This version of the book has been reviewed in English(24) by readers.
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What are readers saying about The Big U?
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Sciencegrrl posted a review at 2009-10-16 08:47:56.
(Language: English)
 
Really best if you work at a Big U
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Eric posted a review at 2009-08-23 12:16:36.
(Language: English)
I read this mostly out of curiosity to see how Neal Stephenson would do a campus novel. It could fairly be described as Lucky Jim meets Snow Crash, but it isn't nearly as satisfying as either of those. Still, a fun summer read.
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A reader posted a review at 2009-04-05 19:02:46.
(Language: English)
Neal Stephenson is one of my favorites, and while the story was incredibly engaging, (I plowed through it in one weekend) there were just so many points of synchronicity and uncommon behavior that it felt a little over the top near the end. By the time it reached its crescendo, the story became downright fanciful. I would liken the pace to this book to "Stairway to Heaven". Still, Stephenson is incredibly creative and captures the geek mantra exceptionally. I couldn't help but love it. There was a very Ayn Rand quality about this book, especially the characters, far more than anything else I have ever read from him. The University in the book is clearly a jab at Boston University and he has a lot say about the nature of higher education in America and people who dwell in it. It is one of those books I wish I head read BEFORE I went to college, and it was funny how much of the vernacular of the book actually present when I was at a New England prep school at the end of the 80's. (Big U was published in 1984.) All in all, a great ride, even if the events of the book are so over the top they strain believability.
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A reader posted a review at 2009-04-03 04:44:42.
(Language: English)
Crazy, 'acid like' fantasy, sometimes reminded me of Dick's Scanner Darkly. Stephensom is author with the huge imagination..
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A reader posted a review at 2009-03-04 17:04:02.
(Language: English)
Your dorm and your classes in the same building? No reason to leave? I have to agree with Ephraim in thinking it's the AM building itself that drove those kids crazy.
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Amy posted a review at 2009-01-25 00:41:40.
(Language: English)
I thoroughly enjoyed this book; Stephenson and I must have been in college at roughly the same time because I "get it." Okay, it is less plausible and not quite as imaginative as his other short novels, nor does it weave the rich tapestry of his later works (Cryptonomicon). But it is damned funny; buckle up and enjoy the ride, short as it is.
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A reader posted a review at 2008-12-21 15:39:31.
(Language: English)
Neal Stephenson's first novel, written while he was a student at Boston University, is a satirical take on the collegiate experience. But what starts out as a painfully familiar satire on college life soon takes a dip into the surreal. The entire book essentially reads as a massive cascade failure of the setting - American Megaversity - as civilization breaks down and chaos ensues. Stephenson has said that he is not proud of this book, and that the only reason it was reissued is so that people wouldn't spend $200 to buy a copy off of eBay. However, "The Big U" is worth a read, if only to see how Stephenson developed his style. Although the constant shift from first-person perspective to third-person is a bit jarring and the characters need fleshing out (as well as descriptions), Stephenson's talent for tying together multiple loose plot threads and his penchant for Cabalism - taking a diverse group of central characters and forming a unified team with them - is quite evident. Also present is an exploration into philosophy, faith, extremism and mind-altering drugs. Taking place in an uncertain time period, there is an odd mix of anachronism (forgivable for a book written 25 years ago) and futureisms (railguns and the like) that perfectly complement the setting. Like many hacker-types, Stephenson paints his geeky protagonists as fundamentally good people, most of whom are extremely bright and know it, while the antagonists are generally brutish, stupid and constantly drunk. It is, essentially, a conflict between geek and jock. At times surreal tending towards ludicrous, there are nevertheless a few thrilling moments and more than one memorable character. Oddly enough, this doesn't go for the book's main character, out of the eyes of whom we are seeing events unfold. However, the deranged Fred Fine and the lovesick Casimir Radon both emerge as geeky heroes, while Virgil the White Wizard is the archetypical hacker god. Try it if you like Stephenson's novels. It's short, but to me, it's worth the read.
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A reader posted a review at 2008-11-28 16:56:32.
(Language: English)
I love Neal Stephenson but this was a little bit of a rough read... it doesn't have the polish of his later stuff like Snow Crash or Diamond Age.
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A reader posted a review at 2008-09-07 22:07:31.
(Language: English)
Very funny.Very clever.
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