The Diamond Age

By: Neal Stephenson

Narrated by: Jennifer Wiltsie

Length: 18 hrs and 32 mins

Publisher's summary

In Snow Crash, Neal Stephenson took science fiction to dazzling new levels. Now, in The Diamond Age, he delivers another stunning tale. Set in 21st-century Shanghai, it is the story of what happens when a state-of-the-art interactive device falls into the hands of a street urchin named Nell. Her life, and the entire future of humanity, is about to be decoded and reprogrammed.

©1995 Neal Stephenson (P)2001 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

• Hugo Award Winner, Best Novel, 1996

• Locus Award Winner, Best Novel, 1996

"The Quentin Tarantino of postcyberpunk science fiction." (The Village Voice)
"[He] is the hottest science fiction writer in America." (Details)

SKULL GUN

VOMITING PROFANITY
COLONIZE THE SOFA
This book is filled with great language. It has advanced Science Fiction gadgets and cultures. It has Dragons and Fables It tries to be all things to all people, which like usual means the plot struggles to be clear. This is probably one of the most well written books Jim, the Impatient had to give up on.

Essentially the plot becomes a psychology play with lots of symbolism, etc. I am old fashioned and need a story I can sink my teeth into. Taken separately, parts of the book are great. I also like peanut butter and I like pickles, but I don't want them together. NS had a character in the beginning who was very engaging and interesting, but that character took a long walk off a short pier and was never heard from again. A lot of people love this and you may be one of them, I got almost half way through, but could not keep my mind from wondering to other things.

The Diamond Age

Neal Stephenson's 'The Diamond Age' is a fantastic SciFi novel which looks into a future filled with next generation Internet-like constructs and nano-technological innovation and their effect on the socio-economic disparities in our world today. Synthetic rice puts 30 million Asian peasants out of work, every material needed can be "compiled" from a "matter-feed" at home, national borders are rendered obsolete, though nations still exist and apply their laws in a trade-agreement sort of fashion. The ideas are amazing, and yet that was just background for a very touching story about a little girl from an impoverished an abusive home, named "Nell" who through happenstance acquires "The Young Lady's Illustrated Primer", an interactive book, originally meant for the daughter of a wealthy upper-class "equity-lord". The novel follows Nell through her self-education with the Primer from the ages of 4 to 20, during which she runs away from her abusive stepfather, finds solace with another group, and ultimately becomes a revolutionary (the true purpose of the Primer). I very much enjoyed the tale, and Stephenson has some very up-to-date ideas on India and China, and where the world will probably end up in a 100 years.

A Wonderful Suprise

I couldn't figure out where the story was going, or what it all meant, but I wasn't meant to. A marvelously crafted and sophisticated sci-fi story, with great characters.

Wonderfully Creative,

So much of this book is wonderfully creative ideas placed in a dynamic political setting. It explores some of the best and worst aspects of being human. I can't help felling a little disappointed in the books ending. There is so much material covered that there needs to be another book to bring closure. The ending to this book came sudden and unexpected.

What was the point?

I thought the narration was most excellent and truly that is what carried me through. In the end I was left simply wondering what was the point? This novel made utterly no sense. Good prose, the primer was a great concept but so much nonsense got in the way that it made short work to tear away at the good starting ideas that the book had to offer.

Neal does it again!

The Diamond Age has many of the hallmarks of previous ventures:<ul><li> Vast in scope and imagination</li><li>Asian culture lovingly integrated</li><li> Compelling plot</li> <li> Excellent research and accurate detail</li> <li> A compelling scientific imagined future</li> </ul>
In addition, I find his characters in this novel to be more fully drawn. They are less the abstractions and tools of exposition than I found them to be in his later novels. (Cryptonomicon and Snow Crash, both of which I throughly enjoyed, by the way.)

The protagonist (not Hiro) is Nell, a four year old in a not so nice situation. I was deeply moved by the story several times. Perhaps because I have young children of my own.

I did not find the length to be an issue. I enjoyed every minute and wished there was more.

The narration was both sublime and a little distracting. The actress was excellent, but all the men sounded like they were in a helium filled room. It took about half the book for me to get used to it. Perhaps a different strategy should be employed in the future. The women's voices however, were exquisitely rendered and I enjoyed them greatly.

Lost me towards the end

I was completely enthralled by the first half of this story. Stephenson developed a fascinating world with wonderful characters and a number of poignant moments.

By the time I was halfway through, though, I started to get lost. Stephenson raced ahead, without leaving many landmarks to help the reader adjust to the rapidly-expanding scope of the book. One plotline is ignored for nearly the entire second half of the book. I think the book would have benefited enormously from being a little bit longer and a little bit more deliberate.

Worth My Patience - Brilliant Reader

I had a couple of false starts with this book. With all the technical info in the beginning, it took me - on the third try - almost three hours before I was finally hooked. It was worth it.

One complaint though is the rushed ending. That seems to be the way of it lately. It's almost as if the author gets tired of writing and just says, "I am ending this now!" Unsatisfying for this reader.

Jennifer Wiltsie is extremely talented and handled the technical aspects so well, that I think without her, I may not have ever gotten to finish this great book. Also, her many various voices and accents were perfectly and seamlessly read. I can't think of a better job reading in all the years I've been an Audible subscriber.

Started out great, then sputtered

The first half of the story was outstanding. After that, it began to lose its way. By the end, I was struggling to stick with it.

Wonderful!

Rich, literary sci-fi that is inclusive to women in a sane way that most male writers fail to achieve. Wonderful story and truly great performance.