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Ready Player One: A Novel Paperback – June 5, 2012

4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 151,628 ratings

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#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER Now a major motion picture directed by Steven Spielberg.

“Enchanting . . . Willy Wonka meets The Matrix.”—USA Today • “As one adventure leads expertly to the next, time simply evaporates.”—Entertainment Weekly

A world at stake. A quest for the ultimate prize. Are you ready?

In the year 2045, reality is an ugly place. The only time Wade Watts really feels alive is when he’s jacked into the OASIS, a vast virtual world where most of humanity spends their days.

When the eccentric creator of the OASIS dies, he leaves behind a series of fiendish puzzles, based on his obsession with the pop culture of decades past. Whoever is first to solve them will inherit his vast fortune—and control of the OASIS itself.

Then Wade cracks the first clue. Suddenly he’s beset by rivals who’ll kill to take this prize. The race is on—and the only way to survive is to win.

NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY Entertainment Weekly San Francisco Chronicle Village Voice Chicago Sun-Times iO9 The AV Club

“Delightful . . . the grown-up’s Harry Potter.”
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“An addictive read . . . part intergalactic scavenger hunt, part romance, and all heart.”
—CNN

“A most excellent ride . . . Cline stuffs his novel with a cornucopia of pop culture, as if to wink to the reader.”
Boston Globe

“Ridiculously fun and large-hearted . . . Cline is that rare writer who can translate his own dorky enthusiasms into prose that’s both hilarious and compassionate.”
—NPR

“[A] fantastic page-turner . . . starts out like a simple bit of fun and winds up feeling like a rich and plausible picture of future friendships in a world not too distant from our own.”
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From the Publisher

A world at stake. A quest for the ultimate prize. Are you ready?

USA Today says, “Enchanting… Willy Wonka meets The Matrix.”

Entertainment Weekly says, “As one adventure leads expertly to the next, time simply evaporates.”

NPR says, “Ridiculously fun and large-hearted.”

Editorial Reviews

Review

“The science-fiction writer John Scalzi has aptly referred to Ready Player One as a ‘nerdgasm’ [and] there can be no better one-word description of this ardent fantasy artifact about fantasy culture. . . . But Mr. Cline is able to incorporate his favorite toys and games into a perfectly accessible narrative.”—Janet Maslin, The New York Times 

“A fun, funny and fabulously entertaining first novel . . . This novel's large dose of 1980s trivia is a delight . . . [but] even readers who need Google to identify Commodore 64 or Inky, Blinky, Pinky and Clyde, will enjoy this memorabilian feast.”
Cleveland Plain Dealer

“Incredibly entertaining . . . Drawing on everything from
Back to the Future to Roald Dahl to Neal Stephenson's groundbreaking Snow Crash, Cline has made Ready Player One a geek fantasia, '80s culture memoir and commentary on the future of online behavior all at once.”Austin American-Statesman 

Ready Player One is the ultimate lottery ticket.”New York Daily News

“This non-gamer loved every page of
Ready Player One.”—Charlaine Harris, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Sookie Stackhouse series

“A treasure for anyone already nostalgic for the late twentieth century. . . But it’s also a great read for anyone who likes a good book.”
Wired

“Gorgeously geeky, superbly entertaining, this really is a spectacularly successful debut.”
Daily Mail (UK)

“A gunshot of fun with a wicked sense of timing and a cast of characters that you're pumping your fist in the air with whenever they succeed. I haven't been this much on the edge of my seat for an ending in years.”
Chicago Reader

"A 'frakking' good read [featuring] incredible creative detail . . . I grinned at the sheer audacity of Cline's imagination.”
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

“Fascinating and imaginative . . . It’s non-stop action when gamers must navigate clever puzzles and outwit determined enemies in a virtual world in order to save a real one. Readers are in for a wild ride.”
—Terry Brooks, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Shannara series

“I was blown away by this book. . . . A book of ideas, a potboiler, a game-within-a-novel, a serious science-fiction epic, a comic pop culture mash-up–call this novel what you will, but
Ready Player One will defy every label you try to put on it. Here, finally, is this generation’s Neuromancer.”—Will Lavender, New York Times bestselling author of Dominance

“I really, really loved Ready Player One. . . . Cline expertly mines a copious vein of 1980s pop culture, catapulting the reader on a light-speed adventure in an advanced but backward-looking future.”—Daniel H. Wilson, New York Times bestselling author of Robopocalypse 

“A nerdgasm . . . imagine Dungeons and Dragons and an 80s video arcade made hot, sweet love, and their child was raised in Azeroth.”
—John Scalzi, New York Times bestselling author of Old Man’s War

“Completely fricking awesome . . . This book pleased every geeky bone in my geeky body.  I felt like it was written just for me.”
—Patrick Rothfuss, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Wise Man’s Fear 

About the Author

Ernest Cline is a #1 New York Times bestselling novelist, screenwriter, father, and full-time geek. He is the author of the novels Ready Player One and Armada and co-screenwriter of the film adaptation of Ready Player One, directed by Steven Spielberg. His books have been published in over fifty countries and have spent more than 100 weeks on The New York Times bestsellers list. He lives in Austin, Texas, with his family, a time-traveling DeLorean, and a large collection of classic video games.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Ballantine Books; 32089th edition (June 5, 2012)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 384 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0307887448
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0307887443
  • Lexile measure ‏ : ‎ 970L
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 10.4 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.17 x 0.83 x 8 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 151,628 ratings

About the author

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Ernest Cline
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ERNEST CLINE is an internationally best-selling novelist, screenwriter, father, and full-time geek. He is the author of the novels Ready Player One and Armada and co-screenwriter of the film adaptation of Ready Player One, directed by Steven Spielberg. His books have been published in over fifty countries and have spent more than 100 weeks on The New York Times Best Sellers list. He lives in Austin, Texas, with his family, a time-traveling DeLorean, and a large collection of classic video games.


Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
151,628 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book engaging and enjoyable from start to finish. They describe the plot as a tour de force in science fiction with twists and surprises. The writing style is well-explained and the narration strikes a perfect tone. Readers appreciate the nostalgia and 80s pop culture references. The pacing keeps the story flowing smoothly.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

12,059 customers mention "Readability"11,693 positive366 negative

Customers find the book engaging and enjoyable from start to finish. They describe it as an entertaining story in the grand tradition of life-consuming novels. Readers mention it's interesting, well-written, and one of the best geeky books written in recent years. The book is described as a quick read with action, adventure, intrigue, and romance.

"...its cultural minutiæ can still enjoy the challenges, puzzles solved, intrigue, action, and epic virtual reality battles which make up the chronicle..." Read more

"...Some of the plot points were good as well. I would’ve never thought to have Wade become an indentured servant to penetrate IOI from the inside...." Read more

"...about a book framed with topics I enjoy make this book a worthwhile read for me...." Read more

"...sci-fi; it's a gamer story; it's a 1980s culture revival; it's an adventure story; it's a thriller; and it's even a romance story, which plays out..." Read more

3,282 customers mention "Sci-fi"2,615 positive667 negative

Customers enjoy the science fiction book. They find the plot engaging and relatable, with genuine aspects. The story is full of adventure and excitement, with twists and surprises. Readers appreciate the blurring of the line between real and factual elements.

"...minutiæ can still enjoy the challenges, puzzles solved, intrigue, action, and epic virtual reality battles which make up the chronicle of the Hunt...." Read more

"...Ready Player One was a thrilling adventure filled with science fiction, geeky references, and a creative outlook on the future...." Read more

"...throughout the story is littered with games, books, and movies both real and factual, and the line is blurred well enough that many times I wasn't..." Read more

"...revival; it's an adventure story; it's a thriller; and it's even a romance story, which plays out near perfectly with a few life-lessons mixed in..." Read more

2,458 customers mention "Writing style"2,035 positive423 negative

Customers find the writing style easy to read with complex concepts explained carefully. They appreciate the narration and depth of detail provided. The book doesn't go overboard with technical details, and the dialog between characters is engaging. Overall, readers feel a satisfying sense of understanding and can enjoy the story without being too technical.

"...While there are a multitude of references to details which will make people who were there, then, smile, readers who were not immersed in the 1980s..." Read more

"...I liked the dialog and how the characters connected. I feel like Cline really captured the true essence of a friendship...." Read more

"...probably haven't though about for years, you do feel a satisfying sense of understanding...." Read more

"...And the narration strikes a perfect tone, using a focused 3rd person perspective with a healthy dosage of slang and young adult style vernacular,..." Read more

1,947 customers mention "Nostalgia"1,804 positive143 negative

Customers enjoy the book's nostalgic feel. They find it a perfect homage to the 1980s, bringing back great memories of music, fashion, computers, and adventures. The book is described as an electrifying and unforgettable experience that whisks readers down memory lane.

"...For the reader, it is a nostalgic romp through every aspect of the popular culture of the 1980s: the formative era of personal computing and gaming...." Read more

"...It's a sci-fi; it's a gamer story; it's a 1980s culture revival; it's an adventure story; it's a thriller; and it's even a romance story, which..." Read more

"...Ready Player One is an entertaining read that rides a contagious wave of 80’s nostalgia!..." Read more

"...Another cool aspect of this story was the nostalgia...." Read more

1,927 customers mention "80s references"1,860 positive67 negative

Customers enjoy the 80s references in the book. They find it a great novel for anyone who enjoys obscure pop culture references, video games, and movies from that decade. The author does a good job weaving 80s culture into the story, showing his knowledge of geek culture without making the story too heavy-handed. While the story is laden with cultural references, it's still lively and fast-paced, making it a fantastic 80s fare.

"...The level of detail is just staggering: this may be the geekiest nerdfest ever published...." Read more

"...That was really creative. I also enjoyed all of the references in the book, even though I didn’t understand most of them...." Read more

"...Cons: While the references I got were satisfying, there were some parts where familiarity was implied and I felt a bit "out of the..." Read more

"...will appeal to all kinds of people: the book makes heavy use of 1980s pop-culture references, so any child or fan of the 1980s will probably love..." Read more

1,584 customers mention "Pacing"1,139 positive445 negative

Customers find the book's pacing engaging. They say the story flows smoothly with a natural pace change when needed. The adventure is fun and the action moves at a fast clip. Readers appreciate the thoughtful references and creative outlook on life.

"...Player One was a thrilling adventure filled with science fiction, geeky references, and a creative outlook on the future...." Read more

"...The adventure is fun, the action rolls along at a fast clip and the characters work well together...." Read more

"...But ultimately, it creates a slow, action-lacking beginning that, at points, is almost entirely exposition...." Read more

"...Fast paced. Upbeat...." Read more

1,465 customers mention "Character development"1,168 positive297 negative

Customers enjoy the character development in the book. They find the characters engaging and well-developed, with their growth and development of the protagonist Wade/Percival being praised. The adult-style vernacular gives the story more depth.

"...I liked the dialog and how the characters connected. I feel like Cline really captured the true essence of a friendship...." Read more

"...dosage of slang and young adult style vernacular, giving the story even more character than it might otherwise have...." Read more

"...is fun, the action rolls along at a fast clip and the characters work well together...." Read more

"...I marvelled at the growth and development of our protagonist Wade/Percival...." Read more

1,317 customers mention "Creativity"1,239 positive78 negative

Customers find the book creative and imaginative. They appreciate the well-developed world and plot. The characters have a way of engaging readers in an immersive experience. The idea is innovative and fun, with plenty of promise.

"...adventure filled with science fiction, geeky references, and a creative outlook on the future. This book takes place in 2045...." Read more

"...It turned out to be way more adventurous and inciteful than I was expecting. ‘..." Read more

"...There is a rich world here, full of life and suffering. I just wish I had been able to explore it...." Read more

"...In A Nutshell - It’s a feast of the author’s imagination that explores the world of virtual reality and all that comes with it...." Read more

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Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on December 5, 2019
    By the mid-21st century, the Internet has become largely subsumed as the transport layer for the OASIS (Ontologically Anthropocentric Sensory Immersive Simulation), a massively multiuser online virtual reality environment originally developed as a multiplayer game, but which rapidly evolved into a platform for commerce, education, social interaction, and entertainment used by billions of people around the world. The OASIS supports immersive virtual reality, limited only by the user's budget for hardware used to access the network. With top-of-the-line visors and sound systems, body motion sensors, and haptic feedback, coupled to a powerful interface console, a highly faithful experience was possible. The OASIS was the creation of James Halliday, a legendary super-nerd who made his first fortune designing videogames for home computers in the 1980s, and then re-launched his company in 2012 as Gregarious Simulation Systems (GSS), with the OASIS as its sole product. The OASIS was entirely open source: users could change things within the multitude of worlds within the system (within the limits set by those who created them), or create their own new worlds. Using a distributed computing architecture which pushed much of the processing power to the edge of the network, on users' own consoles, the system was able to grow without bound without requiring commensurate growth in GSS data centres. And it was free, or almost so. To access the OASIS, you paid only a one-time lifetime sign-up fee of twenty-five cents, just like the quarter you used to drop into the slot of an arcade videogame. Users paid nothing to use the OASIS itself: their only costs were the hardware they used to connect (which varied widely in cost and quality of the experience) and the bandwidth to connect to the network. But since most of the processing was done locally, the latter cost was modest. GSS made its money selling or renting virtual real estate (“surreal estate”) within the simulation. If you wanted to open, say, a shopping mall or build your own Fortress of Solitude on an asteroid, you had to pay GSS for the territory. GSS also sold virtual goods: clothes, magical artefacts, weapons, vehicles of all kinds, and buildings. Most were modestly priced, but since they cost nothing to manufacture, were pure profit to the company.

    As the OASIS permeated society, GSS prospered. Halliday remained the majority shareholder in the company, having bought back the share once owned by his co-founder and partner Ogden (“Og”) Morrow, after what was rumoured to be a dispute between the two the details of which had never been revealed. By 2040, Halliday's fortune, almost all in GSS stock, had grown to more than two hundred and forty billion dollars. And then, after fifteen years of self-imposed isolation which some said was due to insanity, Halliday died of cancer. He was a bachelor, with no living relatives, no heirs, and, it was said, no friends. His death was announced on the OASIS in a five minute video titled Anaorak's Invitation (“Anorak” was the name of Halliday's all-powerful avatar within the OASIS). In the film, Halliday announces that his will places his entire fortune in escrow until somebody completes the quest he has programmed within the OASIS:

    “Three hidden keys open three secret gates,
    Wherein the errant will be tested for worthy traits,
    And those with the skill to survive these straits,
    Will reach The End where the prize awaits.”

    The prize is Halliday's entire fortune and, with it, super-user control of the principal medium of human interaction, business, and even politics. Before fading out, Halliday shows three keys: copper, jade, and crystal, which must be obtained to open the three gates. Only after passing through the gates and passing the tests within them, will the intrepid paladin obtain the Easter egg hidden within the OASIS and gain control of it. Halliday provided a link to Anorak's Almanac, more than a thousand pages of journal entries made during his life, many of which reflect his obsession with 1980s popular culture, science fiction and fantasy, videogames, movies, music, and comic books. The clues to finding the keys and the Egg were widely believed to be within this rambling, disjointed document.

    Given the stakes, and the contest's being open to anybody in the OASIS, what immediately came to be called the Hunt became a social phenomenon, all-consuming to some. Egg hunters, or “gunters”, immersed themselves in Halliday's journal and every pop culture reference within it, however obscure. All of this material was freely available on the OASIS, and gunters memorised every detail of anything which had caught Halliday's attention. As time passed, and nobody succeeded in finding even the copper key (Halliday's memorial site displayed a scoreboard of those who achieved goals in the Hunt, so far blank), many lost interest in the Hunt, but a dedicated hard core persisted, often to the exclusion of all other diversions. Some gunters banded together into “clans”, some very large, agreeing to exchange information and, if one found the Egg, to share the proceeds with all members. More sinister were the activities of Innovative Online Industries—IOI—a global Internet and communications company which controlled much of the backbone that underlay the OASIS. It had assembled a large team of paid employees, backed by the research and database facilities of IOI, with their sole mission to find the Egg and turn control of the OASIS over to IOI. These players, all with identical avatars and names consisting of their six-digit IOI employee numbers, all of which began with the digit “6”, were called “sixers” or, more often in the gunter argot, “Sux0rz”.

    Gunters detested IOI and the sixers, because it was no secret that if they found the Egg, IOI's intention was to close the architecture of the OASIS, begin to charge fees for access, plaster everything with advertising, destroy anonymity, snoop indiscriminately, and use their monopoly power to put their thumb on the scale of all forms of communication including political discourse. (Fortunately, that couldn't happen to us with today's enlightened, progressive Silicon Valley overlords.) But IOI's financial resources were such that whenever a rare and powerful magical artefact (many of which had been created by Halliday in the original OASIS, usually requiring the completion of a quest to obtain, but freely transferrable thereafter) came up for auction, IOI was usually able to outbid even the largest gunter clans and add it to their arsenal.

    Wade Watts, a lone gunter whose avatar is named Parzival, became obsessed with the Hunt on the day of Halliday's death, and, years later, devotes almost every minute of his life not spent sleeping or in school (like many, he attends school in the OASIS, and is now in the last year of high school) on the Hunt, reading and re-reading Anorak's Almanac, reading, listening to, playing, and viewing everything mentioned therein, to the extent he can recite the dialogue of the movies from memory. He makes copious notes in his “grail diary”, named after the one kept by Indiana Jones. His friends, none of whom he has ever met in person, are all gunters who congregate on-line in virtual reality chat rooms such as that run by his best friend, Aech.

    Then, one day, bored to tears and daydreaming in Latin class, Parzival has a flash of insight. Putting together a message buried in the Almanac that he and many other gunters had discovered but failed to understand, with a bit of Latin and his encyclopedic knowledge of role playing games, he decodes the clue and, after a demanding test, finds himself in possession of the Copper Key. His name, alone, now appears at the top of the scoreboard, with 10,000 points. The path to the First Gate was now open.

    Discovery of the Copper Key was a sensation: suddenly Parzival, a humble level 10 gunter, is a worldwide celebrity (although his real identity remains unknown, as he refuses all media offers which would reveal or compromise it). Knowing that the key can be found re-energises other gunters, not to speak of IOI, and Parzival's footprints in the OASIS are scrupulously examined for clues to his achievement. (Finding a key and opening a gate does not render it unavailable to others. Those who subsequently pass the tests will receive their own copies of the key, although there is a point bonus for finding it first.)

    So begins an epic quest by Parzival and other gunters, contending with the evil minions of IOI, whose potential gain is so high and ethics so low that the risks may extend beyond the OASIS into the real world. For the reader, it is a nostalgic romp through every aspect of the popular culture of the 1980s: the formative era of personal computing and gaming. The level of detail is just staggering: this may be the geekiest nerdfest ever published. Heck, there's even a reference to an erstwhile Autodesk employee! The only goof I noted is a mention of the “screech of a 300-baud modem during the log-in sequence”. Three hundred baud modems did not have the characteristic squawk and screech sync-up of faster modems which employ trellis coding. While there are a multitude of references to details which will make people who were there, then, smile, readers who were not immersed in the 1980s and/or less familiar with its cultural minutiæ can still enjoy the challenges, puzzles solved, intrigue, action, and epic virtual reality battles which make up the chronicle of the Hunt. The conclusion is particularly satisfying: there may be a bigger world than even the OASIS.
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  • Reviewed in the United States on October 11, 2019
    By my son, Noah, the reader & reviewer of this book...
    Ready Player One was a thrilling adventure filled with science fiction, geeky references, and a creative outlook on the future. This book takes place in 2045. Most of the world’s resources have run out and there is an energy crisis that has driven many people out of a job. How do people deal with living in such a terrible world? The OASIS provides an escape for millions of people. It’s an online multiplayer game that allows millions of people to connect and explore. The creator of this OASIS became a multi billionaire named James Halliday. After he died, he created a contest for everyone in the OASIS to solve a bunch of clues using facts about his life. The winner would inherit all of his money and become the CEO of Gregarious Simulation Systems. Because this was such a good prize, millions of people studied Halliday and everything he did. Among these people was Wade Watts, an 18-year-old senior in high school. In order to obtain the Easter egg, you had to find the copper key and then find the first gate. After that, find the jade key and then the second gate. And lastly, find the crystal key and the third gate. Five years pass and no one can decipher the copper key riddle. Until one day in school, Wade figures it out. He becomes famous for being the first one to get his name onto the score board. However, he runs into his cyber crush, Art3mis. They hit it off and exchange contact information. She shortly completes the gate after him. Wade immediately finds the first gate and moves on while Nolan Sorrento, president of IOI blows up his home. More happens and eventually Wade is forced to work with Art3mis, his best friend Aech, and Shoto in order to open the third gate. He has thousands of people from the OASIS help him unleash a full-on attack on the Sixers (another name for the people at IOI). After all the effort, Wade wins the contest and finally gets to meet Art3mis in person.
    Many characters change toward the end of the book. Art3mis neglects Wade to focus on the hunt regrets it because she enjoyed her time with Wade. James Halliday spent his entire life escaping his miserable life through video games. Before he dies, he tells Wade not to make the same mistake as him. However, Wade changed a lot throughout the entire book. He starts off as a regular teenage boy, just playing video games every waking second of his day, desperate to find the egg. He isolates himself completely from other people until he meets Art3mis. He starts focusing more of his time and energy on her rather than on the hunt. Before her, speaking to girls was out of the question. Also, his goals with what he would do with the money changed. At first, he just wanted to build a spaceship and fly far away from earth. But after meeting Art3mis, he wanted to help feed the hungry like she did. He became very selfless and even risked spending the rest of his life as an IOI indentured servant just to make sure people wouldn’t have to deal with IOI taking over the OASIS. At the very end, the author wanted to show the readers just how important it is to be in the real world. “It occurred to me then that for the first time in as long as I could remember, I had absolutely no desire to log back into the OASIS.” (pg 372) Staying logged onto the OASIS has removed so many people from reality and hurt their mental health. Sometimes, escaping in the real world, no matter how bad it is, is the right thing to do.
    I thoroughly enjoyed every part of the book. While there were a lot of boring long descriptions, they were necessary. I loved how the characters changed a lot throughout the book and enhanced the theme. Teaching kids to not ignore the problems in the world and not just escape onto their phones is crucial. Ernest Cline was showing us what would happen if we simply did nothing and I hope this was a wakeup call for everyone. I liked the dialog and how the characters connected. I feel like Cline really captured the true essence of a friendship. Wade was also a good character. Some his lines and sayings were funny, and this made him a likeable protagonist. Some of the plot points were good as well. I would’ve never thought to have Wade become an indentured servant to penetrate IOI from the inside. That was really creative. I also enjoyed all of the references in the book, even though I didn’t understand most of them. And the way he incorporated them in the riddles was just absolutely brilliant. This is my second time reading the book and I enjoyed it so much. I’m sure all the nerds out there (especially ones who were teens in the 80’s) really appreciated this work of art
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  • Amazon Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars Sublime
    Reviewed in Spain on October 13, 2024
    De los mejores libros que he leído. La manera de escribir de Ernest Cline te atrapa de forma que no quieres soltar el libro.
    Supera por mucho la película de Steven Spielberg, y se diferencia mucho en trama.
    Altamente recomendado para los Geeks, fanáticos de videojuegos
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    Amazon Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars
    Sublime

    Reviewed in Spain on October 13, 2024
    De los mejores libros que he leído. La manera de escribir de Ernest Cline te atrapa de forma que no quieres soltar el libro.
    Supera por mucho la película de Steven Spielberg, y se diferencia mucho en trama.
    Altamente recomendado para los Geeks, fanáticos de videojuegos
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  • liv
    4.0 out of 5 stars Gift
    Reviewed in Sweden on January 16, 2023
    Gifted my older brother this book as he loves the movie, he was mighty pleased!
  • Laura Machado
    5.0 out of 5 stars Excelente
    Reviewed in Brazil on May 30, 2018
    Se alguém te falar que para gostar desse livro, é preciso entender as referências dos anos oitenta, estão mentindo. Eu nasci em 91 e, vai saber por quê, nunca tive muito interesse pela década de oitenta, apesar do meu filme e música favoritos serem dela. De todas as referências do livro, só entendi mesmo a do DeLorean, por causa do De Volta para o Futuro ser o amor da minha vida, do Dungeons and Dragons e a da Ms. Pac Man. Todo o resto para mim foi novidade, e ainda assim consegui amar a história praticamente do começo ao fim.

    Na verdade, tenho duas críticas para o livro. A primeira é que tem referências demais mesmo. Acho que o autor estava tentando fazer homenagem a tanta coisa, que passou um pouco do limite. Mas talvez esse número de informações não teria sido tão esmagador se não viesse com tantas explicações sempre, o que é minha segundo crítica. Infelizmente, dá para ver desde o começo do livro que o autor usa muito de explicações na sua narração. E não é só na hora de dizer de que ano e para qual função etc o jogo que ele mencionou é, mas em muitas das ações mesmo. Todas as melhores partes do livro são as mais presenciais e que têm um tom mais de prosa do que de uma história repassada por terceiros.

    Por causa disso, o ritmo do livro cai um pouco em algumas partes, o que eu consegui superar e impedir de me desanimar, já que li rápido e só parava quando estava no meio de uma parte emocionante. Essa é uma mania minha, de sempre parar de ler só quando algo importante está acontecendo e estou realmente animada para continuar, que aí fica bem difícil desanimar. Quem tiver menos tempo para ler e for obrigado a ler de pouco em pouco vai sentir mais essa quebra no ritmo e esse excesso de informações. Só tenho uma coisa a dizer a quem desanimar: continue, porque o final é ótimo!

    Aliás, o livro é dividido em três partes e a terceira é de longe a melhor. Simplesmente amei o clímax, amei a resolução e admiro muito o autor por ter conseguido criar um final que fosse aumentando mesmo o nível, como em jogos de videogame, sem parecer forçado ou exagerado. O enredo da história e seu desenvolvimento, aliás, são impecáveis, o que definitivamente vai me fazer dar uma chance para outros livros do autor. Sem contar com o apego que criei pelos personagens, que não é das coisas mais frequentes para mim.

    Estou extremamente feliz de ter decidido ler este livro, que me surpreendeu completamente e foi divertido do começo ao fim. Apesar das minhas críticas, me apaixonei completamente pela história e pelos personagens e senti desde antes da página cem que ele entraria na minha lista de favoritos. E é por isso que dei nota cinco. Os pequenos defeitos não importam quando a história é tão incrível e bem desenvolvida quanto a desse livro. Ele conseguiu fazer com que eu, uma pessoa que só jogou uns cinco jogos de videogame e um RPG na vida, mergulhasse completamente na história e me divertisse como se tivesse crescido nos anos oitenta. Simplesmente amei.
  • Cliente de Amazon
    5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing!
    Reviewed in Mexico on February 19, 2018
    It’s a good book! Honestly I didn’t expect so much but I was wrong. If you’re a gamer or you used to be a gamer, you will love this book. All the pop references are great! The ending I didn’t like it so much, but still loving the whole concept and characters. In addition, the whole novel is like the description of an utopia inside a catastrophic scenario. So, I recommend this book a lot, no matter if you don’t want to see the coming soon movie.
  • Ankur
    5.0 out of 5 stars Epic book!Don’t watch the movie without reading the book. Novel is 100 times better than movi..
    Reviewed in India on September 22, 2018
    The book depicts a dystopian world in which oil resources are nearly exhausted and there is widespread poverty and famish. People have lost interest in the real world and are addicted to a virtual utopia called OASIS. OASIS is a virtual world with numerous planets where individuals lose their original identities and can create an avatar of their choice.
    James Halliday, a geeky scientist is the brainchild of OASIS and when he dies , a video is circulated which tells the world that his entire OASIS empire of half a trillion dollars is up for grabs. In the video Halliday tells people about an online contest to win the ownership of OASIS. The first person to find the Easter egg would win the contest.
    Wade is the protagonist in the story and his OASIS character Parzival is a below average “ Gunter “ . The book revolves around Parzival and how he ultimately finds the Easter egg.
    IOI is an organisation which wants to win the contest and is willing to go to any extent for the same. Sorrento, a member of IOI is the antagonist in the book..The characters of Art3emis, Aech , Shoto & Daito form “ the high five” with Parzival and take on the IOI head on. Art3mis is the love interest of Parzival and they fall in love in the OASIS without ever meeting in person.
    The book is very addictive and you get completely engrossed in the adventures of finding the Easter egg.
    I was initially apprehensive about reading a novel on 80’s pop culture & video games but I went ahead anyway and enjoyed it thoroughly. I was not acquainted with half of the 80’s pop culture references in the book but it didn’t matter. The book still interested me a lot & I was astounded by the research which Earnest Cline has gone into to write this book .
    PS . Watch the movie after you have read the book. The story depicted in the movie is quite different from the novel and all the adventures around the three keys has been changed completely. The book is however 100 times better than the movie.