The Sword and Laser discussion

I could not finish it. I tried. I got 60% complete, but that is it.

Why? For a number of reasons.

The story is just not interesting to me. I am sure it is for others, but nothing of the plot has attached itself to me. I just don't care what is happening within the pages so I can not continue to read when I have other books waiting.

The characters are more caricature than characters. I understand them and am a bit amused at their individual devices, but just can't relate to any of them. I must admit I have trouble reading or watching movies without any personal investment within the characters or plot. I am sure it's me and not the book.

I did not know how I would deal with the second person aspect as I do not think I have read any with this type of voice, and at first it did not bother me (when there was only 3 perspectives I had to become). But it kept adding more character perspectives and I got lost and confused at the beginning of each chapter regarding who I was reading. It became a frustrating task for me. I have never been good with names.

But that is just me.

Update: I do like Charles Stross, I read Saturn's Children back in 2009 and gave it 4 stars. http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

Once I got past around 40% I felt the pace quicken and then around 60% I sort of flew through to the end of the book. If I had not pushed myself past the first part though I'd never had made it to the end. I did enjoy the last part of the book though and while some people complained about the pacing at the end and it stopping too abruptly I felt it fit the style of the book perfectly.

I have the same problem with names, unless a character is very vivid and distinct the names never really come to me because I just don't care about that character. Which I think is my biggest problem with this book, the second person point of view tries to make me feel like I'm the character but I know I'm not, so I end up viewing the characters as... I'm not sure, but it sure isn't characters.

Interesting- I'm about where the OP is and it's actually just now where the book has started to grab me. I came into it with a pretty bad attitude, since I only started on the book after I had heard Tom mention not really feeling it. However, it's really grown on me- and really piqued my interest once I got to Part 2.

The second person perspective was jarring, at first, but I've actually kind of grown to like it.

I just got the book from the library and with trepidation, will begin reading it this weekend.

Thomas wrote: "I just got the book from the library and with trepidation, will begin reading it this weekend."

Don't be worried. Like I said, it takes a while to get its feet but I liked the end and felt it really sped up as you went along. It did start slow though.

I suffered terribly all the way up to 45%, but I put in some time today and got up to 60%. I think I have enough traction in it now to sprint to the end, but jeez, it's not you, it's the book!

It took me a long time to get past page 50, because I just wasn't very interested and other books were singing their siren songs. THANK GOD there is more going on than just the cop story. I like the quirky ambassador guy. But I'm still only 1/3 in or so. It is not like me to be so slow!

I'm having a hard time too. I'm trying audiobook for the first time in my life so that I can "read" while at work, but I am having a hell of a time getting immersed in this story! If I were reading this traditionally, I'm pretty sure I'd have given up by now.

At first, I thought it was the audiobook part that was distracting me. I'd try to listen, but end up reading online instead - however, I think if the content were grabbing me I'd be sitting here glossy eyed completely engrossed in the story.

As it is, I just keep listening, hoping that eventually I'll reach the point where the plot takes off and it will pique my interest. Fingers are crossed!

This book took a very long time to wind up and get interesting. I actually think it was only the last 25% that really grabbed my interest. I definitely would not have read this if it wasn't for the book club.

It took me until about halfway through to really get moving. It's a slow burn, but it does get pretty interesting from there on out.

Just finished. Wow.. that was an endurance test. I'd say I enjoyed the last 20% or so. I liked snippets before that, but overall it just didn't flow for me.

I was actually getting into it, but since I'd gotten a copy through interlibrary loan, my time ran out. I still want to read something by Stross, but I'm not sure I was invested enough to track down another copy.

Jenny wrote: "I was actually getting into it, but since I'd gotten a copy through interlibrary loan, my time ran out. I still want to read something by Stross, but I'm not sure I was invested enough to track down another copy."

You'd probably like Halting State, Jenny. It reminded me a lot of Snow Crash when I read it.

Ed wrote: "You'd probably like Halting State, Jenny. It reminded me a lot of Snow Crash when I read it.."

What I'll probably do is read that first and then return to Rule 34.

So the official "end date" for this one is tomorrow and I'm on page 98 and I'm really having to push myself through this one. Am I the only person who isn't intrigued by crime investigation/mystery plots? CSI shows are still some of the top rated shows on TV so I wonder if the same is true for books?

It really does pick up toward the end. I found it hard to get into and considered abandoning it, but I'm glad I stuck with it. I never really did get into the characters, but it's one of those books that you enjoy mulling the concepts after you are done. Especially since the technology is just a stone's throw from present day.

I found the 2nd person extremely difficult to follow (I listened on audio.) There are so many common forms of speech where we use the second person, e.g. "You can't always get what you want." So I had to really pay attention to understand the narrative of the current character.

Duncan

For me it didn't pick up at all!
Perhaps it's just not my sort of book. I listened to it rather than read it and my mind kept wandering off to other things right to the end.
I hope the next pick is a better one for me :) Fingers crossed.

Dean wrote: "For me it didn't pick up at all!
Perhaps it's just not my sort of book. I listened to it rather than read it and my mind kept wandering off to other things right to the end.
I hope the next pick is..."

I struggle with this when I pick books to listen to versus read since I know some books with more complex descriptions I'll sometimes be able to deal with much better on a eBook since I can set my own pace where as with audible books its harder to find your place if your mind wanders during a few sentences.

Hmmm.. I think that might have been a run-on sentence.

Can a person use the 'that's what she said' joke too much?

I don't think I got through even 20% of it. I get annoyed quickly with written dialects. On top of that I just wasn't really interested in the story. My husband read the whole thing in about two days though /shrug