Anathem

De: Neal Stephenson

Narrado por: Oliver Wyman, Tavia Gilbert, William Dufris, Neal Stephenson

Fraa Erasmus is a young avout living in the Concent of Saunt Edhar, a sanctuary for mathematicians, scientists, and philosophers, protected from the corrupting influences of the "Saecular" world by ancient stone, honored traditions, and complex rituals.

Over the centuries, cities, and governments have risen and fallen beyond the concent's walls. Three times during history's darkest epochs, bloody violence born of superstition and ignorance has invaded and devastated the cloistered mathic community. Yet always the avout have managed to adapt in the wake of catastrophe, becoming out of necessity more austere and less dependent on technology and material things. Erasmus, however, has no fear of the outside - the Extramuros - for the last of the terrible times was long, long ago.

Now, in celebration of the week-long, once-in-a-decade rite of Apert, the fras and suurs prepare to venture outside the concent's gates - opening them wide at the same time to welcome the curious "extras" in.

During his first Apert as a fra, Erasmus eagerly anticipates reconnecting with the landmarks and family he hasn't seen since he was "collected". But before the week is out, both the existence he abandoned and the one he embraced will stand poised on the perilous brink of cataclysmic change.

Powerful unforeseen forces threaten the peaceful stability of mathic life and the established ennui of the Extramuros - a threat that only an unsteady alliance of Saecular and avout can oppose - as, one by one, Raz's colleagues, teachers, and friends are all called forth from the safety of the concent in hopes of warding off global disaster.

Suddenly burdened with a worlds-shattering responsibility, Erasmus finds himself a major player in a drama that will determine the future of everything - as he sets out on an extraordinary odyssey that will carry him to the most dangerous, inhospitable corners of an unfamiliar planet...and far beyond.

©2008 Neal Stephenson (P)2008 Macmillan Audio

weird writing style and performance problems

I was hoping for something similar to Seveneves, but was sorely disappointed.it was an interesting topic and story, but the injection of all the made up words took away from the story rather than added to it. also, something was wrong with the volume normalization because the narrator's voice would sometimes become much louder or quieter, which was really annoying.

lots and lots of pontificating over theories

this book was a struggle. lots and lots (and lots) of detailed dialogue about philosophy and scientific theories....loosely based on our world. Who is the person reading this book and wanting to hear the characters pontificate at length about scientific theory, other than maybe scientists? If you need a glimpse into the dialogue you can expect, look no further than the authors acknowledgements: https://www.nealstephenson.com/acknowledgments.html

I read technical material all day long at work. In my free time I read (listen) to books to relax and be entertained. We all have our own definition of what qualifies as such. Anathem is not part of that definition for me.

Brilliantly imaginative but needlessly verbose

I enjoyed the speculation about an infinite number of realities and the linkage of these by the human mind. I also enjoyed his description of the various casts of this society and the problems associated with integrating disparate philosophies often leading to ghastly consequences ,but couldn’t he have done it with fewer words.

Second try was successful

I tried this book when it came out. I could not penetrate the jargon and lore in written form. But, as an audiobook, I was able to surmount this book disguised as a brick 🧱

Vast and incredible

I know you’re looking at a 30 some hour investment here on this book but every hour seems to flow faster than the last. And don’t get me wrong that’s not without its slow and methodical beginnings but if you can lose yourself into a wonderfully created world and let it wrap up your imagination then even the slowest parts of this book can be enjoyed. The story is unlike any I’ve been fortunate enough to experience it is not my personal favorite but without a question it is objectively outstanding in my experience as a reader and easily finds itself within a top 10 best fiction novels I’ve ever read.