As you might have guessed, I did not manage to finish Anathem before leaving California. Nor was it remotely gripping enough for me to want to lug the darn thing with me to the UK. Indeed, I had been practicing avoidance through much of the holidays, and only got back into reading it because I tried reading Judith Butler. Those of you who have also tried reading Butler will understand.

There are actually lots of interesting things in Anathem. It is also quite funny in parts. But I have come to the conclusion (with apologies to Hugo Gernsback) than a science fiction novel is not a good tool for teaching philosophy and science. I also feel compelled to note that if a fantasy writer tells you that Cromagnon the Barbarian carries a th’wak’a and rides a g’nag rather then simply saying that he carries a sword and rides a horse, then everyone says that said author is guilty of crap world building and should stop making up silly words. The same rules ought to apply to Neal Stephenson, no matter how clever his wordplay occasionally is.

I don’t want to say too much more about the book when I’ve still got another 250-300 pages to read. I’m sure I will get back to it at some point, because I am sure that there are more interesting things to be found. But you only keep plowing through a novel if the plot is gripping and you want to find out what happens next. If you have the sinking feeling that what happens next will be another pointless diversion, or another philosophy lecture, or another rant about aspects of the modern world of which the author does not approve, then it won’t matter if the book has to wait a while.