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The Confusion (The Baroque Cycle, Vol. 2)
by Neal Stephenson

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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/822.The_Confusion?utm_medium=api&amp;utm_source=blog_review" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img alt="The Confusion (The Baroque Cycle, Vol. 2)" border="0" src="http://s3.amazonaws.com/photo.goodreads.com/books/1157396685m/822.jpg" /></a> <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/822.The_Confusion?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_review">The Confusion</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/545.Neal_Stephenson">Neal Stephenson</a><br/><br/>
  <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/888648?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_review"><h3>My review</h3></a>
  rating: 5 of 5 stars<br/>Volume 2 if you read the Baroque Cycle in its original format of 3 volumes; Books 4 and 5 (Juncto and Bonanza) of the 8 distinct books the cycle is broken in to.  Either way, an awesome continuation of Quicksilver (aka Vol 1). Good news... the cliffhanger from Quicksilver is resolved.  Bad news... new cliffhanger at the end of this volume. Most of the non-bit players return, new ones enter, some leave, and the saga continues as Jack, protagonist of Bonanza, follows treasure literally around the world, while Eliza, protagonist of Juncto, manipulates the economies and politics of England, France, and the German states.  It continues to be a ripping yarn, weaving together science, economics, and world history (European is joined by Indian, Japanese, and Latin American) in an amazing mixture of historical facts, personalities, and fiction that my poorly educated brain can't unwind to be sure of the fact from the fantasy (or phant'sy, as Stephenson would have it).  Wars, the role of finance in enabling war, and the development of the modern banking system are one heart of the story... the refining of precious metals, and the transition from alchemy to metallurgy and chemistry is another.  Intrigue, cryptology, plots, cabals, loyalty, betrayal, calculus, computers, atomic theory, unified field theory... this book has something for everybody.  I'm ready to dive straight in to Volume 3, The System of the World, fully expecting the author will be able to wrap all these threads up in his usual clever way, and fearful there might be some unresolved cliffhanger at the end of it, as well.
  <br/><br/><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/list/14580?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_review">View all my reviews.</a>

Steve's review
rating:
bookshelves: scifi

Volume 2 if you read the Baroque Cycle in its original format of 3 volumes; Books 4 and 5 (Juncto and Bonanza) of the 8 distinct books the cycle is broken in to. Either way, an awesome continuation of Quicksilver (aka Vol 1). Good news... the cliffhanger from Quicksilver is resolved. Bad news... new cliffhanger at the end of this volume. Most of the non-bit players return, new ones enter, some leave, and the saga continues as Jack, protagonist of Bonanza, follows treasure literally around the world, while Eliza, protagonist of Juncto, manipulates the economies and politics of England, France, and the German states. It continues to be a ripping yarn, weaving together science, economics, and world history (European is joined by Indian, Japanese, and Latin American) in an amazing mixture of historical facts, personalities, and fiction that my poorly educated brain can't unwind to be sure of the fact from the fantasy (or phant'sy, as Stephenson would have it). Wars, the role of finance...more

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