Big Books of 2026
Quicksilver (The Baroque Cycle, #1)

Questions About Quicksilver (The Baroque Cycle, #1)

by Neal Stephenson (Goodreads Author)

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Answered Questions (4)

Does anyone want to venture a guess as to why the Baroque Cycle is shelved in Sci Fi/Fantasy? It seems to be straight forward Historical Fiction to me.
Pete Harris
This answer contains spoilers… (view spoiler)
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Please help me finish this book! Is it just meandering? Is it me?
Susan Ackland I dropped it maybe half-way through. "Meandering" is one way to describe it, though I would say it was overstuffed. Was there a science experiment of …moreI dropped it maybe half-way through. "Meandering" is one way to describe it, though I would say it was overstuffed. Was there a science experiment of that age that he didn't describe for us? A real estate development that wasn't presented in excruciating detail? The plot doesn't so much wander as get buried under all of the detail. I loved "Cryptonomicon." It certainly had lots of detail but it all seemed to support and move the plot forward. A lot of the detail in Quicksilver seems to be dead weight. Another reason that "Cryptonomicon" was a better read was that the characters were more accessible and appealing. I didn't "bond" with the characters in "Quicksilver." But here I am, a year or more later, trying to decide whether to try Quicksilver again or try another Stephenson. That's the nub of it; Stephenson is sui generis and those of us who admire his work find it almost addictive.(less)
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Still stuck at beginning...put it to the side for something faster moving. Maybe time to try again. Does it ever take off?
Bradford D The beginning is definitely slower. The author takes a long time setting the stage and introducing the characters. By the end you'll want to read the …moreThe beginning is definitely slower. The author takes a long time setting the stage and introducing the characters. By the end you'll want to read the next book in this series. (less)
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Is this series at all connected with "Cryptonomicon"? I haven't read it or "The Baroque Cycle", but both have characters named Waterhouse and Shaftoe.
Gary Knoke Cryptonomicon involves descendants of some of the characters in the Baroque Cycle, of which Quicksilver is Book 1 of 3.
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