Rating: 
Summary: Beautifully written, but a bit on the short side, perhaps?
Review: I truly love the way Stephenson describes details in the world he has created. A main theme running through the book is an idea of colors, and his use of incredible descriptions blew my mind at times, and I just had to go, "Wow, that is a powerful metaphor."I also really dig the little break-ups he has between every few chapters, when it switches days, with a good device of delivering info in the form of a magazine that comes out in the universe we are reading about. This is wonderful, because you don't have characters explaining things to people where they would OBVIOUSLY understand what they are talking about, because it is such a pertinant part of their culture. Alas, the only part I didn't enjoy was there should have been more description and understanding of what makes up certain parts of the world. Understandably this is a made-up place (hopefully) and rules aren't really in practice as we know them, but at times I felt like I was struggling to understand what EXACTLY was going on. So I had to make up several rules to make situations fit in my brain. This is the only reason it didn't get 5 stars. Incest, a wonderful ending, and kickin' adjectives make this a very amazing read.
Rating: 
Summary: Enjoyable light reading; just don't take it seriously
Review: This is a very imaginative book, full of details about a highly digital future Earth, complete with an Internet-based simulated world called the Metaverse. A mysterious menace by the name of "Snow Crash" is unleashed upon the Earth and the Metaverse. It seemingly turns people into stupid herd creatures that speak in tongues. It can also make smart hackers totally lose their minds and turn into vegetables. Our hero and heroine set out to fight this evil not really knowing what it is: is it a computer virus, a disease, or a drug? How are an unbelievably macho thug, the President of the United States, and the world's greatest monopolist connected to "Snow Crash"? And why are some 4000-year-old clay tablets from Sumer the key to the whole mystery? The book is set up really well. The initial premises make a lot of sense, unlike a certain other famous cyberpunk book. This initial phase lasts for about 100 of the 470 pages. The rest of the book is full of either uninspired Hollywood-esque action (chases and violence) or else outrageous conjectures about Sumerian mythology and their connection to the Three Great Religions (excuse me, Mr Stephenson, ever heard of a part of the world that lay to the east of Sumer?). Stephenson clearly took pains to research his material. I know this, having read one of his sources about Sumerian civilisation. But all research is useless if you are going to use it for PSEUDOINTELLECTUALISM and alas, that is exactly what you get from this book. Eventually, this religion/mythology thing gets so irritating that one is glad to return to the straightforward fights and flights. Our hero and heroine eventually save the day and kill the badguys, so all ends well. (Or does it? There's that unfinished business with the nuclear bomb.)
Rating: 
Summary: Snow Trash?
Review: There are some good ideas in this book.
There are also some good situations, described well too.
There are even some fairly good plots. What turns me off about this book is that the political factor submerged in this book seems to amount to a Christian critique of some of the evangelical and totalist practices that some of the (current) smaller christian sects seem to practice (speaking in tongues, etc.). Add the Mafia propaganda to that (italian underground) and all the biblical details, and Neal Stephenson comes accross as a devout Catholic. An interesting book if you overlook what seems to be an attempt to create a christian Cyber-Punk novel. Unfortunately I had a difficult time doing this. Saying this, I must point out that my interpretation might be off the wall, and not at all be true. Read it for yourself and decide .. or maybe not!
Rating: 
Summary: This was a great "cyberpunk" book
Review: I really did like this book much more than I thought, but, then again, I've liked other books by Neal Stephenson (such as "Cryptonomicon"), so this is no big stretch for me. And, actually, reading this book and search for more "cyberpunk" books like it led me to one called "Darkeye: Cyber Hunter" that was really strangely written, but was still good and, in my humble opinion, a good companion piece for any "cyberpunk" books.
Rating:
Summary: Cyberpunk Pizza Delivery
Review: Around half-way through this book, I needed to put it down for a bit. It all seemed a bit too much. Neal Stephenson writes in a way that is shocking. The subject matter is so over the top that it shouldn't make any type of sense. Why would skateboards use harpoons on cars? Who goes to Pizza college? Why does the main character carry a Katana? But it really all does make sense. That's why the book seems overwhelming. The future he paints is so bizzare that it's easy to understand. Unlike Neuromancer with it's "plausible" 1980's view of the future, this book takes the future, puts in everything random and ties it together in a way it all makes sense. Even further, the language in the book is great as well. It's not filled with cursing, like many a cyberpunk book, and it feels upbeat despite the fact it's dystopian. A line that stood out to me in it is where they talk about Rastarfarian gunslingers in Compton. They never went into detail when you read it, but it makes sense. This book is a reccomend for either fans of Cyberpunk, or fans of the obscure, and slightly strange.
Rating:
Summary: a post-post modern masterpiece
Review: Snow crash is an avalache of a novel, which picks you up and overwhelm s you with it's mix of cool gadgets, summerian mythology, fast action and names like Hiro Protagonist or Vitaly Chernobyl.
In my opinion this is the best book by Stephenson, 'cause here he doesn't let his interest in the detailes of the world get into the way of the actual story (as he sadly did in Diamond Age, for example). The story defies description in a few words, and moreover, you don't want to read what it's about. But it starts with a pizza delivery man who works for mafia (and mafia here is official), but who is also an uber hacker.
And for his antagonist - how about a guy, with an a-bomb strapped to his bike, and a chip in his head - if he dies, the bomb goes off.
Mixing "Matrix"-style action (allthough it was written years before "Matrix") and "Da Vinci Code"-like revelations about history and religion this book will delight fans of cyber punk and other readers alike.
Rating:
Summary: Snow Crash best in genre
Review: Snow crash is good science fiction. If you are looking for a deep-thought sci-fi, then you're knocking at the wrong doorstep. Neal Stephenson is an awesome writer; this is a highly entertaining book and the best in the cyber punk genre. This book is best for mature readers.
Rating:
Summary: Haiku Review
Review: Many great ideas,
Few connect well with the plot.
First chapter makes book!
Rating:
Summary: Good imagery, cool gadgets, not much depth
Review: I have bought and read this book after I've seen all the positive reviews about it on amazon dot com. How can a book with so many positive feedbacks not be an interesting book? It does start out interesting when the characters are introduced and you're drawn into the story. The concept behind the meaning of "snow crash" in the book, this "drug", is very intriguing and the author skillfully combines historical references with his imaginary world. About 1/4th through the book it just stopped being fun for me. Neil Stephenson really likes to describe action scenes as directly as possible, not leaving a lot to your imagination. I think this book was spoiled by too many and overdone action scenes which are just not essential to the plot. Battle here, a chase there, but every one of them sounds just like a movie script, which I found boring. Other than that this book is at least average in its interest value. You have to read it just because its so popular.
Also, reading it may prove a valuable experience because you'll see the kind of style its written in, and it is truly unique.
Rating:
Summary: One of my all time favorites.
Review: If you love Science Fiction this is a "must read". If you don't despise Science Fiction this is a "must read". This is Neal Stephenson's most important and prolific work (keep in mind it was written in the early nineties) that (in my opinion) galvanized the Cyberpunk Genre and lent it's style to so many popular books and movies since (not to mention clothes and music). I won't go into the content of the book, or offer specific reasons I loved it so much... I will however let you know that I've read something in the range of 500 or so books and would qualify this as one of my favorites; and depending on the day, I might say it's my favorite book ever. Enjoy.
| 
