Post by Ryan_MYeah on Mar 19, 2018 20:24:17 GMT
I picked this up the beginning of the week, and I finally finished speed reading through it. Quite the engaging read, if riddled with issues.
I absolutely love the idea of pop culture escapism with modern VR taken to such an extreme level. What we’re treated to is a book that manages to pay tribute and celebrate unabashed geek culture, but also poke holes in the ubiquitous ignorant bubbles of that escapism. This normally could feel like a hypocritical having cake and eating it, but Ernest Cline finds a nice balance. It’s not that nostalgia and escapism is anything to be demonized or ashamed of, but by burying ourselves so deep into it that we remain blissfully ignorant of the outside world, that when the damage really begins to sink in. After a while, the narrative makes it very hard to separate what’s real, and what’s simulation, and I like that intentionally jarring sensation.
But... this book often makes the mistake of applying pop culture references to the story just because. No jokes, no significance to plot, it’s the equivalent of someone name-dropping famous people or properties, but it contributes absolutely nothing to the conversation, and most of the time it contributes nothing to the narrative. Early on, it’s especially irritating, but thankfully it starts letting up.
Furthermore, Wade isn’t an immediately endearing presence, and in fact I actually found him quite grating through the early stretches. But once the consequences of his overnight fame finally sink in, and the book starts hitting its stride, he becomes more tolerable a presence. And while I appreciate the genre mash ups that play like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory as written by Philip K. Dick, you have to be in a certain mood to enjoy it, as it essentially boils down to pure teenage wish fulfillment (complete with manic pixie dream girl). And like most novels, there’s also quite a bit of padding and fat.
Nevertheless, I can see why Spielberg gravitated towards this, as it feels like a classic Amblin narrative warts and all. Granted, there’s much of the book I really hope he either alters or chucks out a window like Jurassic Park, and the advertising seems to indicate that’s exactly what he’s doing. Really hope he can knock this out of the park.
I absolutely love the idea of pop culture escapism with modern VR taken to such an extreme level. What we’re treated to is a book that manages to pay tribute and celebrate unabashed geek culture, but also poke holes in the ubiquitous ignorant bubbles of that escapism. This normally could feel like a hypocritical having cake and eating it, but Ernest Cline finds a nice balance. It’s not that nostalgia and escapism is anything to be demonized or ashamed of, but by burying ourselves so deep into it that we remain blissfully ignorant of the outside world, that when the damage really begins to sink in. After a while, the narrative makes it very hard to separate what’s real, and what’s simulation, and I like that intentionally jarring sensation.
But... this book often makes the mistake of applying pop culture references to the story just because. No jokes, no significance to plot, it’s the equivalent of someone name-dropping famous people or properties, but it contributes absolutely nothing to the conversation, and most of the time it contributes nothing to the narrative. Early on, it’s especially irritating, but thankfully it starts letting up.
Furthermore, Wade isn’t an immediately endearing presence, and in fact I actually found him quite grating through the early stretches. But once the consequences of his overnight fame finally sink in, and the book starts hitting its stride, he becomes more tolerable a presence. And while I appreciate the genre mash ups that play like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory as written by Philip K. Dick, you have to be in a certain mood to enjoy it, as it essentially boils down to pure teenage wish fulfillment (complete with manic pixie dream girl). And like most novels, there’s also quite a bit of padding and fat.
Nevertheless, I can see why Spielberg gravitated towards this, as it feels like a classic Amblin narrative warts and all. Granted, there’s much of the book I really hope he either alters or chucks out a window like Jurassic Park, and the advertising seems to indicate that’s exactly what he’s doing. Really hope he can knock this out of the park.