Anathem

If you know me well, or just follow my blog, you already know that I am a huge fan of Neal Stephenson.  The man is a marvel, with  encyclopedic knowledge and the ability to make you appreciate and enjoy a huge variety subjects that you may or may not completely understand.

That being said, I thought – for the first few pages – that I had finally found a Stephenson book I didn’t like.  Somewhere around page 25, that changed.  I was hooked.  I couldn’t put it down.  I finished it last night, and may start it again tomorrow.

Today would be too soon. 

All Stephenson books exercise the mind, but Anathem  is a mental marathon.  If most of his tales correspond to swimming pool exercises at the retirement home, this one is more like running through a maze in a muddy minefield with a full military pack.

I won’t go into detail about the story, but if you’ve enjoyed other Stephenson offerings, you should try it.  If not, you should run – not walk – away.