Ernest Cline: Ready Player 1 - Ready Player 1 book 1

This book was wildly popular when it came out, and both my dad and my sister liked it (well, my dad LOVED it, but that's a different story). I've been meaning to read it for ages, and finally got around to it.

Wade Watts is a Gunter - fascinated with the contest set by eccentric video game creator James Halliday, which asks internet users to find his legendary egg. Gunters must dive into 80's pop and nerd culture to find the answer to the clue left by Halliday. In a world where everything revolves around the OASIS and virtual reality, this is Wade's one escape. As he discovers the secret to the hunt, suddenly Wade finds himself famous and embroiled in the center of a corporate scheme to control the internet. Can Wade open all the gates before the corporate goons (called Sixers)?

This might be a hot take, and that's ok.... I found the book boring. I get the nostalgia factor for someone who grew up in the 80s (probably dates me but oh well). I got tired of the trivia. I can appreciate quite a bit of 80's nerd culture. This is why my dad loves it so much, and I got a lot of the references (the classic scene from Monty Python was 🔥). This book really is a love song to the 80s. For me, the constant trivia aspect of the book made the plot drag, and I found myself skimming more of it than reading.

I didn't love Wade. I found him obnoxious (though not overly whiney, so there's that), and I got tired of him moping over Art3mis for half the book. Wade goes so far as to get a sex doll that he thankfully ultimately ditches. I found that whole part of the escapade distasteful (and I guess it makes sense, but it wasn't necessary).

Because Wade is often a solitary character, there isn't much dialogue. I think this is why we spend so much time embedded in 80s trivia. Again, when deployed well, dialogue can help move the plot, and I think this might be why I got bored with it.

I found the worldbuilding at the start of the novel difficult to get through. I think that there are more strategic ways than just spewing worldbuilding for the first three chapters, with very little happening (look, here's my iceberg!). I really struggled to get into this book because of it, and I almost DNF'd it.

I'm glad I stuck with it, though. I did end up enjoying the ending. I thought the way everything played out was good (if a little deus ex). I liked the last lines of the book in particular.

I rated this book ⭐⭐⭐

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