The Cobweb

Rating:
Summary: A pretty good book with a pretty mediocre ending
Review: Although the 'hero'(Clyde Banks) was a very intriguing character and the portions of the book dedicated to his story were great, the other parts of the book were good but a little flat compared to Clyde's. All in all... a good read and worth the 7 bucks.

Rating:
Summary: More like Ross Thomas than Neal Stephenson
Review: As with "Interface," the question here is, how much is this like Neal Stephenson?

There are occasional touches of Stephenson, but on the whole, "The Cobweb" is much less like Stephenson's work than "Interface" was. Although there are some nerdy characters -- a Stephenson staple -- there is much less emphasis on science than in his own works, or even "Interface." That is, unless you count political science.

In that regard, "The Cobweb" seems more like the fiction of Ross Thomas and his political thrillers than Neal Stephenson's works.

On its own, "The Cobweb" is a fine read. It is essentially a revisionist tale of the Gulf War. While the book begins in early 1990 before the war, and ends in February 1991, before the end of the war, the war takes on tremendous significance. What if Iraqi terrorists were creating biological weapons at U.S. universities? On the whole, this is a more successful revision of history than "American Hero" (the basis for "Wag the Dog") was.

Rating:
Summary: The Cobweb by Stephen bury
Review: Don't let the pen name fool you. Bury is really cracksf writer Neal Stephenson and his uncle writing together.They have crafted an incredible thriller here. The book focuses on a small town in Iowa and how it and its' inhabitants play a crucial role in Desert Storm. It seems that Eastern Iowa State may conceal a biological weapons factory for Saddam Hussein. Deputy sherrif Clyde Banks begins to discover this as his wife is called up in the Army reserves. He becomes entwined with the CIA, FBI, foreign graduate students/spies/freedom fighters and more.

The narrative builds momentum until every page DEMANDS to be turned. I decided to read a few pages before bed and now I'm looking at the sunrise.

Rating:
Summary: Cobweb = Middle of the Road
Review: I did not know Neil Stephenson wrote Cobweb under the "Bury" name. (Just finished his "Cryptonomicon": great book but too long). The Cobweb is a frightening peak at the production of bioweapons of mass destruction, made of course in America, and sold to, you guessed it, Iraq. The scenario/plot is realistic enough but the dialog and characters often seem rather contrived and formulaic. If you have nothing else to read, this book is it. At least you'll learn what "cobwebbing" is. IF you have another book that's better, read it instead.

Rating:
Summary: Loved this book!
Review: I have always wondered why this was not a mass-market bestseller. Three quarters of the books on the front rack aren't nearly this good. Good plot, decent main character and plenty of wry humor from the prairie. Who could ask for more?

Rating:
Summary: Thoroughly Enjoyable Read
Review: This book unfolds in typical Neal Stephenson style, with alternating chapters about seemingly unrelated characters whose lives increasingly interact with each other in unexpected ways. In this book, the characters are immensely likeable (to this reviewer, anyway) and their actions and feelings ring true--details that are funny and heart-warming, never too-clever or superfluous. Unlike the typical Neal Stephenson style, however, the book does NOT start out strong and progressively get weaker. Rather, the plot unfolds steadily and in a most pleasing manner from start to finish. Even if the underlying premise is a bit tough to swallow, there are no annoying holes in the plot. This reviewer has read all of Neal Stephenson's books, and considers this book and "Snow Crash" his two best.

Rating:
Summary: an engrossing, biting, political thriller
Review: This novel is full of biting satire, of academia, small midwestern towns, and government. As an academic, I guffah'ed repeatedly at the wry descriptions of university politics and corruption! As after reading other books by Neil Stephenson, I desperately hope he branches into screenplays - the imagery in this novel is equally exquisitly detailed and creative!

Rating:
Summary: Above Average Thriller
Review: While this novel does not live up to the wild inventiveness and wacky humor that characterizes Stephenson's SF work, it is, in my opinion, still an above average thriller. The plot is compelling, the characters are fun, and the treatment of the various agencies and their motivations and bureaucratic techniques is nuanced (possibly based on Jewsbury's experience?).

Recommended for a pleasant long distance plane trip.

Rating:
Summary: clever and fun
Review: You're not likely to find a Stephenson fan out there who's more willing to praise his work. And as for Bury, well, all I can say is that this collaboration is 1 for 2. Everything that Interface is/was, The Cobweb is not. I was barely able to finish it, and I'm sorry I did. It's not so much that it's horribly bad...not at all...it's merely adequate, which comes as a shock based on the fact that *everything* else he's written has been flat-out superlative.