Scan barcode
A review by hakimbriki
Reamde by Neal Stephenson
4.0
I had no idea what I was getting into reading Reamde... and I was certainly surprised. It is one of the most immersive, thrilling books I've read... but it's flawed. I'm very conflicted because I feel I could rate it a 5 or a 2, depending on when you ask.
Reamde has a wonderful set of characters whose storylines intertwine in the most amazing/improbable ways imaginable. One of the characters, Zula, is just as badass (if not more) as some of the best female characters in modern literature. She deals with the most insane ordeals throughout the book, yet she remains stoic and makes wise decisions, which align perfectly with her backstory. I love clever storytelling.
Other characters, such as Dodge, Sokolov, Csongor, and Seamus are lovable, witty, mysterious, smart, and intriguing. However, that can't be said about the Jihadists, Ivanov, and Yuxia, who are two-dimensional, predictable, and boring.
Here is my main issue with this book:
Having said that, I still enjoyed the heck out of Reamde. It's a fantastic ride, full of surprises, thrills, and endearing characters. It's 1,100 pages of pure joy... as long as your suspension of disbelief is solid as a rock!
Reamde has a wonderful set of characters whose storylines intertwine in the most amazing/improbable ways imaginable. One of the characters, Zula, is just as badass (if not more) as some of the best female characters in modern literature. She deals with the most insane ordeals throughout the book, yet she remains stoic and makes wise decisions, which align perfectly with her backstory. I love clever storytelling.
Other characters, such as Dodge, Sokolov, Csongor, and Seamus are lovable, witty, mysterious, smart, and intriguing. However, that can't be said about the Jihadists, Ivanov, and Yuxia, who are two-dimensional, predictable, and boring.
Here is my main issue with this book:
Spoiler
There are WAY too many conveniences in Reamde. A few examples: Sokolov gets on a boat, finds himself in the city where it all started, and where many other characters are? Some of these characters surely can bypass immigration very easily, in several countries... Oh and, most importantly, the hackers JUST HAPPEN to live one floor below the Jihadists? Gimme a break. My suspension of disbelief has limits. Also, I usually trust Stephenson on research accuracy... but he translated Arabic words wrong. Using a human translator as opposed to Google Translate goes a long way!Having said that, I still enjoyed the heck out of Reamde. It's a fantastic ride, full of surprises, thrills, and endearing characters. It's 1,100 pages of pure joy... as long as your suspension of disbelief is solid as a rock!