Scan barcode
deft's review
dark
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
4.0
thebeej21's review
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
zahrafarhat1212's review
challenging
dark
informative
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
luckypluto's review against another edition
5.0
The Bug is probably my favorite of the books I’ve read in 2012. Ostensibly about the frustrations and minutiae of programming, the book is an excellent work of literary fiction that delves into some philosophical thoughts on the nature of humanity itself. It tells the story of a young programmer whose quest to fix an obscure but critical bug consumes his personal life, which crashes down around him just as the bug crashes the computers it runs on. Although a bit tedious in some parts, the novel is paced well, and gives a good look into the minds of the programmers it portrays. The ending is surprising, and unexpected. The only thing that didn’t quite work about the book was the dovetailing stories of the narrator and protagonist; the intertwining of their lives felt a bit forced. Even so, the book is a great read, especially for professional programmers who deal with the problems presented in the book on a day-to-day basis.
arctic_lavender's review
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
elbucklo's review
dark
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
skolastic's review
5.0
Probably closer to a 4, but I'll cut Ullman some slack as this is billed as a first novel and the subject matter is so unique in my experience that I couldn't help but be delighted. Ullman accurately captures the thrill of victory/agony of defeat of programming, and the little joys and crushing despairs of living in the world. I wish there were more books like this, which, really, is what a 5-star book should be.
kentquirk's review
2.0
This novel mostly takes place in 1985, which is around the beginning of my career as a software engineer. The book is not about programming, but it attempts to tell a significant story about a programmer in the context of his personality disorders amid the hunt for a particularly troublesome bug.
Although the writing was good -- there are many well-drawn characters and a few compelling scenes -- I found that the story just didn't sound 'true' to me. Even though my profession has led me to meet many people who have significant personality flaws, none of them have really approached the levels of self-denial that Ullman attributes to Ethan.
This book is an attempt at a tragedy that never really rises above the level of melodrama for me. It did hold me to the end, but I'm not sure I'm very glad that it did.
Although the writing was good -- there are many well-drawn characters and a few compelling scenes -- I found that the story just didn't sound 'true' to me. Even though my profession has led me to meet many people who have significant personality flaws, none of them have really approached the levels of self-denial that Ullman attributes to Ethan.
This book is an attempt at a tragedy that never really rises above the level of melodrama for me. It did hold me to the end, but I'm not sure I'm very glad that it did.
spygrl1's review
4.0
It's an engrossing depiction of the early days of computer technology and computer start-ups -- similar to [b:Plowing the Dark|23015|Plowing the Dark|Richard Powers|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1167388696s/23015.jpg|3932] in the accuracy with which is captures the thought processes, foibles, and lifestyles of those we call geeks. The Bug focuses on two employees of a database start-up: Ethan Levin, a prickly programmer with a neurotic sense of inadequacy and a spiralling personal life, and Roberta Walton, a refugee from academia who first scorns and then embraces the arcana of the computer.
Programming is always an iterative process: code, check, re-code, check, repair code, ad infinitum. Bugs are standard. But there's something almost spooky -- something malevolent -- about bug UI-1107. A bug first spotted by Roberta and assigned to Ethan, a bug that crashes the system in a spectacle of bleeps and smeared pixels, a bug that seems to delight in capering before venture capitalist and potential customers, an elusive bug that evades all efforts to pin it down. Will Ethan find and fix the bug, or will the obsessive quest to track it down destroy Ethan?
Programming is always an iterative process: code, check, re-code, check, repair code, ad infinitum. Bugs are standard. But there's something almost spooky -- something malevolent -- about bug UI-1107. A bug first spotted by Roberta and assigned to Ethan, a bug that crashes the system in a spectacle of bleeps and smeared pixels, a bug that seems to delight in capering before venture capitalist and potential customers, an elusive bug that evades all efforts to pin it down. Will Ethan find and fix the bug, or will the obsessive quest to track it down destroy Ethan?
lahosken's review
mysterious
sad
- Strong character development? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0