Somewhat complex stories are what Neal Stephenson likes writing. He's also writing in a very readable manner, though I understand that not everybody likes how his books meander between viewpoints, characters, and events. I've heard people state this is long winded; being long winded myself, I rather like getting more story in the same novel. That said, while the opening events appear to be a rather wild Deus ex Machina, the stories built on it are fascinating, the characters interesting (and believable), and the end... well, it turns out I'm not a big fan of N.S.'s stories endings, but I'll not blame him for that :-)

Definitely recommended reading!