the detailed passages about the horses. There was much to-do about the bells, which really set off the entire story.

AS I read, I was reminded of the stories I would hear at school about male students who worked at gay strip clubs to make money for school. I am sure Cooney was exposed to similar stories in teaching at MIT and Harvard and wonder if those served as inspiration for the men at the hotel.

The writing was tight, though rather romantic. There was definitely a theme of women's empowerment---women taking thier lives and sexuality into their own hands. Woman holding non-domestic jobs and a brief appearance of Fannie Farmer. The sex scenes were done well---not too much focus on them, but enough to portray some sensuality and, again, the opportunity for empowerment.

I liked the New England scenes, which were well done and believable for the time period. The characterizations of the people were equally believable though, again, rather romantic.

7/10

<i>The General and His Labyrinth</i> by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

This is a historical novel set in 1830 in South America as the Spanish are being ousted and the countries we currently know are being formed. Marquez handles the material well, balancing the historical fact with extrapolation of the characters' thoughts and actions. I didn't get the feeling that any part was patently untrue---his interpretation of the events were quite believable. In both the balancing and believability, I think Marques comes quite close to matching Shaara in The Killer Angles---one of the best pieces of historical fiction I have read.

Marquez's style here was as engaging as in 100 Years of Solitude, despite the historical setting. I like how the General was portrayed: as a man dedicated to an ideal even through sickness and lack of support. Most of the supporting characters---other than Jose Palacios and Manuela---tended to blend into each other and I was often forgetting who was who.

One of the best aspects of this book was the descriptions of the countryside and people. The General is moving about northern South America for much of the book and it is interesting how the reaction to him changes as he travels and how the description of the countryside tends to mirror those reactions: poor reactions in a swamp area, great reactions in the mountains. I really got a sense of the variety of political and environmental landscapes that existed during that time.

I was loaned this book by my thesis advisor. I'm not quite sure if he was trying to say anything with it. The General's labyrinth is his life's work: freeing and uniting all of South America. It seemed that as hard as he tried he was not able to find the way through to the ending he wanted. I hope my advisor isn't trying to say the same about my research---this method, though, seems a bit too subtle for him.