Scarlett Thomas PopCo

Title: PopCo Author: Scarlett Thomas Format: Paperback Language: German Pages: 704 Publisher: Rowohlt, 1262386800 ISBN: 3499252538 Format: PDF / Kindle / ePub Size: 9 MB Download: allowed

Description

Der Schlüssel zur Vergangenheit liegt in den Zahlen.

Alice Butler gehört zum kreativen Kern von PopCo, einem hypermodernen, erfolgreichen und auch etwas unheimlichen Spielwarenkonzern. Ohne große Lust nimmt sie an einem «Inspirations-Camp» in ländlicher Abgeschiedenheit teil; entwickelt werden soll das ultimative Produkt für Teenager. Das Wochenende nimmt eine dramatische Wendung, als Alice codierte Botschaften von einem Unbekannten erhält. Haben sie etwas mit der Vergangenheit ihrer Familie zu tun? Ihr Vater, ein Kryptologe, ist seit vielen Jahren spurlos verschollen...

Insightful reviews

_incubus: sto barando perchè non l'ho proprio finito... la soluzione me la leggo stasera..insomma lei ha aspettato tutti quegli anni io potrò aspettare qualche ora *-* decisamente il migliore dei tre che ho letto, senza alcun dubbio... e poi tutte queste cose di crittoanalisi sono troppo interessanti anche se la mia mente limitata a volte doveva fermarsi a rileggere per capire.. e poi rileggere ancora.. insomma non pretendiamo troppo da me *-* mia sorella sarà una matematica prima o poi.. già lo è ora anche se lei non lo sa con certezza (ma io lo so).. ora la matematica mi sembra molto più interessante di quando la dovevo studiare prima con una pazza psicopatica che si è fatta venire un esaurimento perchè noi (e qui cito) 'le facevamo ribollire il sangue nelle vene talmente tanto che riusciva persino a sentire le bollicine che scoppiettavano' dopodichè ha deciso di abbandonarci definitivamente al matematico di origine greca (ma io credo fosse un falso greco.. o forse la sua grecità ormai era stata troppo compromessa dalla vicinanza con i veneti.. se non stai attento di distruggono e il tuo cervello è fottuto.. davvero +.+) che ci faceva imparare tutto a memoria.. tanto mica serve capire.. ok che era un linguistico quindi non è che ci fosse proprio un amore dilagante per questa materia però c'è un limite a tutto.. ok sto deragliando.. che stavo dicendo? ah si.. no non ricordo devo rileggere...

ok posso riprendere in modalità normale..quindi che dire.. è stato un libro appassionante che mi ha fatto riflettere e mi ha fatto andare in una quasi crisi esistenziale.. perchè comunque di solito ci riesco già da sola ad andare in crisi..

bello.

Nicole: I don't tend to read two books by the same author in a row (Harry Potter is a collossal exception) because I get bored with the style. However, PopCo was different enough from Mr.

Y. and it had a CROSSWORD PUZZLE in the back. Unfortunately, it's a British crossword, and I stink at those. Way too cryptic! But if you like wordgames and buried treasure, OR if you're skeptical of the motives of the toy industry, you'll find this one enjoyable.

Jane: I recently reread this and downgraded my rating my one star. It's definitely a much weaker novel that Mr Y and Our Tragic Universe. I enjoy book with a puzzle element, and along with the rather intriguing character of Alice, this absorbed my attention the first time round.

On a rereading however, the shortcomings of this book made it virtually unreadable in some

places. Unfortunately, it now also seems incredibly dated, with the 'cultural rebellion' of some of the main characters now just seeming like the whining, ill-informed angst of some very spoilt young people.

I disliked how as you get into the last third of the book, any characters who don't utterly adhere to the 'anti-corporate' message become cardboard cut-outs, suddenly spouting the most tired cliches along the lines of 'who cares?'. I was particularly disappointed in the rather abrupt writing out of Georges and Dan, in favour of one-dimensional anti-corporate warriors.

Having read the acknowedgements, it seems that the view of marketing and business in the book reflects Thomas's own. So it seems rather ironic that she is using the guerilla marketing tactics that are so villified, and quite how she thinks she would make a living as a writer or a university lecturer without someone, at some point, engaging in marketing and business is beyond me.

The views and information about vegetarianism, veganism, business and outsoured labour are incredibly simplisitic and quite frequently poorly informed. I am both a vegetarian and someone who has lived in farming community, and the presentation of farming is bordering on the libellous! Absolutely no differentation is made between the worst farming practices, and the many farmers who take care of their animals and the environment, let alone many of the complexities of the whether or not to eat meat. For example, some land is totally unsuitable for arable agriculture, many rare breeds would be at risk of dying out, some people need to eat meat and animal products for health reasons, and animal manure is a valuable fertiliser for the earth.

Not all factories in China are sweatshops were people regularly 'loose limbs' and shutting down all the factories in China that produce goods for the West would have utterly devasting effects on the Chinese economy. In fact, one person working a factory in a city can often be a step out of poverty for a whole family, as I found out when I lived in an industrial Chinese city. Also, Chinese people are not voiceless victims, unable to change their circumstances unless the white Western middle class destroy the goods they make in shops here! Patronising and ignorant.

Similarly, none of the oh-so self righteous characters come up with any coherant ideas as to what they are trying to replace the current model of the economy with.

Eileen: PopCo type of desires to be Cryptonomicon, yet shorter and with much less dialogue of math, forms of economies, and anything extra complicated than marketing. It makes me wish by no means to paintings at any corporation higher or extra company than a shoebox. that is form of the purpose of the book; it finally ends up actually asserting so. the tip was once relatively annoying, as a result of aforementioned flat moralization plus a boring/not really plausible strategy to the most mystery. the remainder of the tale used to be all right, notwithstanding not anything special. My major challenge is that notwithstanding I trust the sentiment of the book, i locate the execution too shoddy. i actually desired to like it, yet got here out disappointed.

Alexandria: it is a lovely poor book, someplace among the DaVinci Code and a Babysitter's

membership Camp Mohawk great Special. it isn't fullyyt unreadable and in 571 pages has perhaps four to five sturdy lines. Plot strains by no means line up together, gratuitous discussion that's merely intended to offer exposition, and an dangerous obsession with the quantity of amazing nutrients the heroine can get are wearying. I in simple terms comprehensive the e book simply because i have been attempting to end each ebook I commence this year.The

writing is sort of unforgivably undesirable in parts, as though the writer did not have an editor. i'd pass lookup the road yet i do not wish to, anyhow, there is a component that claims anything like "The panorama replaced abruptly. and that i say abruptly, as the switch used to be abrupt." The puzzles are unfascinating, the characters dull, the plot line unconvincing, and the final move contrived. effortless pass.

Anita Dalton: PopCo by way of Scarlett Thomas is a kind of books that may be a revelation.

each now and then, I come upon a booklet in which i do know the author’s principles and ideology line up so good with mine that it's very approximately eerie. PopCo encapsulated such a lot of of my very own options that I most likely pissed off everybody round me as I urged this e book to 1 and all, even going as far as to buy numerous copies at a ebook clearance shop so i'll supply copies away.PopCo is tough to categorize. whereas the heroine, a definite Alice Butler, solves mysteries, she additionally contemplates veganism and the ethics of promoting to children. She discusses her wisdom of homeopathic medicine, crossword puzzles, excessive point math, cryptography and cryptanalysis, and the Voynich Manuscript. Her makes an attempt at constructing her personal identification ring more true to me than the other coming-of-age descriptions in fresh memory. and much from discovering her youth together with her grandparents boring, I puzzled what i'd be like had I been raised via genius, eccentric grandparents, and located the possibility attractive. Alice has inside of her head the Vigenère square, Gödel’s code and best factorization within the related demeanour as i've got the world’s most sensible chocolate chip cookie recipe memorized. Alice is self-contained, cool less than pressure, totally geeky and absolutely earnest – in short, a heroine in contrast to an individual i've got ever learn before. learn my complete dialogue here.

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