Reamde (2012, HarperCollins Publishers)
1056 pages
English language
Published Aug. 8, 2012 by HarperCollins Publishers.
Reamde is a speculative fiction novel by Neal Stephenson, published in 2011. The story, set in the present day, centers on the plight of a hostage and the ensuing efforts of family and new acquaintances, many of them associated with a fictional MMORPG, to rescue her as her various captors drag her about the globe. Topics covered range from online activities including gold farming and social networking to the criminal methods of the Russian Mafia and Islamic terrorists. ([Source][1])
Stephenson really knows how to tell a story. Some of the plot twists are a bit unbelievable, but you just can't put the book down.
I didn't enjoy this at all and I'm kind of surprised that so many people have.
The plot seems to have been constructed by rolling many-sided dice to determine characters and complications for each chapter [7 = Spy: 12 = Trolls (mythological); 4 = Mercenary: 1 = Computer Virus; 6 = Tech Tycoon: 10 = BEARS!] The result is less of a narrative arc, more of a narrative EKG.
Character genders, at least, were not randomly assigned so that everyone to live through the adventure could land in a nice heteronormative relationship with another character, despite have endured horribly stilted dialogue with one another for more than 1,000 pages.
Stephenson seems to have thoroughly researched weapons, MMORPGs, massive chunks of geography foreign and domestic, inner workings of Russian organized crime and several intelligence agencies, navigation at sea, Internet security, and laws of international airspace. None of that research goes to โฆ
I didn't enjoy this at all and I'm kind of surprised that so many people have.
The plot seems to have been constructed by rolling many-sided dice to determine characters and complications for each chapter [7 = Spy: 12 = Trolls (mythological); 4 = Mercenary: 1 = Computer Virus; 6 = Tech Tycoon: 10 = BEARS!] The result is less of a narrative arc, more of a narrative EKG.
Character genders, at least, were not randomly assigned so that everyone to live through the adventure could land in a nice heteronormative relationship with another character, despite have endured horribly stilted dialogue with one another for more than 1,000 pages.
Stephenson seems to have thoroughly researched weapons, MMORPGs, massive chunks of geography foreign and domestic, inner workings of Russian organized crime and several intelligence agencies, navigation at sea, Internet security, and laws of international airspace. None of that research goes to waste whenever the dice landed on a given topic.
Despite ALL OF THAT, I'm adding one star because Reamde moves well. I can't believe how many times I accidentally scoffed aloud and still continued on. All eye strain was from rolling my eyes, not reading, and still I didn't put it down. That must mean something.
If Stephenson had rolled whatever combination required for 'CONCLUSION' 500 pages earlier, I might have gone as high as 3 stars.
I find myself questioning how much my appetite for romanticized violence fuels my Neal Stephenson addiction. Does this story really lay it on any thicker than the others? Probably not. What's unusual is the proximity of some of the crazy plot to my everyday life, so perhaps I should thank him for bringing up these questions in addition to entertaining the hell out of me.
