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80s nostalgia with a clever concept, but weak narrative
3 stars
Overall this was a fun read. The world itself is quite dystopian, but the OASIS is incredible. It feels like a very natural evolution of today's online society, for better or worse. Some of the plot can feel a little sluggish with the exposition and the slowdown in the second arc of the book, but it has a good payoff at the end. The characters are OK, but not developed as well as the focus is almost solely on the main character Parzival and his obsession with the 80s, the hunt, and Art3mis. I think the concept behind this (and the nostalgia) was pretty good, though the narrative could have been better, both in terms of characters and plot.
An enjoyable and quick read. Nostalgia is bound together by a fairly predictable plot line. I wanted to go back and create a playlist of all the music mentioned, but I borrowed the book from a co-worker and needed to return it.
To be honest it's been a while since I read the book so don't expect a full in depht review. Sorry.
I liked it, quite a lot indeed. I also enjoy playing video games and 90% of the action occours on a video game. I think that, as always, the book is quite superior compared to the movie.
In conclussion: I recomend it if you like cifi stuff.
Review of 'Ready Player One (Ready Player One, #1)' on 'Goodreads'
2 stars
I didn't find this book as objectionable as some reviewers seem to have, but I will say that the author really can go on and on with descriptions in some places. That happens especially heavy-handedly towards the first part of the book, which kept me from finishing it as quickly as I might normally. The stacks on stacks on stacks of 80s cultural references really, really started to wear on me, though, and that's speaking as someone who graduated high school in the 80s. It felt so much like an endless "wink wink nudge nudge" name drop that after a while, nothing stood out and my mind started to numb out in a haze of Duran Duran, Family Ties, Atari, and John Hughes films.
The second half flew by a bit faster, with more action, though I felt like the ending fell flat for me, like a quick wrap-up and …
I didn't find this book as objectionable as some reviewers seem to have, but I will say that the author really can go on and on with descriptions in some places. That happens especially heavy-handedly towards the first part of the book, which kept me from finishing it as quickly as I might normally. The stacks on stacks on stacks of 80s cultural references really, really started to wear on me, though, and that's speaking as someone who graduated high school in the 80s. It felt so much like an endless "wink wink nudge nudge" name drop that after a while, nothing stood out and my mind started to numb out in a haze of Duran Duran, Family Ties, Atari, and John Hughes films.
The second half flew by a bit faster, with more action, though I felt like the ending fell flat for me, like a quick wrap-up and get the hell out sort of ending. I would have liked to have seen more time given to the brief mentions of what was happening in the world outside of the OASIS; the story really glosses over all these potential plot points/driving forces.
Also, so much deus ex machina... so so much.
One thing I'll say about the movie vs the book - they plumped up the main villain a bit more. Because I was expecting SO MUCH MORE from the main IOI guy and it was like... okay?
Anyway. Yeah. It was about what I expected, the second half is better than the first, and the ending was a letdown. Do I regret reading it? No, but I did get that itchy, annoying feeling that I get whenever I'm around gatekeeper types who want to suck the fun out of my geek obsessions - which is a bummer when I'm just looking for light fun in my read.
Review of 'Ready Player One (Ready Player One, #1)' on 'Goodreads'
5 stars
Ready Player One est un magnifique hommage aux années 80, un autel dédié à l’apport de cette décennie, à ses jeux vidéos, ses films, sa musique, … Même si je les aies ratées de peu (allez quoi, j’y ai passé deux ans, c’est bon quoi !), j’avoue que j’ai une énorme affection pour cette période et que ses films ont quand même bercés mon enfance et adolescence. C’était donc un bonheur de se plonger dans ce livre et de rejoindre son personnage principal pendant ces quelques centaines de pages.
Le livre présente un futur qui n’est pas beau à voir, où l’être humain s’est enfermé dans une simulation virtuelle plutôt que de faire face aux problèmes du monde réel, une idée que j’ai tendance à trouver aussi terrifiante que plausible. Mais le livre arrive à faire la jonction entre la culture « geek » et une mise en garde. Loin …
Ready Player One est un magnifique hommage aux années 80, un autel dédié à l’apport de cette décennie, à ses jeux vidéos, ses films, sa musique, … Même si je les aies ratées de peu (allez quoi, j’y ai passé deux ans, c’est bon quoi !), j’avoue que j’ai une énorme affection pour cette période et que ses films ont quand même bercés mon enfance et adolescence. C’était donc un bonheur de se plonger dans ce livre et de rejoindre son personnage principal pendant ces quelques centaines de pages.
Le livre présente un futur qui n’est pas beau à voir, où l’être humain s’est enfermé dans une simulation virtuelle plutôt que de faire face aux problèmes du monde réel, une idée que j’ai tendance à trouver aussi terrifiante que plausible. Mais le livre arrive à faire la jonction entre la culture « geek » et une mise en garde. Loin de condamner les jeux-vidéos et consorts, il s’en sert comme tremplin pour une prise de conscience écologique.
Le personnage de Wade est attachant, un peu maladroit, complètement geek, avec une connaissance encyclopédique de tout ce qui touche aux années 80, mais coincé dans un corps d’adolescent avec les problèmes que l’on connait à cette période on s’y attache extrêmement facilement, on saute de joie quand il réussit une action, on se gratte la tête avec, on en devient dingue !
Si au début j’ai mis du temps à rentrer dans l’histoire, je me suis retrouvé à littéralement dévorer ce livre à toute vitesse, mettant en pause toute autre activité juste pour réussir à voir l’histoire se dérouler. J’ai ri, pleuré, ajouté un nombre incalculable de musiques dans mes playlists, de films à voir, mais **** que j’ai aimé cette histoire !
Bref, si les années 80 vous obsèdent, si vous y êtes nés, si vous adorez les jeux vidéos ou la science fiction, dévorez ce livre à toute vitesse !
Review of 'Ready Player One (Ready Player One, #1)' on 'Goodreads'
5 stars
GRIPPING. Absolutely gripping. I couldn't put it down. This is not a book for young adults, but if you have any interest in video game culture and history at all, you should read this.
Also, it's thrilling. The review on my copy said "Willy Wonka meets Harry Potter," and it's true. They're protecting the world they love and bringing others to justice. They're chasing clues and scavenging items. They're marching through a nearly-real manifestation of the 1980s and commenting on its effects on the modern world.
Review of 'Ready Player One (Ready Player One, #1)' on 'Goodreads'
3 stars
Ready Player One is a celever romp through 80's geek culture, set in a moderately interesting world. While I was moved to finish it, I'm not sure how it will stand the test of time. In tone, it reminded me of Redshirts by Scalzi, which I think did a better job of integrating the nostalgic material into the story.
Review of 'Ready Player One (Ready Player One, #1)' on 'Goodreads'
4 stars
This was a very enjoyable and fast read. It had the same vibe as Little Brother (although LB has more political/ philosophical weight) with a protagonist who is uber-smart, geeky and struggling against social inequity and 'forces of darkness'. The adventures and puzzles he faces and the solutions he comes up with are all very satisfying and I didn't mind that it side-stepped the problem of how to fix up the real world portrayed in the book. Oh and for a person like me 'of a certain age' I loved all the Eighties references, in fact I'm digging out my DVD of War Games right now...
