I have a deep affection for the captivating worlds that Iain constructs. However, goodness gracious, this particular book left me thoroughly perplexed.

It constantly jumps around, transitioning from one entirely unconnected plot to the next. With an abundance of characters, I found myself at a loss as to which ones I should truly invest my emotions in. Just when I thought I had a handle on things, it would abruptly shift to another plot with entirely different and unrelated characters.

I resorted to scouring the internet for chapter summaries, as the sheer volume of information I was expected to retain in my mind seemed unreasonable. (By the way, I never managed to find any, not even a simple character list.) Due to all the re-reading I had to do, I probably read the book the equivalent of two times.

I really wanted to like it, but in the end, it was so mentally exhausting and confusing that it actually gave me a headache.

When the entire book was summarized at the conclusion, I nearly had a fit. I sincerely wish I had read that summary first, as it would have provided me with some semblance of an idea as to how everything was supposed to fit together, even if it might have spoiled the ending.

I was extremely excited when I started to read this Banks. My anticipation was high, and I truly wanted to love it. However, to my disappointment, it failed to meet my expectations. The story had four alternating main characters, which unfortunately led to me caring only about 1/4 as much for each one. It was difficult to develop a deep connection with any of them when the focus kept shifting. On the positive side, I didn't mind the phonetic speech portions at all. In fact, I found them rather interesting and they added a unique flavor to the story.

Happily, this experience will not deter me from reading more of Iain M. Banks (IMB) in the future. I still have a couple of his Culture novels patiently waiting to be read. I firmly believe that every author has their off days, and this one book does not represent the entirety of his work. I am looking forward to exploring the other novels and seeing what else Banks has to offer.

This is my favourite Banks book.

However, I nearly didn't read it. I initially thought the phonetic spelling was a rather lame wheeze.

Thankfully, I persevered.

Banks has truly crammed in an astonishing number of amazing ideas. The characters are fascinating, each with their own unique personalities and backstories.

The scenes are richly textured and cinematic, as if they could be brought to life on the big screen.

It's truly hard to believe that all of this is contained within just a single novel.

This is an amazing achievement of imagination, a book that demands to be savoured and re-read often.

It's a literary masterpiece that continues to captivate and inspire readers with each new encounter.

**"Criptosfera": A Complex and Visionary Novel**

"Criptosfera" is a short novel by Iain M. Banks, not related to his more famous "Culture" cycle.
This presentation is bound to lead to an error and then a huge surprise. Despite being short and "single," "Criptosfera" is an innovative and visionary novel, but also rather heavy and crowded. Crowded with visions, characters, huge architectural structures, and different levels of virtual reality. It is a rather difficult novel to read: many have made the mistake of thinking it is a simple short story and have found themselves facing a novel that really asks a lot of the reader.

Firstly, it is a highly visionary novel. It is the ideal heir of "Neuromancer": in a distant future, those who have remained on Earth live a complex life, having overcome death, embedded between physical and virtual reality, thanks to the adoption of particular implants. However, the similarities end here: in contrast to Gibson's dark cyberpunk setting, in an Earth that still seems like ours, among drugs, crime, and yakuza, there is a dreamy and hazy scenario, an unrecognizable planet characterized by huge, improbable, and anachronistic castles (complete with kings and councils). The whole novel is permeated by a dreamy atmosphere, the visions seem like those of a dream, elusive as only the most absurd dreams know how to be.

The difficulty in reading lies not only in the setting but also in the story, of course, whose narration is fragmented into four distinct points of view, and everything is only explained to the reader at the end. As if that weren't enough, the author seems almost to want to challenge the reader, making the reading even more complex by resorting to linguistic experimentation. And so, if the novel begins with Asura's awakening, confused throughout the first chapter, speaking in short sentences and infinitives, the fourth point of view is that of a dyslexic character. What many have mistaken for a translation error (sic!) is actually an inevitable adaptation: in English, it is possible to write in phonetic transposition, in Italian, the words and letters had to be distorted.

But at this point: can the (intended) difficulty in reading be a symptom of a bad or, on the contrary, a beautiful novel? If I have found such choices of the author appreciable, on the other hand, the whole novel is extremely innovative from many points of view; it has now been surpassed by writers who, following this path, have managed to go further (I immediately think of Wright and Stross), but this cannot take away Banks' merits.

Debo avisar a cualquiera interesado en la obra de ciencia ficción de Banks que éste no es un libro fácil de leer.

La máxima "show, don't tell" aquí es llevada hasta el extremo. El lector se sumerge en un mundo completamente ajeno sin ninguna explicación. Páginas y páginas de acción transcurren en un escenario casi incomprensible que tenemos que desentrañar con muy pocas pistas.

Además, uno de los cuatro puntos de vista está escrito en "lenguaje SMS", lo que cuesta acostumbrarse y ralentiza la lectura. Es normal que esta obra tenga fama de incomprensible.

Tal vez lo más insatisfactorio es que el final no lo merece. Es precipitado y anticlimático. Después de todo el esfuerzo, uno se esperaría una mayor recompensa.

Aun así, no me arrepiento de haberla leído, aunque sería reticente en recomendarla en general.

If you read this book, I HIGHLY recommend reading along with an audiobook! Specifically, the audio read by Peter Kenny.

This is a short but dense novel, focusing on four characters in a very... interesting world.

How do I describe the story? Jeez... that’s a hard question to answer. This is a complicated book. It’s a crazy world in here. Put as basically as possible, when you die, you can upload your consciousness into the ‘Fastness’ (also known as the Crypt, I believe), where you can live on. There are multiple layers of the Fastness, each more chaotic than the last. They kind of work like the dream layers in Inception! A giant solar dust cloud is approaching Earth, which needs to be stopped or moved to avoid the destruction of all life on earth. You follow four characters who, in their own way, do what they can to help.

Ahh... dude, this is such a heavy read. It’s good! Really it is! But damn it is complex. 25% of the book is written phonetically (“I have to go and see my ant” turns into “Eye 1/2 2 go nd C my ent”), so I highly HIGHLY recommend an audiobook. This weird writing choice seems to have been done to illustrate a difference in class, at least that’s what I think seeing as the chapters written like that are easier to read if you put on a cockney accent.

It’s a wild book. This is HARDCORE Sci-fi. Put bluntly, it is difficult to understand even with the audiobook... But is it worth the read? I say yes, but ONLY with the audiobook.

3/5

Some parts of this work are beautifully crafted, while others are extremely difficult to read.

The "progris riports" from Flowers for Algernon were a breeze to get through in comparison to Bascule's chapters.

Even though, in terms of the story, they were among the most captivating.

It is definitely strange and not completely enjoyable.

However, overall, it is an okay novel.

It has its moments of beauty and intrigue, but also its share of challenges.

The contrast between the different parts makes it a unique reading experience.

While it may not be a perfect masterpiece, it still has something to offer to the reader.

Perhaps it is the strange and compelling nature of the story that keeps one engaged.

Or maybe it is the attempt to explore different writing styles and techniques.

In any case, it is a novel that will leave an impression, whether positive or negative.

It is truly remarkable to have a story that is not strictly about "Culture" Banks, yet it presents its own almost equally fascinating and strange society.

The story is filled with numerous great ideas. For instance, the setting of where they are all living, such as the crypt and the plain of sliding stones, and of course, the 'Feersum Endjinn' itself. That fearsome engine is indeed a fearsome Deus ex machina towards the very end, but it is a bold concept that aligns with Banks's other magnificent sense of wonder technologies and artefacts.

However, the only irritating aspect in the book is the regular sections of narration by a particular character that are presented in phonetic spelling. The first two or three of these might seem novel and enjoyable at first, but after a while, one begins to dread their recurrence. The structure of the book makes it impossible to avoid them once you start reading, but I do question if they were more of a source of entertainment for Banks to write rather than for us to read.

Overall, despite this minor flaw, the story still manages to captivate with its unique world and thought-provoking ideas.

It's a truly confusing book, yet it has a certain allure that makes you extremely curious about its mysterious world and captivating plot. However, the phonetic writing of one of the points of view (POVs) was really a killer for me. On one hand, it's kind of cool to have the way I usually read challenged, as it forces me to step out of my comfort zone. But on the other hand, I never really got attached to this particular part of the narrative because of the phonetic writing. In general, while this book was a fascinating and highly creative novel, my reading experience was somewhat lacking in terms of attachment and emotional responses. I found myself more focused on trying to understand the complex plot and the unique writing style rather than truly connecting with the characters on an emotional level.

The phonetic stuff is truly an absolute nightmare.

It compels me to focus solely on the 'words' themselves, effectively shutting me out completely from the story or events.

It's rather astonishing as I don't believe I've ever experienced actual pain from the written word until now.

As a result, I had to give up on this particular piece, which is denoted by DNF.

This phonetic aspect has really hindered my ability to engage with the content in a meaningful way.

It's as if a barrier has been erected between me and the essence of what is being conveyed.

I hope that in future works, such intrusive phonetic elements are either minimized or presented in a more user-friendly manner.

Otherwise, it will continue to pose a significant challenge for readers like myself.

One of the most delightful main characters ever!

He is truly a remarkable creation. Reminiscent of Flowers for Algernon, our main character has a learning disability. In fact, most of the book is his mental-journal, and a large portion of it is written phonetically. This unique writing style might annoy the hell out of a lot of people at first. However, it is easily readable by the fifth page. And if not, it is absolutely worth persevering. Because as you do, you will uncover one of the most endearing characters I have ever read. His story is one of growth, of struggle, and of the human spirit's ability to overcome. It is a story that will touch your heart and make you think about what it means to be different and how we should treat those who are.

So, don't be put off by the initial challenges. Dive into this book and discover the beauty and charm of its main character. You won't be disappointed.

This is truly a creative piece of work. It is a rare situation where I find myself thinking that the book could have benefited from being longer.

The author's imagination seems to know no bounds, as they have crafted a world that is both unique and captivating.

The story unfolds in a way that keeps the reader on the edge of their seat, eager to discover what will happen next.

Each character is well-developed, with their own distinct personalities and motives.

The writing style is engaging and flows smoothly, making it a pleasure to read.

However, despite all its strengths, I can't help but feel that there was more potential within these pages.

Perhaps the author could have delved deeper into certain aspects of the story, explored the characters' emotions more fully, or added more details to the setting.

Nevertheless, this is still a remarkable book that I would highly recommend to others.

It has left a lasting impression on me and has made me eager to see what the author will come up with next.