I tried to read REAMDE at least three or four times and just couldn't do it.
Absolutely loved some of his early stuff -- I still reread Cryptonomicon every couple of years -- but everything after the Baroque Cycle has left me cold.
I loved Snow Crash (and Zodiac and some of his earlier stuff), but to me, he really hit his stride when he went to the long-format books. I think Anathem was the first of them, and I've read it several times, too. Diamond Age really never grabbed me, even tho it's the one everyone talks about. REAMDE is basically a running firefight for 800 pages, and is incredibly well done (and has a fair bit less of a sci-fi element to it, if that helps).
I love Neal, but his last couple outings have left me kind of meh. Hopefully this will signal a return to his incredible form from Reamde and Anathem.
I tried to read REAMDE at least three or four times and just couldn't do it.
Absolutely loved some of his early stuff -- I still reread Cryptonomicon every couple of years -- but everything after the Baroque Cycle has left me cold.
Wow, REAMDE sucked me in immediately, and didn't let go til it spit me out 800 pages later.
I couldnтАЩt get fifty pages into Anathem. I canтАЩt remember a word and it hadnтАЩt crossed my mind since, until I read your mention.
His quote from Diamond Age about education versus intelligence is probably my favorite ever, I cherish it, but nothing since DA has held my interest.
I loved Snow Crash (and Zodiac and some of his earlier stuff), but to me, he really hit his stride when he went to the long-format books. I think Anathem was the first of them, and I've read it several times, too. Diamond Age really never grabbed me, even tho it's the one everyone talks about. REAMDE is basically a running firefight for 800 pages, and is incredibly well done (and has a fair bit less of a sci-fi element to it, if that helps).
I also have Atmosphaera Incognita, which isn't quite... anything but a collector's item.