From Product Description:

... and by extraordinary pacing, I mean it is remarkable that a book that takes so long to reach its major plot points, which spends so long in philosophical dialogue, could be printed in this era. <br /> <br />I found it even more extraordinary that I actually read it; in an era where online multitasking and video games sap so much of my attention. <br /> <br />I will not repeat the points made by other reviewers. I just wished to tip my hat to Neal Stephenson, for a 900 page tour de force of quantum theory and much more - which reinvigorated my interest in a topic that was in danger of growing stale, and restored my former love of reading.

I have read and loved all of Neal T. Stephenson's fiction novels...most of them at least three times. You can almost trace Mr. Stephenson's skill as a novelist grow from Snow Crash to Diamond Age to Cryptonomicon (by prior favorite), through the Baroque Cycle, to this, his crowning work in my view. Without spoiling this book for you, let me simply say that the plot is cohesive and substantial and deals with serious issues regarding the nature of reality, societal order schemas, the role of faith and rationality in human thought, and love. It is also a short-course in philosophy without being boring or pedantic. The writing is clear, conscise, and evocative. The text is never difficult to wade through; there are occasions where you will put down the book and wrack your brain to see if you can remember the real-world analogue of a fictional philosopher or theory, but that is a result of how engaging the writing is. <br /> <br />If you have read Stephenson before, you already know what you must do: buy this book NOW and clear your social character until you can complete it. If you are new to Stephenson's work, you should think about what you are looking for in a novel. If you want something lighter, go with Snow Crash. If you want something a bit fantastical, but still with a message, pick Diamond Age. If you want something a little more grounded in today's world, try Cryptonomicon (as a bonus, if you are a techie of a certain age like me, you'll see yourself as if in a mirror). Anathema is another excellent choice, especially if you feel contemplative and want to rediscover the philosophers and quantum theory. Of course, whether you are new to Stephenson's work or not, this is a must read. It is my favorite novel yet. <br /> <br />The only downside to reading this novel is that it eventually ends (a feeling I get with many of the authors' works). I'll likely be picking this one back up by early next year, once the immediacy of having finished it has worn off.

Literally just finished it. <br />Awesome book. Stephenson weaves a highly original story with clever dialog, cool characters, and a brand new planet with stories of its own. It's fascinating, really. I don't want to give anything away; the book speaks for itself. But I mark off a star for only a couple of reasons: <br /> <br />One: if you don't like learning, this book is not for you. Some of the dialog is heavy-handed near the second half of the book, and you might have to really concentrate to understand what the characters are saying... some of it gets deep into scientific theories and abstractions. <br /> <br />Two: some of the plot threads he introduces never get followed up on--you'll just have to cope. <br /> <br />And the few other reasons I can't list without, in some way, ruining the plot. Overall, this book stands among the best books I've ever read.

Reading Neal Stephenson's Anathem is like taking an extended road-trip with a car full of your least favorite relatives: any enjoyment derived from the experience is vastly outweighed by the tedium of the journey. This is a first-contact post-apocalyptic novel-of-ideas written from the perspective of the alien race. The premise of the story is that this alien culture on a planet named Arbre is "just like us only a little different". So if you hope to follow along, you must spend much of your time translating concepts and terms that Stephenson has invented into terms you are familiar with: a concent is like a convent for people who practice the local "religion" which is actually mathematics and philosophy. The internet is called the Reticulum. A fetch is a truck, a car is a mobe. Fair enough, he is inventing a whole parallel universe. But some of it is obtuse: A school is a Suvin because they used to hold their lessons under the vines. And as you read the philosophical debates and discussions you can't help but suspect that they would be familiar to a student of philosophy (which probably does not describe you). So you can't tell if it is fiction or just "Bulshytt" a term on Arbre that means "Speech...that employs euphemism, convenient vagueness, numbing repetition, and other such rhetorical subterfuges to create the impression that something has been said." How fitting. <br /> <br />You have been warned. This book is over 980 pages. "Heavy lift" doesn't BEGIN to describe the commitment you have to make to get through it. If you are the kind of person who gives a well-know author the benefit of the doubt and continue reading--hoping that it will get better, you may be disappointed. It is fully 450 pages before much of consequence happens in the plot. It takes 740 pages before the aliens even show up. If you MUST read this book, start with the Glossary (it is over 60 pages by itself!) My recommendation is save yourself the trouble and just poke a sharp stick in your eye. It will hurt less than slogging through this tedious monstrosity and then you can get back to your life.

Neal Stephenson came to my notice, as he did with many, with his two cyber-punk books Snow Crash (Bantam Spectra Book) and The Diamond Age: Or, a Young Lady's Illustrated Primer (Bantam Spectra Book). Brilliant, innovative, roller-coaster books that are required reading for anyone who has the least interest in speculative fiction. <br /> <br />He then switched gears and wrote a fascinating, far deeper book in Cryptonomicon; truly one of the best books of speculative fiction ever written. Cryptonomicon transcends the genre, and it would be hard for any author to repeat its literary and entertainment value, but Anathem may well surpass Cryptonomicon. <br /> <br />I admit this is a hard book to start; the size is daunting and the initial chapters do not grab you by the throat in the way that some of his other books do. That said, once started, it is as good as it gets. On the surface, a coming of age story whose protagonist is a teenager called upon to undertake an unprecedented quest. But just below that level, it is a vehicle for Stephenson to explore the implications of quantum physics and, ultimately our entire place in the universe. <br /> <br />The writing is so good and so entertaining, that there is a shocking sense of disappointment when the book comes to an end. For the first time since reading Dhalgren in1976(!) I finished the book, flipped it over and read it straight through again -- and, I have to say, it was better the second time. <br /> <br />This book is highly recommended to all, but especially to those who enjoyed and valued King's Dark Tower Series, Niven's Ringworld books, or the early works of Richard Powers (e.g., Galatea 2.2)