Ready Player One

[Korranation]

I recently finished reading "Ready Player One" that I had received in a loot crate. 

Now I found out the Steven Spielberg is making directing the movie.

I wanted to get some opinions. What did you think of the book (if you have read it)? And how do you think the movie is going to turn out?

[Raze]

That book is currently sitting in my to read pile. Once i finish the several I am currently reading that will be one of the first I pick up. I got it in the loot crate as well and have been waiting to make a small currently reading book list one maybe two books at a time before I pick this one up. I had no idea it was becoming a move!

[athousandwords]

Personally, it just wasn't my thing. Too many obscure references and not enough character development. And while some of the challenges were interesting, I thought the last one was a bit of a let down. Also, the main character leveled up too quickly - he went from grinding his way through level 1 to being maxed out (both literally and metaphorically) in the first half of the book. No where to go from there.

I think it could work a little better as a movie, though I suppose it will aim to be more generalized and therefore won't appeal as much to the fan base that made it so popular.

What were your thoughts?

Sent using Tapatalk. Brevity mode on.

[Korranation]

Personally, it just wasn't my thing. Too many obscure references and not enough character development. And while some of the challenges were interesting, I thought the last one was a bit of a let down. Also, the main character leveled up too quickly - he went from grinding his way through level 1 to being maxed out (both literally and metaphorically) in the first half of the book. No where to go from there.

I think it could work a little better as a movie, though I suppose it will aim to be more generalized and therefore won't appeal as much to the fan base that made it so popular.

What were your thoughts?

Sent using Tapatalk. Brevity mode on.

 

I can understand how it didn't spark your interest like that. I had to skip over a few paragraphs that went into too much detail over such references that are too old for me to understand. As for character development, it's hard to show any when the main character obsesses over someone else. He basically defined himself by the knowledge he had of Halliday. He made himself a mini-me version of him in a way, a strange recluse who thinks everyone should love what he does. He also treats the Almanac like his own bible. I feel like he looses himself as an individual and crushes any means of character development in this obsession of him. 

 

He does get too OP halfway through the book after he gets the funds to actually progress through the game. However, like many online mmorpg's, once you reach the top level you also reach the end game where the only thing to do it get enchanted artifacts (which he does.) 

 

It will be better as a movie since they can showcase a lot of references that more people can relate to. I just hope that Spielberg  focuses more on the plot rather than fight scenes and doesn't over generalize it.

 

Maybe Wade wasn't given much of a personality so the reader could slip into his point of view more easily. Either way, I think the author was more focused on the plot development over the characters. But it makes me think, how do we define a sense of self when we spend the majority of the time engrossed on the internet, social media, video games, books, etc. 

 

I hope that the movie can lend to move means of character development. The characters (in my opinion) were a loose amalgamation of tvtropes (spoilers.)If Speilberg stays true to the book and doesn't deviate too much the characters will still be stuck in a plot driven story. But sometimes it's more about the story than the characters in them. 

[QuirkyDM]

I read the book and really liked it. On the other hand, I'm 40, so I have a first hand and personal knowledge of nearly all the references.I didn't need to imagine the video games or what Halliday's bedroom looked like because I lived it. I think this is a book meant for the 35-55 age group- the dedicated geeks who laid the groundwork for future generations, when personal computers, game consoles and RPGs were coming into their own. In the same way that some people like mystery novels or romance stories or historical fiction, this book is meant for that audience. I almost felt like the author was mirroring Halliday in the story- writing a story telling about his favorite time period and having others share in his joy. The story felt more like an homage to the 80s geeks and a tribute to them, wrapped in a story that we could enjoy on the side.

 

The lack of character development, then, wasn't an issue for me since it really was about the story. It was a story about the 80s, and the story line played out pretty much exactly like an 80s movie. That being said, I'm not sure how well it would translate to a current movie when everyone outside of that target audience wouldn't understand it. To make a sci-fi/fantasy movie work, you really need to entice the teenage population. I expect this only works by rewriting the story to include a few classics, but changing the remainder of the references to more mainstream views or including current references as well.

 

 

[sailsgoboom]

This is the review I wrote on Goodreads after I finished it:

 

This book is fun, fantastical, and the perfect post-grad palate cleanser. I enjoyed the setting of an all-encompassing virtual world in a near future dystopia, and the continually increasing stakes of the contest kept me hooked the whole time. It's light-hearted, not too deep, and (I'll repeat myself) just plain FUN.

However, it is a white-nerd-boy fantasy, and the unpopular geek protagonist, who is obsessed with the obsessions of the ultimate white-nerd-man, eventually saves the day and gets the girl (who is smarter than him but doesn't have his luck I guess). His obsessions have a point in the universe-- billions of dollars hinge on this type of knowledge-- but I'm just not as impressed with trivia and the ability to play video games as I am with creativity... He has several creative solutions to obstacles that I do appreciate, but often it relies on overly convenient plot devices and deus ex machina. Also, a future world with an obsession with the 1980s is a fun premise, but I imagine people with nostalgic memories of the time period would be more interested in all references and asides than I was.

I also wasn't really sold on the "moral" of fantasy vs reality. At what point does a virtual reality stop being fantasy and becoming reality? The characters still interact with people in meaningful ways, solve problems, and generally live life in a very real way within the "game". I get that Earth is ruined and no one really does anything about it because they have a better place they can all escape to, but I guess I'm not faulting anyone for that, even though the book seems to want us to draw the conclusion that non-virtual reality is the only "real" reality. The characters all reference how they've never actually "met" each other, but they hang out constantly in semi-physical forms with voice inflection and body language... How is this not meeting "for real"? Is there a moral imperative to feel the (real) sun on your face, if you can conduct your morning run across a (virtual) Bifrost instead?

I could keep rambling on about questions the book raises and nitpicking its sloppy storytelling, but honestly the book WAS incredibly *fun*, and despite my criticisms, I do recommend reading it for an entertaining afternoon. Actually I think the book might make a better movie than book??

 

On that last note, when movies are made of books, often what is lost is the character development and philosophy/depth-- however in this book, it was the world-building and visualization that made it interesting (although sometimes at the expense of pacing or characterization)... In a nutshell, I think it would make a fantastic movie, and I think Spielberg could help address some of the issues with overly-convenient plot and too many references crammed in for the sake of it (or at least make it so visually spectacular we can ignore).

 

I really like this point, Sokkasm, that's a great observation: 

 

Maybe Wade wasn't given much of a personality so the reader could slip into his point of view more easily. Either way, I think the author was more focused on the plot development over the characters. But it makes me think, how do we define a sense of self when we spend the majority of the time engrossed on the internet, social media, video games, books, etc. 

[Luds]

I agree with Quirky.... found the book to be one big quote of my youth, so enjoyable for the "been there, done that/played it" value.

The writing and story arc were ok'ish.. not really something to write home about. Really lives from the references.

If done properly it should be a well entertaining movie.

 

If you liked this one check out "Daemon" by Daniel Suarez ... bit darker in general, but a well researched and written geek-fest 

[cw1558]

Anyone here finished Armada (Cline's new book) yet? I'm about halfway through and struggling to like it. 

[Erick Ward]

I really enjoyed it - I thought it was a fun, fast read.

 

I'm also 35, fwiw.

 

Hey Curiouswonder - I'll be reading Armada soon, but my coworker (who also liked Ready Player One) already read it, and said it wasn't as good. So, you're not the only one

[cw1558]

 

Hey Curiouswonder - I'll be reading Armada soon, but my coworker (who also liked Ready Player One) already read it, and said it wasn't as good. So, you're not the only one

 

Glad to hear I'm not alone. Ready Player One had an original story with lots of familiar elements, Armada felt completely ripped off. 

[Girl-Meet-World]

To be honest, Ready Player One is the only first person book that I've ever read and actually enjoyed. I don't tend to give that style a chance (too many bad fanfics) but a friend convinced me, and I'm glad she did.

While it isn't the best book that is out there, I connected with the character (though not all the references) through shared connections. Perhaps it is for a more limited target audience in that way. But then, I really felt the author's enjoyment through that, and I quickly read the book in one sitting. I can image it being very good as a movie, though some of the references would have to be altered slightly, as it's target audience would need to be slightly broader. Not fantabulous, but very enjoyable, and something I've recommended to quite a few freinds.