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Ready Player One

  • sofiesreadingworld
  • 5 mei 2021
  • 3 minuten om te lezen

Bijgewerkt op: 12 mei

By Ernest Cline


This was April's read for Courtney's Cosy Bookclub. I never really planned on reading this book, so that's what I find really fun about book clubs to make me read something I normally wouldn't go for.

I also decided to watch the movie directed by Steven Spielberg afterwards. And let me tell you, it wasn't like the book. At. All. (not in a good way) I don't shy away from giving criticism during movies, so unfortunately my boyfriend had to endure quite some commentswhile we watched this movie.


Blurb: It's the year 2044, and the real world has become an ugly place. We're out of oil. We've wrecked the climate. Famine, poverty, and disease are widespread. Like most of humanity, Wade Watts escapes this depressing reality by spending his waking hours jacked into the OASIS, a sprawling virtual utopia where you can be anything you want to be, where you can live and play and fall in love on any of ten thousand planets. And like most of humanity, Wade is obsessed by the ultimate lottery ticket that lies concealed within this alternate reality: OASIS founder James Halliday, who dies with no heir, has promised that control of the OASIS - and his massive fortune - will go to the person who can solve the riddles he has left scattered throughout his creation. For years, millions have struggled fruitlessly to attain this prize, knowing only that the riddles are based in the late twentieth-century culture. And then Wade stumbles onto the key to the first puzzle. Suddenly, he finds himself pitted against thousands of competitors in a desperate race to claim the ultimate prize, a chase that soon takes on terrifying real-world dimensions - and that will leave both Wade and his world profoundly changed.


First of all, I really liked the world-building in this book. The circumstances of reality and the virtual experiences are very clearly depicted, so I found it very easy to make a clear image in my mind of what all the places looked like. Also, every detail about James Halliday's life and death made perfect sense and really captured me into reading on. When reading about the Hunt for Halliday's Easter egg and Wade's obsession with it all, it is predictable that (view spoiler)[he will achieve that goal and win the entire quest. (hide spoiler)] Everything in between, you'll have to figure out yourself by reading! Everything Wade does is very thoughtful and his game tactics and choices are all very well thought out, that's what I found was completely lacking from the movie. I could summarise by saying the book is about Wade's (and other character's) proper brain work and the movie is about action and stupid mistakes or lucky wins.


The thing I didn't really like about the book is the fact that Cline used a lot of 'Deus ex Machina events and people in order to solve the problems that occurred. Most of them were well thought out, but simply escaping or having a sudden rich Patreon who provides a safe finale, just felt a bit easy compared to the rest of the book.


I barely understood any of the references of the 80's games, films and culture, but I'm glad that I didn't have to break my own head about that. I gladly left all deciphering to Wade and his colleagues!But in all, this was a very pleasant read. The story is very coherent and everything just fits perfectly in order to find the Easter egg! Happy Gunting!


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