This is a book that has been on my list for years. I was intrigued, but I've always put it off because it's long, heard it was super geeky, difficult to read, and some kind of hacker story.
Well it is long, and NS does go off on a few multi-page WTF tangents, but it isn't difficult with the right approach. Mainly, I didn't try to understand some of the technical details, but made sure I grasped the general concepts. And did this book ever take me places! I was looking up one-time pads, info about WW2, street views of Manila...on and on...
This was my first Stephenson book and I really enjoyed the historical fiction thing. So next up are Quicksilver, Seveneves, and perhaps Snowcrash.
This post is for anyone else out there considering this one. It's one of my favorites now.
-- AADAA FGTAA --
What a great discussion! Thank you to all. I've read all the comments. I want to reply to them all but there isn't enough time. If you just arrived, careful in the comments. There are some things that aren't exactly spoilers, but you may not want to know them if reading for the first time.
Regarding endings...it's strange how we all differ. I understand though. I didn't really care much about how it ended but I really enjoyed the ride. Kind of like putting your finger on the map for a great road trip. Lots of fun and interest along the way, but the destination (I feel a cliche coming on...) only turned out to be a mediocre lunch at some diner. 🙂