tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-264226589944705290.post739308744823118962..comments2023-11-05T03:45:25.001-08:00Comments on God Plays Dice: Neal Stephenson's AnathemMichael Lugohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15671307315028242949noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-264226589944705290.post-65752604263143549162008-12-06T00:14:00.000-08:002008-12-06T00:14:00.000-08:00I bought the book for $30+ in the airport, because...I bought the book for $30+ in the airport, because I'd just finished the books I brought along. As usual with Stephenson novels, it took me more than a month to work my way through it-- I find them too dense to absorb in big chunks. <BR/><BR/>What's not usual is that I wasn't excited, at all, by the plot. And I'm a mathematician. <BR/><BR/>I appreciate the work he obviously put in, turning deep philosophical and physical insights into what is essentially a novel length dialogue, but in terms of excitement and engagement, this didn't hold a candle to Cryptonomicon, Zodiac, Snowcrash, etc. <BR/><BR/>The entire book was an anticlimax.Alexhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07509233273590036699noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-264226589944705290.post-65157715410951026042008-11-29T20:38:00.000-08:002008-11-29T20:38:00.000-08:00For math and dance stuff, sarah-marie belcastro an...For math and dance stuff, sarah-marie belcastro and Karl Schaffer gave a pretty sweet talk at the Joint Meetings this year in San Diego. The stuff in <I>Anathem</I> doesn't sound like much of a stretch from the work they've done. I don't know if you can find any of this online, unfortunately.Jonahhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15159561721777836053noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-264226589944705290.post-88748859081917632672008-11-29T15:00:00.000-08:002008-11-29T15:00:00.000-08:00I've been listening to the unabridged audio versio...I've been listening to the unabridged audio version of Anathem for the last three weeks and I have about 45 minutes to go. Then, I think I will have to re-listen to the entire book to pick up any of the details I didn't understand on the first go-round. I'm loving it. What I love about Stephenson's writing is that it's always a new plot (not just recycling the same plot again and again). I have to agree with you that the sprinklings of math are really intriguing. I wonder if you could use it as a discussion starter for an honors section of math or physics (which you will see is sprinkled in through the latter half).Maria H. Andersenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04686325011770339309noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-264226589944705290.post-11042885057046612092008-11-29T13:49:00.000-08:002008-11-29T13:49:00.000-08:00I really loved the first third of the book too. A...I really loved the first third of the book too. After that it turned into a different book I was not as interested in. I hope it's more your cup of tea.dfanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16523251716744122695noreply@blogger.com