Quest to read Cryptonomicon

Cryptonomicon is quite possibly one of the best works for fiction that came at around the start of the millenia. Neal Stephenson has been amazing as always with his foresight and how he has integrated the stories of (almost) modern day crypto and the World War II developments. However, I’ve never really gotten around to finish it and I’ve tried 3 times already!

1. The first time I saw this book was in the American Library which used to be in the compounds of Hotel Yak and Yeti in Nepal. I don’t exactly remember why I stopped reading (it was around October/November 2006) but something tells me I was busy prepping for SATs and reading a book for leisure wasn’t in the lists then. I kept the book around for a while and gave up on it a little later.

2. The second time I tried to read the book was during winter vacation of 2008. I was back in Nepal and got a few books with me. Including Anathem and Cryptonomicon. However, due to laziness (perhaps some sensibility to get some rest), I didn’t really start reading until the last two weeks and then ended up leaving it at home

3. Now, I’ve started reading the book again. And guess what, due to some bizzarre turn of events I lose the book (hopefully temporarily).

Here’s what happened this time around. I was travelling to Dover,New Hampshire in the C&J Trailers bus from Boston, MA yesterday. I wanted to use the restroom and went to the back of the bus. I left my “Cryptonomicon” book on the seat. However, someone was in there and I decided to stay in one of the empty seats and wait for a bit. The bus stopped at NewBuryPort and I waited. After finishing my job at restroom, I return back to my seat and ahoi! someone else is in my seat. Awkwardly, I sit on the seat right behind my previous seat. Even more awkwardly, I nudge the woman in my seat to ask “Did you see a book when you sat down?” She apparently didn’t see anything when she sat down but was keen enough to notice that someone handed a book to the authorities at NewBuryPort. She asked me what the book was about, I reply “it’s about code breaking in the modern world and during World War II.” She mentions the recent news about coded message to Thomas Jefferson being broken. After exchanging some niceties, it dawned on me that I nothing really better to do except watch the ongoing video in the bus, “The Addams Family.” For some reason, C&J seems to find really good series to watch during the trips.
When I got off in Dover, I ask the driver if someone had given a book in NewBuryPort, after a little misunderstanding, he called up the people in NewBuryPort and arranged to get my book back to Dover, where I could pick up anytime I wanted. So much for reading it this weekend!
The nice part is, I’ll finally get to read it on my trip back.
Lesson of story, don’t go to restroom when the bus is about to stop. I’m just grateful to the good Samaritan who turned the book in.