Neal (2009) Paperback, Anathem by Stephenson

An amazing book in breath (over 900 pgs.) and scope (Platonic and other philosophical maxims, the meaning of consciousness, quantum physics, etc., and! its own unique vocabulary). Stephenson creates a world divided into secular and the monastic (dedicated to philosophy, math & science) realms that are incongruous if not at outright odds until aliens orbit the planet. Be prepared to be mentally challenged and entertained by this adventure.

In fairness, I love Stephenson and read pretty much whatever he writes. This one I really enjoyed; it's more full-blooded sci-fi than his traditional fair, kind of like if Enoch Root got his own book. Hint, hint. Anyway, since it's in essence a mystery, it doesn't reward re-reading as much as, say, the Baroque trilogy, but that's not for lack of depth. Altogether I really enjoyed it.

Reading this author makes me think I'm smarter than I am. If I can follow what's going on. Sometimes I would get lost trying to follow some of the Dialogs in this book but they are doled out pretty evenly. This was a great read. It's set on an alternate planet that kind of mirrors earth but has several thousand years of recorded history more than we do. It's definitely worth a look. I'm no metaphysician but it was fun to take a look at how they think.

I don't often write reviews but because this book reminded me strongly of another that I've loved for many years, I thought I would chime in.

One of my favourite books is "A Canticle For Leibowitz" by Walter Miller. Its premise that our own civilization will not be the last of its kind, that others will know some of what we know and build similar worlds on the wreckage of our own is not new in SF but the book's presentation of this "future history" through the eyes of monastic observers was a lot of fun to read and an interesting premise. Except... it was a bit sad. We moved through ages of change and while the monastery survived these ages, our protagonists came and went, sometimes rather horribly. We readers knew the answers to the mysteries that teased them since we were confidentes of the omniscient narrator. And threaded through the story was the notion that we learn nothing from history except that we learn nothing from history; it certainly felt true for Miller's story but some truths make us sigh with regret.

Neal Stephenson has written the book that I always rather wished Walter Miller had written - a future history of civilization through the eyes of a (sort of) monastic witness written as a first hand account. And one that certainly would take exception to the idea that history does not teach us anything! Altogether, this was a more hopeful, humorous and intriguing presentation of the idea that empires come and go, even when they have our modern technical "advantages".

I found this book very nearly instantly riveting. I always give Stephenson's books more latitude to establish their premise, make their worlds and characters sensible and real for me; he's a slow, careful builder of plot and scene. I've always felt that the investment of time was worthwhile. This book is no exception; after a few chapters of extra focus over language and cultural referents, I found myself completely taken in and looking forward every evening to joining Fraa Erasmus' world again.

I liked everything about this book. The writing is, as always, brilliant and clear. The characters are interesting, funny, charming and I liked the protagonist, Fraa Erasmus, or Raz, very much. He's one of those wonderful characters who is much more special and interesting than they themselves think. I found the life that his order lives to be frankly appealing and very well drawn. We spend enough time in their world for it to start making a great deal of internal sense.

There's a thread of scorn for the modern clutter of electronics and its incidental glorification of ignorance that runs through the whole book, ostensibly presented as the point of view of our ascetic hero but it's easy to imagine that the author too has lost patience with our own doodad ridden culture. At any rate, he skewers it beautifully throughout the novel. His portrayal of IT experts as pariahs and low caste members of Raz' culture made me laugh out loud. (Am I the only one who thinks "ITA" pointedly echoes "ETA", the untouchables of old Japan?)

I found myself wishing that we had retreats for rationality like Fraa Erasmus' order in our own world and wondering if a disasterous collapse or a dark age is the only way to get them. If you like any of Stephenson's other books, you'll probably like "Anathem" as well. I had a great time reading it. I highly recommend it.

Loved the book. Big fan of Stephenson's since Snow Crash. His creation of alternative worlds is second to none. He does so in a manner that shows parallelism to the world as we know it today, thus adding to the realism.

Typical Stephenson. Highly polished knowledgeable prose. Difficult at first due to his vision of how the language will evolve. Think of Chaucer's English compareg to now. At first I was ready to dump it but kept with it and like all of his other works became riveting, fun, and a lot of food for thought that stays with you well past the read.

This is possibly the best Neal Stephenson to date, and that's saying a lot, as I have read them all and love them all. The concept is as simple as it is beautiful. Typical of Stephenson, it takes some time to get started, so don't let the first hundred or two pages daunt you. Just enjoy the slow stroll through the meadow before the inevitable left turn down down the previously unseen rollercoaster track.

what can you say about stephenson.....i devoured this and when i finished I couldn't stop living in the arbre world for weeks. if you love what he does, you will love this. it is similar in nature to the quicksilver trilogy: dense, detailed, erudite, long and totally engrossing. i personally would take a little less philosophy and a bit more of the narrative, but i am not complaining. it takes time to really get this but the payoff is extraordinary. nobody grabs you and keeps you like stephenson.

Other Neal Stephenson books start strong and stay strong throughout. This one is 1/3 of the way through before something happens that is significant enough for us readers to really care about. As it unfolds in the latter 2/3 of the book though, what occurs is so significant that it is hard to imaging anything more significant. So it ends up a truly great Stephenson tale. I won't spoil it by saying what happens.

If you are committed to get to the good parts, you will need to get through the first third, which is basically describing the world where this story takes place - not Earth. Stephenson introduces the key characters that live in a convent dedicated to math and science, but living a very spartan life. Thousand of years of history have led to the state of affairs, and the young occupants of this convent learn about the events, people, and theories of this rich history. As I read this, I thought that this history was just as a context for the current situation and I kind of glossed over the detail. However, I recommend that you pay close attention to the historical characters and theories, as they will become very relevant as the exciting part of the story plays out.

I loved this book and how complex concepts and academic material were woven into a story, similar to Michael Crighton. I love Stephenson's work as I always put the book down feeling as though I've gotten a taste of some college material. In Anathem, I think it was several different subject areas all coming together in a way that helped me, as a layman, understand.

A truly epic adventure that (having avoided reading about the book before I began) took me in entirely unexpected directions, and has instantly become not just one of the most enjoyable sci-fi books I have read, but one of the most enjoyable books, period, that I have read.

There are a lot of complex ideas to wrap your head around, and certainly some sections that require re-reading and some perseverance to get through... there might even be a logical hole or two. However, though it is by no means a short book, there isn't the endless intellectual exposition we had to wade through for much of the (great, but slow) Baroque Cycle - a welcome change. However, the book is still potentially over wordy (an almost painfully slow starter), extremely detailed, and at times in danger of running away with itself down various philosophical side paths, but at the end, what stands out is the depth of Stephenson's characters, and a deep appreciation of their thirst for not only knowledge, but friendship and family. It would be easy for a writer with ideas this big, and a book populated with so many characters who are supposed to be intellectual giants, to get in over his head, but Stephenson deftly sidesteps potential pitfalls, keeps the balls in the air in a mostly relatable way, and keeps the core of his narrative focused on some fantastic characters and some thrilling adventures!

loved it. It was staggering the complexity of the world that Stephenson creates. not just a world, but multiple societies within that world and a rich history. I found it truly mind-boggling that someone could create such a nuanced and detailed alien planet. So much more than a narrative.

Pretty well written and interesting ideas, but really REALLY detailed in spots. Takes some time to actually get rolling and occasionally navel gazes on topics that aren't relevant to the plot. It's a neat piece of hard sci-fi, but I wouldn't be surprised if some got tired a fifth of the way in.

Pretty well written and interesting ideas, but really REALLY detailed in spots. Takes some time to actually get rolling and occasionally navel gazes on topics that aren't relevant to the plot. It's a neat piece of hard sci-fi, but I wouldn't be surprised if some got tired a fifth of the way in.

Anathem by Neal Stephenson is a difficult book to review and at times to read. It’s a thousand page book. There’s a lot to love in it, but other parts fell flat for me. Here’s my take on it without any major SPOILERS.

The protagonist Erasmus, an avout, lives a monk-like existence in a scientific monastery on a world that is Earth-like, but it isn’t Earth. There is minimal contact between the avout in their monasteries and the secular world. What made it a slog is that the reader must negotiate a plethora of strange English-sounding words. Most these words have a meaning similar to something in English, but it takes a while to figure out just what. Nonetheless, the book intrigued me enough that I kept reading.

Stephenson likes his science. Anathem has more pages devoted to science and mathematics than any sci fi book I’ve read. For me, the many problems in logic and scientific descriptions weren’t necessary for the story and often slowed it down. I’m scientifically oriented, but I found myself skimming over portions.

The narrative picks up in the middle of the book. An alien ship is orbiting the planet. The avout and the seculars join together to deal with this possible threat. As a result, Erasmus finds himself on a quest through the secular world, which he is largely ill equipped to deal with. This middle part of the novel was my favorite.

The last third, which could have been a page-turner, became another slog. The alien ship is evidently from one or more parallel worlds or existences. Page upon page was devoted to discussing this. Enough! Someone studying the many-worlds interpretation of quantum mechanical may find this fascinating. I found it tedious and skimmed over large sections. For me Anathem has too much science. I need character, plot, and a gripping narrative.

Ironically, despite Anathem’s strong rooting in science, I found several unrealistic aspects of the novel, which pulled me from my suspension of disbelief. Most of these revolved around the unrealistic roles of Erasmus and his young colleagues in the last third of the book.

Anathem seems written for the YA scientific geek. I’m glad I read it, but I think less science and a more realistic plot would have made it a better novel.

Great story buried under clunky dialogue that doesn't become obviously important until about 500-700 pages in. That's where it finally starts to drive the plot. Do yourself a solid and *don't* waste money or credits on the Audible version. Even sped up, they couldn't push through the dialogue faster than I could read and comprehend it in book form. Also, Stephenson sounds stoned through most of his readings which would explain why this feels like a trip back to the dorms hanging out smoking weed with other liberal arts students and science majors. I will say though that the pay off is sort of worth it. Ultimately though, this should have been a book of essays or a story, not both mashed together.

Title say's it all, as mentioned in other reviews Neal redefines the Sci fi genre. Whilst doing this he leads the reader on a very interesting philosophical discussion relating to the way we organise our societies and will have to continue to do so with the advent of the technological age (assuming we are still on the cusp of such an age). The science is maintained solidly throughout, only being pushed into fantastical realms to bring about the ending. As a tribute to the excellence of this work, the 'intellectual' discourse only adds to an amazingly captivating storyline that unfolds in such a way as to make this book very difficult to put down. Even once finished I found myself wanting more form the world he had created.

Words like tour-de-force and magnificent come to mind. BUT it took me two passes at this massive novel to complete it. I had given up on Anathem some years ago when it seemed to be going way too slow. Others have commented on the density of the vocabulary and length of what seemed like irrelevant scenes and dialogues. I only returned to the book after reading an article that mentioned Neal Stephenson and a bit about the real plot of Anathem (I had not gotten far enough to know this). So I picked up where I had left off and never looked back. Once the story reached the key plot point (will not reveal here) I was hooked. Yes, the language is often hard to understand without frequent reference to the glossary (unfortunately not easy to do on a Kindle) and the dialogues can be very pedantic. I recall a similar experience in reading the book "Goedel, Escher, Bach" by Douglas Hofstadter, in which each chapter is preceded by a dialogue between several fictional characters (animals) that illustrates a point to be featured in the chapter.

As a physicist I appreciate the depth and accuracy of the many technical situations the characters face. The speculative side of Anathem (Many-Worlds interpretation of quantum mechanics) was cleverly integrated into the fascinating story.

Once I got over the hump (about 30% into the novel) I could not put it down. I highly recommend Anathem to the reader who is looking for substance, story and (I am not embarrassed to say) inspiration.

In fact I found myself skipping a page or two when it got to be too much.

A lot of science fiction is about how technologies based on new ideas are implemented and affect societies. Neal Stephenson instead challenges readers to interact with the underlying ideas themselves. In the Baroque Cycle, that meant going back in our own history for fundamental ideas about science and economics. In Anathem it means going to an alternate universe for ideas about multiple worlds, universal truth, consciousness, and the future of technology.

For me the book works well at multiple levels. It's a coming-of-age journey (several intertwined ones actually) with more human warmth than most of Stephenson's books, and room for real characters to coalesce. The alternate universe has lots of depth, including lots of new words that give the universe flavor but also seem tantalizingly relevant to our own. The setting of the math (a sort of non-religious mathematical monastery) is an affectionate tribute to our own academic communities, past and present. The big ideas are accessible, presented in dialog form that is consistent with the setting, helps the reader, and evokes famous philosophical dialogues of our past. The history of the maths and how they preserve knowledge for the non-mathic world is an additional thought-provoking story about how we might interact with technology in our own future. And finally, Stephenson's writing is funny and stylish (though somewhat inhibited, I think, by the first-person narrative).

My only criticism is that after reading Anathem twice, around the time of the climax I feel a big gap between what we knew about multiple worlds up to that point and what Fraa Jad is apparently able to do (I'm being vague to avoid spoilers). It seems to me that the main characters (not just me) are left with little sense of what they or the Millenials could or should do next. I'm ok with an open ending, but somehow, this one didn't leave me with enough basis to think about different directions.

If you want lots of machines and explosions, you're better off reading 1,000 pages of a good military sci-fi series (I like those too). But if you want to be transported to an alternative universe full of interesting people and ideas for 16-20 hours, this book is for you. Personally I'm hoping for another book in this universe!

Neal Stephenson's tome ANATHEM is a wonderful science fiction allegory. He creates a cloistered mathic society whose believe system centers around geometric proofs and logic while the outside secular world goes along on it's own ignorance is bliss merry way. With a derivative invented language (e.g., anathem is from anthem and anathema; saunt is from saint and savant), a 5,000 year timeline backstory, and the politics and philosophy of religion metaphorically elaborated, the main characters struggle to face a threat to their whole planet. There are a lot of characters, many with parallels in our historical philosophy and religion, a lot of dialectical dialog that will probably need a second reading to fully comprehend, and an interesting sci-fi plot that takes a long time to unfold.
I am a Stephenson fan; I loved Snow Crash and the Baroque Cycle trilogy. Anathem is long, complicated, and so full of substance I heartily recommend it.

First and foremost I should say that I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

Stephenson is not a perfect writer. His ear both for dialog and for internal monologue leave something to be desired, and his efforts to deepen the reader's engagement with his world through the fabrication of a vocabulary for its inhabitants come off as sophomoric (for an example of how well this can work see "Riddley Walker" by Russell Hoban). However, none of this makes a bit of difference. Stephenson has imagined a world of great depth, beauty and sophistication and he delivers it to us primarily through the exposition of the physical. Digging into this any deeper would risk spoiling it for everyone but suffice it to say that knocking around in Neal's world was a delight.

I felt curiously let down when I finished "Anathem" not because the ending was a letdown - it wasn't (a little too cute, perhaps, but never mind that) - but because I had just come back from a place that I would never be able to visit again. I miss it even now.

I think this book translates better in the audio version than in the page turning venue. Someone else has had to go to the trouble to figure out the pronunciaion of Neal Stephenson's made up language. There is no time to stop reading and say "What?". The narrator just keeps on track and soon you're again caught up in the story.

My fellow reviewers who commented that this book is too long make a good point - an editor with 3 pounds of erasers would have done the book a service.

All in all, though, Stephenson takes us to an interesting place both in space and time. Maybe his math and science are not altogether sound but this IS a novel of fiction. If taken on face value, it's a fun read...bg

Almost all the reviews cover the difficulty of language, digressions from linear plot to esoteric praxis but it is an interesting concept that parallel worlds don't exist until we "see" them and if there is one variant in the decision tree the consequences are a changed narrative in all the worlds.

The plot and characters I enjoyed very much but maybe I am losing my patience as I age, it was a grind to read. Too much banal detail in many places to hold my attention. I had ot put this one down and shake the cobwebbs out of my head several times to get though it.

Another excellent piece from Neal Stephenson. The narrative is quite slow paced and mostly develops through dialogs, so if you are looking for action, don't bother. I found it a little bit difficult to get through Chapter 1, because you are not given many clues about the plot and initially it is hard to get your head around what's going on. But once you've overcome initial difficulties, you'll be rewarded with a thought provoking novel immersed with ideas from mathematics, phylosophy and physics presented from a very unusual angle.

To fully comprehend this book on first reading, you would need to be conversant with higher-level algebra and probably mathematics advanced beyond that, Platonic philosophy (the book is fundamentally ABOUT Platonism, actually) astronomy, physics, biology, and chemistry. It took me three readings to fully "get" everything, and I still only THINK I fully get everything - I might even be wrong.

Anathem might be a kind of science fiction for some, I guess. For me it seems to be a thought experiment written by a brilliant and remarkable author. It is certainly unlike anything I have ever read before, including one of Stephenson's earlier books. It's truly stunning, rich, detailed and coherent -- a complete view of a future world with more than a few nods to reality through humor.

This is not an easy read -- it took me a while to come along for the process of constructing this alternate world, having its own vocabulary, context and intricate plot. But once you're past this hurdle, the story, characters, ideas and concept becomes more clear. Forge on, have courage.

Beyond the fantastic elements, and the sometimes labored model of reality created, there is a great deal more in Anathem than a story. It's really a kind of philosophy in prose, abstract and conceptual, describing the human condition. Not infrequent rambles into the details of the philosophical are sometime trying or in a couple places a bit overwrought. But it seems to all fit into a coherent, terrifying and delightful idea.

I also have read many books by Murakami. In each case it's a challenge to describe the book without recognizing that it more than just a little ... weird. But books are personal so if you like weird, and I do, then let your imagination run wild.

So yes, bizarre, to be sure. It's a geeky kind of read at times, which appeals to my geeky side. It's not a romance or mystery or any other genre, even including science fiction. And while it's definitely a novel, and has plot and character, it defies any classification I can describe. I can be sure that this is not a book for everyone. It takes a rather great leap of imagination to accept the premise and other oddities. But in bizarreness there is something far deeper.

In the end, this is a book about the dangers of the human mind, but also the potential. As I mull over the ideas, I am cheered. Maybe things will be ok after all ... as long as you're thinking five or ten millennia ahead :-)

Best book I have ever read. Hands down my favorite. I have been reading it twice a year for the last 4 or five years. The first time I read it the dialogue and terms were a little hard to follow, but the more immersed I became, the more the verbiage felt natural. Oh, how I love the purple dragon story!

Anathem, Neal Stephenson's latest work explores theoretic physics, cosmology as well as an alternative universe in the world of Arbe. Stephenson combines these different ideas into a powerful narrative that can be a challenge to get started but well worth it. You can think of this book as a bit of a cross between an academic discourse on physics, cosmology, theology and religion combined with a personal quest and the revelation of a broader worldview.

Anathem is Sophie's World, meets Hawking's a moment in time, Plato's dialogues, meets any number of personal quest novels. Given the books length and complexity I would like to offer a review focusing on how to get the most from this book as its easy to lose interest in the beginning

The book can be thought of as having four parts. The first 200 pages or so can be thought of as "welcome to the world of Arbe." The opening of the book builds the context and construct of Arbe, the society, the role of the maths, etc. You will need to make an investment in this first section in order to get the payoff of Stephenson's writing in the latter chapters. That payoff is smart observations that come from the reader being suddenly able to connect with the character in a personal way. Stephenson's other books did not need this big build up because they dealt with an extension of our world either in to the future or the past. This originally makes the first 200 pages tough going, but once you break out of this first part.

The second part could be called the "quest" or "chasing Orlo" and it picks up the pace and brings the reader along. These 200 or so pages are more like Stephenson's other books, particularly the second book in the "Baroque Cycle." The movement and exercising of the ideas and world built up in the first part really come to life.

With the context established and the characters in motion, the next part shifts gears as the nature of the antagonist is revealed. This third can be thought of as "the tutorial" where the characters actions settle down, but their minds and ideas run ahead. This part contains the dialogues and explanation of cosmology, physics, metaphysics that form the ideas in the book. This slowing down and the weight of the ideas read more like the book "Sophie's World" This part is like the first part and you have to pay attention, but the payoff is even bigger.

In the final 200 pages or so comes the conclusion that brings it all together. True to form, Stephenson puts the players in motion and their actions illustrate and provide examples of the ideas discussed in the third part. The way Stephenson brings ideas of cosmology, causality, physics and philosophy together is simply unique and enjoyable.

When you get to the end of the book, you realize that the book itself is an illustration of the ideas it discusses and the expression of ideas between worlds. It's rare that the object becomes the expression of the idea and that is what makes it special.

I am glad that I made the early investment in the book. Anathem is good, but its not Stephenson's best book. Anathem is like Zodiac, one of Stephenson's first. That book, which I highly recommend, is a good story but it reflects a story line that is less developed than his latter works.

In many ways Anathem is like Zodiac. Anathem is Stephenson's first novel exploring creating an artificial universe and it shows a number of same aspects of this early novel. Zodiac was a great book and the progress that Stephenson made from Zodiac to Snowcrash makes him a singular writer. If Anathem is his first effort at creating complete universes, then we have much to look forward to.

The first two thirds of Anathema are gripping, almost a page turner. But then suddenly the writing deteriorates as if you are reading a cross between a product manual and a first, rough draft. The ending is predictable, and not worth the reader's time and effort.

Neal Stephenson's new book, "Anathem", shows he's once again left the bounds of traditional Spec-Fic behind. Just as with the Baroque Cycle, wherein the reader, initially disappointed at the absence of VR and nanobots, eventually recognises that an 'historical' novel from a rationalist's POV, is a kind of backward-looking sci-fi story about the planet Earth, Stephenson takes us beyond Herbert's world-building and gives us the SF novel as a 'Principia Mathematica' of sociology.
I've read, in the NYTimes Book Review, that Neal's new book doesn't contain sufficient story-telling for their tastes. That's the trouble with the non-SF reader, they never understand that the Ideas are the story in speculative fiction. Mr. Stephenson's video interview even has him apologizing for the wordiness of some of the book's threads. I think he's being too hard on himself. When Sci-Fi gets too artsy for its own good, the fresh perspectives and original thoughts get shorter shrift. Look at Clarke and Asimov--talk about some stilted writing--but they got their ideas through to readers. Mr. Stephenson is more an artist where those earlier writers, by necessity, were teachers of sorts. Therefore, he's more likely to be misunderstood by the marketplace (artists always are). Nevertheless, for those of us who enjoy taking our cerebellums out for a walk in the fresh air, there is no better writer working today and this, his latest book, walks farther than I've ever been before. I believe Neil's only problem will be topping himself ever again.

Intelligent, original, delightful, difficult, moving, funny, touching, imaginative, wonderfully long; and Neal Stephenson uses comprise correctly several times. The Audible edition is excellent, as is the Kindle.