Review:
This was a re-read, and luckily I had forgotten enough to make it fun.
In fact, I have read everything Neal Stephenson wrote, and the man can make anything entertaining.
I know this is some kind of heresy, but the beginning (the famous deliverator piece) is perhaps the weakest part of the book. It shows Stephenson trying to sound like Gibson and (the worst part) achieving it.
The author has a much more powerful voice, is a much better writer, and in general, his books are superior (IMHO) so that freaked me out.
Of course, after this book he wrote Cryptonomicon and The Baroque Cycle and Anathem, which are 3 (or 5) of my favourite books, so I don't care about his misguided youthful energy.