http://rehunter.org/2014/03/
Mar3, 2014
Review: Reamde
Reamde by Neal Stephenson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
In this massive techno-thriller, wealthy tech entrepreneur Richard
Forthrast is the creator of the hugely successful massively multiplayer
online role playing game T'Rain, which plays a central role in the plot.
Although Richard is the protagonist, much of the novel revolves around his
niece Zula, an adopted Eritrean refugee. Reamde is a virus that spreads
through the game, and leads to Zula and Richard getting tangled up with
Russian mobsters, Muslim terrorists, and MI6 spies, while moving from
country to country. Along the way, they pick up a rag-tag group of helpers.
It culminates in a big showdown in Southern BC and Northern Idaho, where
the terrorists are trying to sneak into the US, neatly tying off numerous
plot threads in a bittersweet ending.
I love Stephenson's writing. Phrases like "If there was such a thing as a
mind's eye, then his mind's mouth had started talking", "Small-town girls
with raccoon eye makeup", and "the timeless awkwardness of the suitor
embedded deep in enemy territory" had me laughing all through. Richard's
ex-girlfriends still nagging him in his mind are considered Muses, or
perhaps Furies, and become the Furious Muses, who help guide him throughout
the book.
There are times when he goes overboard with obscure words, but these are in
keeping with the medieval fantasy theme of T'Rain. At most this was a minor
distraction. There are some fairly lengthy asides on the technology as
well, but I think these would be helpful for someone who isn't familiar
with the concepts discussed. Someone who already understands these can skim
over these parts.
I have to say that the handling of technology in this novel is the most
realistic I've read in some time. And although the tech is central to the
story, it's not science fiction. There's nothing in there that could not
take place today.
The main characters are really brought to life, with good character arcs
for many of them. I found myself really caring about what was happening to
them, which kept me turning pages, and got me a little choked up at the
end. It's a hard book to put down, but way too big to finish in one sitting.
I highly recommend this book for lovers of techno-thrillers.
Received on Sun Mar 23 2014 - 11:09:28 EDT