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The Baroque Cycle 8-book #1
Quicksilver (The Baroque Cycle
In which Daniel Waterhouse, fearless thinker and courageous Puritan, pursues knowledge in the company of the greatest minds of Baroque-era Europe -- in a chaotic world where reason wars with the bloody ambitions of the mighty, and where catastrophe, natural or otherwise, can alter the political landscape overnight.
456 pages, Mass Market Paperback
Published February 1, 2006
About the author
Neal Stephenson
95 books29.1k followersNeal Stephenson is the author of Reamde, Anathem, and the three-volume historical epic the Baroque Cycle (Quicksilver, The Confusion, and The System of the World), as well as Cryptonomicon, The Diamond Age, Snow Crash, and Zodiac. He lives in Seattle, Washington.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 155 reviews
July 2, 2017
I'm re-reading this wonderful Historical revolving Daniel Waterhouse because I'm a huge fan of Stephenson and I have to admit that I never continued further than this first book of the first Cycle. I don't know why! Perhaps I just wanted more SF or Fantasy in my life at the time and it just fell away from me, but I feel like an idiot now. :)
SO. Rereading this brought me back fully into the world of post-Cromwell England, so full of details and concerned mostly with the heart of modern science... from Newton, Leibwitz, Hook, and Comstock. The stories themselves are endlessly fascinating, actually, and the man who ties them all together, Daniel Waterhouse, is equally so. His getting into the Invisible College at its inception and working closely with all these fantastic persons was great for both story, history and, more specifically, the history of science.
It's hugely detailed and interconnected, and if that wasn't enough, Stephenson throws in a huge discourse on the economics, political issues, the wars, the plague, and of coruse religion. This is a fantastically intelligent, broad, and detailed look at England, late 17th century and early 18th.
I remember being flabbergasted at the amount of research the first time and now that I know more the second time, I'm still flabbergasted at the amount of research. The fact that he can weave a cool tale and have everything hold together as one of the best historicals I've ever read is a testament to Stephenson. :)
A note, however. There's two sets of books or book collections out here that have gone a great way to confusing me as to what to read where and how. I'll just make a note to everyone else who might also be confused.
The Quicksilver novel shows up both as the first book in the first cycle, also called Quicksilver.
Yeah. Nuts.
So I'm reviewing the individual first novel in the Cycle here, with this, and then reviewing King of Vagabonds as part two (a full novel as well) of the Quicksilver Cycle, followed with Odalesque.
The two conventions would have us believe that there are either three Cycles bound together as three enormous books, or Eight Books altogether, separate. :) I'm going to review all eight, separately, because a lot happens everywhere. :)
SO. Rereading this brought me back fully into the world of post-Cromwell England, so full of details and concerned mostly with the heart of modern science... from Newton, Leibwitz, Hook, and Comstock. The stories themselves are endlessly fascinating, actually, and the man who ties them all together, Daniel Waterhouse, is equally so. His getting into the Invisible College at its inception and working closely with all these fantastic persons was great for both story, history and, more specifically, the history of science.
It's hugely detailed and interconnected, and if that wasn't enough, Stephenson throws in a huge discourse on the economics, political issues, the wars, the plague, and of coruse religion. This is a fantastically intelligent, broad, and detailed look at England, late 17th century and early 18th.
I remember being flabbergasted at the amount of research the first time and now that I know more the second time, I'm still flabbergasted at the amount of research. The fact that he can weave a cool tale and have everything hold together as one of the best historicals I've ever read is a testament to Stephenson. :)
A note, however. There's two sets of books or book collections out here that have gone a great way to confusing me as to what to read where and how. I'll just make a note to everyone else who might also be confused.
The Quicksilver novel shows up both as the first book in the first cycle, also called Quicksilver.
Yeah. Nuts.
So I'm reviewing the individual first novel in the Cycle here, with this, and then reviewing King of Vagabonds as part two (a full novel as well) of the Quicksilver Cycle, followed with Odalesque.
The two conventions would have us believe that there are either three Cycles bound together as three enormous books, or Eight Books altogether, separate. :) I'm going to review all eight, separately, because a lot happens everywhere. :)
November 8, 2020
Book 1 in the Baroque Cycle published 2003.
A recommended 4 star read.
First thing that needs to be said is this is not a quick read, at 927 pages it’s huge by any standard.
The next thing to say is that there is no discernible plot; well none discernible to me that is.
So how does one read a 927 page plot less tome?
The answer to that, strange at it may seem, is with ease.
It reads more like a diary, a diary that records some of the most monumental scientific discoveries of all times.
The narrator, Daniel Waterhouse, is a member of the Royal Society along with some of the most influential Scientist, not only, of their day but in human history, Isaac Newton, Gottfried Leibniz and Robert Hooke just to name a few.
As a member of this most elite club Daniel Waterhouse was there when these luminaries were make their world changing discoveries.
The 16 and 17 hundreds were an interesting period in history apart from the scientific advances there was the Great Fire of London, The Black Plague, religious turmoil and the Anglo Dutch war, all of which is entertainingly retold to us by Daniel Waterhouse.
As you would expect with a 927 page book there are part that just seem to go on and on so I have to admit to a bit of skimming.
But for all that Quicksilver proved to be an entertaining and illuminating look at life in the 16 and 17 hundreds.
A recommended 4 star read.
First thing that needs to be said is this is not a quick read, at 927 pages it’s huge by any standard.
The next thing to say is that there is no discernible plot; well none discernible to me that is.
So how does one read a 927 page plot less tome?
The answer to that, strange at it may seem, is with ease.
It reads more like a diary, a diary that records some of the most monumental scientific discoveries of all times.
The narrator, Daniel Waterhouse, is a member of the Royal Society along with some of the most influential Scientist, not only, of their day but in human history, Isaac Newton, Gottfried Leibniz and Robert Hooke just to name a few.
As a member of this most elite club Daniel Waterhouse was there when these luminaries were make their world changing discoveries.
The 16 and 17 hundreds were an interesting period in history apart from the scientific advances there was the Great Fire of London, The Black Plague, religious turmoil and the Anglo Dutch war, all of which is entertainingly retold to us by Daniel Waterhouse.
As you would expect with a 927 page book there are part that just seem to go on and on so I have to admit to a bit of skimming.
But for all that Quicksilver proved to be an entertaining and illuminating look at life in the 16 and 17 hundreds.
June 29, 2018
That one man sickens and dies, while another flourishes, are characters in the cryptic message that philosophers seek to decode.
- Neal Stephenson, Quicksilver
Not done, with BIG Quicksilver, just finished internal-Book 1: Quicksilver. It gives a bit of a low-brow SF Pynchon vibe. It works well in parts, and falls a bit flat in parts. I sometimes wish Stephenson wouldn't chase down every last snowflake. I really do, however, enjoy the primary narrator Daniel Waterhouse and his interactions with such figures as Isaac Newton, Samuel Pepys, John Wilkins, etc.
Having already read Cryptonomicon, I was also glad to see Enoch Root (one of my favorite characters from that book). Like Pynchon, Stephenson takes historical fiction and probes the fiction needle into history at funky angles. He thrills at causing his fictional characters to interact in oblique ways to historical characters. Given the large amount of negative space in history (think about how much we DON'T know about people like Newton, or even the consumate diariest Pepys), a creative writer of historical fiction can bend/reflect/refract the light of the past to tell many compelling stories (and they don't even have to be plausable, they just can't completely contradict major historical events).
- Neal Stephenson, Quicksilver
Not done, with BIG Quicksilver, just finished internal-Book 1: Quicksilver. It gives a bit of a low-brow SF Pynchon vibe. It works well in parts, and falls a bit flat in parts. I sometimes wish Stephenson wouldn't chase down every last snowflake. I really do, however, enjoy the primary narrator Daniel Waterhouse and his interactions with such figures as Isaac Newton, Samuel Pepys, John Wilkins, etc.
Having already read Cryptonomicon, I was also glad to see Enoch Root (one of my favorite characters from that book). Like Pynchon, Stephenson takes historical fiction and probes the fiction needle into history at funky angles. He thrills at causing his fictional characters to interact in oblique ways to historical characters. Given the large amount of negative space in history (think about how much we DON'T know about people like Newton, or even the consumate diariest Pepys), a creative writer of historical fiction can bend/reflect/refract the light of the past to tell many compelling stories (and they don't even have to be plausable, they just can't completely contradict major historical events).
December 17, 2025
CRITIQUE:
Prolegomena to a "Cryptonomicon"
This book is one of eight books that form part of Neal Stephenson's "Baroque Cycle", a work of historical fiction, if not also a work of science fiction (in the sense of fiction that operates in the context of science).
The first volume of the Cycle contains three books, which I intended to read sequentially, when I first started this book.
However, two factors have diverted me from this course of action.
As sophisticated as the book is, it intentionally lacks significant narrative action.
Instead, it relies on atmosphere, character, description and dialogue, which collectively accomplish its Baroque style.
The second reason for diverting from my plan came from my late realisation that the Cycle was a part of a larger project or exercise that began with "Cryptonomicon", which I probably won't start until I finish the Cycle (which begins and ends before "Cryptonomicon"). This will allow me to read the totality in chronological order of occurrence, rather than of writing. My plan now is to read the books individually and separately over a longer period of time.
Cartesians, Courtesans and Arithmetickal Engines
The book is set in London in the mid- to late-17th century, and in Boston in the early 18th century.
Though it was written in 2003, it reads, looks and sounds like literature from this period.
The main characters (including Daniel Waterhouse) are mathematicians and natural scientists (Stephenson refers to them as "Cartesians" and "natural philosophers"). Isaac Newton and Gottfried Leibniz are frequently referred to, and often engage in conversations and debates with Daniel. They fraternise with the Royal Society, and do their best to stay up to date with contemporary hypotheses, solutions, proofs and inventions:
Eventually, Daniel embarks on a quest to develop and construct an early stage computer (which he calls an "arithmetickal engine"). It's this invention, which much later in the ensuing novels, is revealed to be a predecessor of the universal Turing machine:
There is so much discussion and debate that mostly men constitute the scientific cliques. There is little involvement of women, other than wenches they encounter in taverns or courtesans they meet in loftier, more formal circles:
Dissenters Against the Established Church and the Papist Way
The invention isn't restricted to mathematics. The same characters argue issues at the heart of Catholicism, Anglicanism ("the Established Church"), Protestantism, and Religious Dissent. Freedom of inquiry (academic freedom) leads to freedom of conscience, in terms of religion, culture, industry, commerce and politics.
Phanatiques and Phant'sies
Stephenson uses playful descriptions for some of his characters and their characteristics. The non-conformists and zealots of different shades, he refers to as "phanatiques". Their visions and fancies, he refers to as "phant'sies". These terms are a worthy description of the book as a whole.
SOUNDTRACK:
Prolegomena to a "Cryptonomicon"
This book is one of eight books that form part of Neal Stephenson's "Baroque Cycle", a work of historical fiction, if not also a work of science fiction (in the sense of fiction that operates in the context of science).
The first volume of the Cycle contains three books, which I intended to read sequentially, when I first started this book.
However, two factors have diverted me from this course of action.
As sophisticated as the book is, it intentionally lacks significant narrative action.
Instead, it relies on atmosphere, character, description and dialogue, which collectively accomplish its Baroque style.
The second reason for diverting from my plan came from my late realisation that the Cycle was a part of a larger project or exercise that began with "Cryptonomicon", which I probably won't start until I finish the Cycle (which begins and ends before "Cryptonomicon"). This will allow me to read the totality in chronological order of occurrence, rather than of writing. My plan now is to read the books individually and separately over a longer period of time.
Cartesians, Courtesans and Arithmetickal Engines
The book is set in London in the mid- to late-17th century, and in Boston in the early 18th century.
Though it was written in 2003, it reads, looks and sounds like literature from this period.
The main characters (including Daniel Waterhouse) are mathematicians and natural scientists (Stephenson refers to them as "Cartesians" and "natural philosophers"). Isaac Newton and Gottfried Leibniz are frequently referred to, and often engage in conversations and debates with Daniel. They fraternise with the Royal Society, and do their best to stay up to date with contemporary hypotheses, solutions, proofs and inventions:
"The question of free will versus predestination is one of the two great labyrinths into which the mind is drawn...The other is the composition of the continuum, or what is space?"
Eventually, Daniel embarks on a quest to develop and construct an early stage computer (which he calls an "arithmetickal engine"). It's this invention, which much later in the ensuing novels, is revealed to be a predecessor of the universal Turing machine:
"You say that Cogitatio and Computation are the same - in the Philosophical Language, a single word would suffice for both.
"But your Engine does computation, and so I am compelled to ask at what point does it become imbued with the incorporeal principle of Thought. You say that Cogitatio informs the body and somehow organises it into a mechanical system that is capable of acting."
There is so much discussion and debate that mostly men constitute the scientific cliques. There is little involvement of women, other than wenches they encounter in taverns or courtesans they meet in loftier, more formal circles:
"Daniel's pretend mistress accompanied him on every stage of this epochal pub-crawling campaign, which led eventually to Roger Comstock's playhouse, and in particular, to a back-room of that playhouse, where there happened to be a bed."
Dissenters Against the Established Church and the Papist Way
The invention isn't restricted to mathematics. The same characters argue issues at the heart of Catholicism, Anglicanism ("the Established Church"), Protestantism, and Religious Dissent. Freedom of inquiry (academic freedom) leads to freedom of conscience, in terms of religion, culture, industry, commerce and politics.
Phanatiques and Phant'sies
Stephenson uses playful descriptions for some of his characters and their characteristics. The non-conformists and zealots of different shades, he refers to as "phanatiques". Their visions and fancies, he refers to as "phant'sies". These terms are a worthy description of the book as a whole.
SOUNDTRACK:
October 22, 2010
[This audiobook contains Book 1 of the print edition of the Quicksilver omnibus. Book 2 is King of the Vagabonds. Book 3 is Odalisque.]
I’m a scientist by profession and I love history. Thus, I’m fascinated by the history of science, especially the era of Isaac Newton et al. So, Neal Stephenson’s Quicksilver should be just my thing and I was fully expecting to love this book (it’s been on my list for years), but I’m sad to say that I was disappointed in this first installment of The Baroque Cycle, though I still have high hopes for the remaining books.
Quicksilver is well-researched and well-written and chock full of plenty of stuff I love to read about: 17th and 18th century scholars and politicians exploring the way the world works. What an exciting time to be alive! Neal Stephenson successfully captures the feeling of the Baroque world — its architecture, fashion, nobility, plagues, and lack of waste management. He’s done his research, so he clearly and enthusiastically informs us about such diverse topics as alchemy, astronomy, botany, calculus, coinage, cryptography, the Dutch Wars, economics, free will, Galilean invariance, geometry, heresy, international relations, Judaism, kinematics, logic, microscopy, natural philosophy, optics, politics, the Reformation, the Restoration, relativity, sailing, sea warfare, slavery, taxonomy, warfare, weaponry, and zoology... I could go on. Quicksilver will get you half way through a liberal arts education in only 335 pages.
This is quite an accomplishment, but it’s also a problem. I love historical fiction, but great historical fiction uses the context of an exciting plot, engaging characters, and some sort of tension in the form of mystery and/or romance. Quicksilver has none of that. It’s purely what I’ll call (for lack of a better term) “historical science fiction.” Daniel Waterhouse, the character whose eyes we see through (mostly in flashbacks), has no personality, passion, or purpose. In Quicksilver, he exists to look over the shoulders of the men who are the real subjects of the book: the members of the Royal Society.
These men are fascinating, yes, but if the purpose of Quicksilver is to relay a huge amount of information about them in an interesting way, I’d rather read a non-fiction account. Then at least I’d know which of the numerous anecdotes about Isaac Newton (et al.) are factual. I can think of no reason to read this history as a fictional account if it contains none of the elements of an entertaining novel.
As an example, I’ll contrast Quicksilver with Patrick O’Brian’s Aubrey-Maturin series. I read all 20½ of those novels and was completely enthralled. Not only did I learn a lot about the Royal Navy during the Napoleonic Wars, but I was also thoroughly entertained by the fictional stories of Jack Aubrey and Stephen Maturin. That is excellent historical fiction.
Quicksilver was funny in places (such as when the Royal Society members talk about time, kidney stones, and opiates during one of their meetings) — and engrossing a couple of times (such as when Daniel Waterhouse and Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz discuss cognition, free will, and artificial intelligence), and though I enjoy learning about the invention of clocks, calculators, and coffee, Quicksilver is mostly information overload without a story to back it up.
I listened to Brilliance Audio’s version, which was beautifully read by Simon Prebble (always a treat). Due to its length, Brilliance Audio has split Quicksilver into its three sections: “Quicksilver,” “King of the Vagabonds,” and “Odalisque.” The next audiobook, then, is called King of the Vagabonds, and it shifts focus to a London street urchin who becomes an adventurer. Now that sounds like fun! I’m going to read King of the Vagabonds and hope that the introduction of some non-academic characters will give this saga some life!
I’m a scientist by profession and I love history. Thus, I’m fascinated by the history of science, especially the era of Isaac Newton et al. So, Neal Stephenson’s Quicksilver should be just my thing and I was fully expecting to love this book (it’s been on my list for years), but I’m sad to say that I was disappointed in this first installment of The Baroque Cycle, though I still have high hopes for the remaining books.
Quicksilver is well-researched and well-written and chock full of plenty of stuff I love to read about: 17th and 18th century scholars and politicians exploring the way the world works. What an exciting time to be alive! Neal Stephenson successfully captures the feeling of the Baroque world — its architecture, fashion, nobility, plagues, and lack of waste management. He’s done his research, so he clearly and enthusiastically informs us about such diverse topics as alchemy, astronomy, botany, calculus, coinage, cryptography, the Dutch Wars, economics, free will, Galilean invariance, geometry, heresy, international relations, Judaism, kinematics, logic, microscopy, natural philosophy, optics, politics, the Reformation, the Restoration, relativity, sailing, sea warfare, slavery, taxonomy, warfare, weaponry, and zoology... I could go on. Quicksilver will get you half way through a liberal arts education in only 335 pages.
This is quite an accomplishment, but it’s also a problem. I love historical fiction, but great historical fiction uses the context of an exciting plot, engaging characters, and some sort of tension in the form of mystery and/or romance. Quicksilver has none of that. It’s purely what I’ll call (for lack of a better term) “historical science fiction.” Daniel Waterhouse, the character whose eyes we see through (mostly in flashbacks), has no personality, passion, or purpose. In Quicksilver, he exists to look over the shoulders of the men who are the real subjects of the book: the members of the Royal Society.
These men are fascinating, yes, but if the purpose of Quicksilver is to relay a huge amount of information about them in an interesting way, I’d rather read a non-fiction account. Then at least I’d know which of the numerous anecdotes about Isaac Newton (et al.) are factual. I can think of no reason to read this history as a fictional account if it contains none of the elements of an entertaining novel.
As an example, I’ll contrast Quicksilver with Patrick O’Brian’s Aubrey-Maturin series. I read all 20½ of those novels and was completely enthralled. Not only did I learn a lot about the Royal Navy during the Napoleonic Wars, but I was also thoroughly entertained by the fictional stories of Jack Aubrey and Stephen Maturin. That is excellent historical fiction.
Quicksilver was funny in places (such as when the Royal Society members talk about time, kidney stones, and opiates during one of their meetings) — and engrossing a couple of times (such as when Daniel Waterhouse and Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz discuss cognition, free will, and artificial intelligence), and though I enjoy learning about the invention of clocks, calculators, and coffee, Quicksilver is mostly information overload without a story to back it up.
I listened to Brilliance Audio’s version, which was beautifully read by Simon Prebble (always a treat). Due to its length, Brilliance Audio has split Quicksilver into its three sections: “Quicksilver,” “King of the Vagabonds,” and “Odalisque.” The next audiobook, then, is called King of the Vagabonds, and it shifts focus to a London street urchin who becomes an adventurer. Now that sounds like fun! I’m going to read King of the Vagabonds and hope that the introduction of some non-academic characters will give this saga some life!
June 13, 2011
I am beginning the Baroque Cycle by Neal Stephenson. Check this link for further explanation regarding this eight book series. This is a review of the first book, Quicksilver (not the three book volume of the same title).
This is a historical novel with two parallel story lines, one following the fictional Daniel Waterhouse as a young man in the late 17th Century and the other framing narrative following him as an old man in 1713 as he remembers his earlier life. Daniel as a young man was a close acquaintance of both Isaac Newton and Gottfried Leibniz. Forty years later in 1713, Waterhouse who is now living in colonial Massachusetts has been asked to return to England to attempt to resolved the bitter dispute between Newton and Leibniz regarding credit for the creation of calculus mathematics.
In the 1713 narrative Waterhouse boards a ship leaving Boston harbor which runs into an extended encounter with pirates, including Edward Teach (a.k.a. Blackbeard). During the midst of these adventures he remembers his earlier years, thus the earlier 17th Century narrative.
In the earlier story line we learn that Waterhouse was a member of The Royal Society and rubbed shoulders with what seems like every conceivable historical personage in politics and natural philosophy at the time. He was mentored by John Wilkins, founder of the Royal Society. He was a roommate of Isaac Newton's at Cambridge. He had extended conversations with the young Leibniz. He worked as an assistant to Robert Hooke in his scientific experiments. In other words, he was at the core of the beginning of advances in scientific and mathematical thinking during the Enlightenment era.
I thoroughly enjoyed Stephenson's description of time, place and historical characters. He does plant some fictional items in the story that correlate with his novel, Cryptonomicon, which is set in the 20th Century. This is a link to my review of Cryptonomicon. Stephenson has characterized the Baroque Cycle as science fiction due to the presence of some anomalous occurrences and the emphasis on themes relating to science and technology. That may be true, but I experienced to book primarily as historical fiction.
An interesting quotation:
“... are you suggesting that those who study natural philosophy can acquire some kind of occult knowledge--special insight into God’s Creation, not available to the common Bible-reading man?”
“Er...I suppose that’s quite clearly what I’m suggesting.”
Drake nodded. “That is what I thought. Well, God gave us brains for a reason--not to use those brains would be a sin.”
Some links that may be of interest:
LINK TO Wikipedia article about the Baroque Cycle by Neal Stephenson.
LINK TO my review of King of the Vagabonds (Bk. 2) by Neal Stephenson.
LINK TO my review of Odalisque (Bk. 3) by Neal Stephenson.
LINK TO my review of The Confusion (Bks. 4 & 5) by Neal Stephenson.
LINK TO my review of Solomon's Gold (Bk. 6) by Neal Stephenson.
LINK TO my review of Currency (Bk. 7) by Neal Stephenson.
LINK TO my review of System of the World (Bk. 8) by Neal Stephenson.
This is a historical novel with two parallel story lines, one following the fictional Daniel Waterhouse as a young man in the late 17th Century and the other framing narrative following him as an old man in 1713 as he remembers his earlier life. Daniel as a young man was a close acquaintance of both Isaac Newton and Gottfried Leibniz. Forty years later in 1713, Waterhouse who is now living in colonial Massachusetts has been asked to return to England to attempt to resolved the bitter dispute between Newton and Leibniz regarding credit for the creation of calculus mathematics.
In the 1713 narrative Waterhouse boards a ship leaving Boston harbor which runs into an extended encounter with pirates, including Edward Teach (a.k.a. Blackbeard). During the midst of these adventures he remembers his earlier years, thus the earlier 17th Century narrative.
In the earlier story line we learn that Waterhouse was a member of The Royal Society and rubbed shoulders with what seems like every conceivable historical personage in politics and natural philosophy at the time. He was mentored by John Wilkins, founder of the Royal Society. He was a roommate of Isaac Newton's at Cambridge. He had extended conversations with the young Leibniz. He worked as an assistant to Robert Hooke in his scientific experiments. In other words, he was at the core of the beginning of advances in scientific and mathematical thinking during the Enlightenment era.
I thoroughly enjoyed Stephenson's description of time, place and historical characters. He does plant some fictional items in the story that correlate with his novel, Cryptonomicon, which is set in the 20th Century. This is a link to my review of Cryptonomicon. Stephenson has characterized the Baroque Cycle as science fiction due to the presence of some anomalous occurrences and the emphasis on themes relating to science and technology. That may be true, but I experienced to book primarily as historical fiction.
An interesting quotation:
“... are you suggesting that those who study natural philosophy can acquire some kind of occult knowledge--special insight into God’s Creation, not available to the common Bible-reading man?”
“Er...I suppose that’s quite clearly what I’m suggesting.”
Drake nodded. “That is what I thought. Well, God gave us brains for a reason--not to use those brains would be a sin.”
Some links that may be of interest:
LINK TO Wikipedia article about the Baroque Cycle by Neal Stephenson.
LINK TO my review of King of the Vagabonds (Bk. 2) by Neal Stephenson.
LINK TO my review of Odalisque (Bk. 3) by Neal Stephenson.
LINK TO my review of The Confusion (Bks. 4 & 5) by Neal Stephenson.
LINK TO my review of Solomon's Gold (Bk. 6) by Neal Stephenson.
LINK TO my review of Currency (Bk. 7) by Neal Stephenson.
LINK TO my review of System of the World (Bk. 8) by Neal Stephenson.
couldn-t-finish
February 24, 2012I tossed this one because I liked it. "Quicksilver" is the book of the month for one of my reading groups. When I went to the bookstore, I saw the mass-market paperback and the trade paperback on the shelf next to each other. I picked up the mass-market version because it was cheaper. What I didn't realize was that I was only getting 1/3 of the book. A hundred paged in, I was enjoying it so much, I decided to switch the full version as soon as I had a Borders coupon.
I do have to say that I really feel cheated by the mass-market version. There is absolutely nothing on the cover that indicates that it's only 1/3 of the original book.
I do have to say that I really feel cheated by the mass-market version. There is absolutely nothing on the cover that indicates that it's only 1/3 of the original book.
November 19, 2016
Some stories have faults we can't overlook because they tickle at our central understanding of good writing. Others bear faults that, while weakening the whole, uphold - often with courage and daring - the things we love about books. For me, Quicksilver sits in that second category.
As is my preference, I began the book with little foreknowledge. This was my first experience with Neal Stephenson's work. The story, as it unfolds, attempts to encapsulate in the loosest of plots a central understanding of the British Baroque period from the perspective of the elites - those movers and shakers in the world of science, culture, politics, and commerce. Stephenson sews the entire story together through dialogue, and inserts into the world of Daniel Waterhouse, our affable main character, a bevy of scientists, conspirators, sailors, and political players from whom we learn about the changing world they inhabit. Everything is touched upon and little developed, loose ends are often left at loose ends, and there is little-to-no central story or fictional dilemma. It's a book that will frustrate or, worse yet, bore a large number of readers. That being said, I loved it and look forward to reading more and perhaps going back through it again sometime. Why? The author has a couple of things going for him that tend to override a hell of a lot of my issues. First, he knows how to put words together. Gorgeous and graceful prose is uncommon in popular fiction. More often than not, what we get with such things is a writer who dutifully places words together in service of a tense and pulpy plot. Which is fine - it's what we're used to, and it often results in exciting fiction. But with Quicksilver, what we have is something else. It's art. And it's more than the words- it's an artist choosing where to look, where to aim his literary camera to capture those certain angles he wishes to share in order to delight the reader (and perhaps centrally himself). Stephenson takes obvious joy in his subject matter, lending the story the feel of a playful romp. Daniel's underlying optimism pervades even the story's moments of tension and in this, seems to mirror the Zeitgeist of the era. Finally, in reading this novel, my curiosity was provoked, and I ended up doing a lot of side-research on various events I'd never given thought to. Surely this is one of the best reactions a book can inspire.
As is my preference, I began the book with little foreknowledge. This was my first experience with Neal Stephenson's work. The story, as it unfolds, attempts to encapsulate in the loosest of plots a central understanding of the British Baroque period from the perspective of the elites - those movers and shakers in the world of science, culture, politics, and commerce. Stephenson sews the entire story together through dialogue, and inserts into the world of Daniel Waterhouse, our affable main character, a bevy of scientists, conspirators, sailors, and political players from whom we learn about the changing world they inhabit. Everything is touched upon and little developed, loose ends are often left at loose ends, and there is little-to-no central story or fictional dilemma. It's a book that will frustrate or, worse yet, bore a large number of readers. That being said, I loved it and look forward to reading more and perhaps going back through it again sometime. Why? The author has a couple of things going for him that tend to override a hell of a lot of my issues. First, he knows how to put words together. Gorgeous and graceful prose is uncommon in popular fiction. More often than not, what we get with such things is a writer who dutifully places words together in service of a tense and pulpy plot. Which is fine - it's what we're used to, and it often results in exciting fiction. But with Quicksilver, what we have is something else. It's art. And it's more than the words- it's an artist choosing where to look, where to aim his literary camera to capture those certain angles he wishes to share in order to delight the reader (and perhaps centrally himself). Stephenson takes obvious joy in his subject matter, lending the story the feel of a playful romp. Daniel's underlying optimism pervades even the story's moments of tension and in this, seems to mirror the Zeitgeist of the era. Finally, in reading this novel, my curiosity was provoked, and I ended up doing a lot of side-research on various events I'd never given thought to. Surely this is one of the best reactions a book can inspire.
November 29, 2013
This is an incredibly written book.
You have to spend TIME to read most of Stephensons's works. So many books you can just pick up and put down, but the thought and effort and time that he puts into his longer books is downright astonishing. It is historical fiction at its best.
Quicksilver takes place just before the dawn of America, in the era of Issac Newton and Lebniz. He even uses one of the main characters from his earlier book, Waterhouse, as a ancestor of the characters in that book as well. It is a great tie in, and a great start to an amazing trilogy of books.
But again, you cannot just pick this tome up and put it down. There are multiple timelines running together, multiple stories, so much going on. You have to be paying attention and putting some effort into the read. It is not that it is HARD to read. The prose is amazing. He has absolute mastery over the English language. It is just that to follow his storytelling in all its glory, you have to put some time into it.
However, besides all of these qualifications, this book, along with every other book of Stephenson's that I have read, get's 5 stars. I don't know how they couldn't.
You have to spend TIME to read most of Stephensons's works. So many books you can just pick up and put down, but the thought and effort and time that he puts into his longer books is downright astonishing. It is historical fiction at its best.
Quicksilver takes place just before the dawn of America, in the era of Issac Newton and Lebniz. He even uses one of the main characters from his earlier book, Waterhouse, as a ancestor of the characters in that book as well. It is a great tie in, and a great start to an amazing trilogy of books.
But again, you cannot just pick this tome up and put it down. There are multiple timelines running together, multiple stories, so much going on. You have to be paying attention and putting some effort into the read. It is not that it is HARD to read. The prose is amazing. He has absolute mastery over the English language. It is just that to follow his storytelling in all its glory, you have to put some time into it.
However, besides all of these qualifications, this book, along with every other book of Stephenson's that I have read, get's 5 stars. I don't know how they couldn't.
October 22, 2017
I almost didn’t finish this novel. I believe if I had read it 10 years earlier, that would not have been the case. As is characteristic of a Stephenson novel, this one is delightfully tedious — thoroughly researched, full of period stylistic flourishes, and oft labyrinthine prose. And there is totally a time and place for that. But at this point I’ve read enough of his novels to know better, to know what was happening (stylistically speaking) as it unfolded, and while this did make me smile, it was a nostalgic one. In many ways, the novel’s period setting becomes a clever (and, quite honestly, rather involved) conceit which provides the excuse for writing prose and dialogue with the peculiar spellings, oblique and veiled metaphors, &c.
It’s by no means a bad book. I just feeling like I’ve visited this stylistic and thematic soil before.
TL;DR: how many times can you write a novel about the invention of the computer?
It’s by no means a bad book. I just feeling like I’ve visited this stylistic and thematic soil before.
TL;DR: how many times can you write a novel about the invention of the computer?
April 1, 2009
This book is kickass.
Part 1 is thick and includes lots of philosophy. And dandy Englishmen doing dandy Englishmen things. Some good pirate parts in the current time. The flashbacks are more for background. I'm still not sure if they are going to form a computer that deals with God or what.
It picks up in Part 2 with the Vagabond King. Hell yeah! Turkish invasion of Vienna! Harem girl escapes with neutered man about to go crazy from the pox! Flashbacks of gritty youth spent with criminals! Fuck, now we're talking.
Go read this book. Skip the boring parts if you want. The Vagabond King is totally awesome. Daniel Waterhouse is okay, but only starts to get interesting in the last hundred pages of part 1. This is a book you'll have to be patient with but then when you do, oh wow.
Part 1 is thick and includes lots of philosophy. And dandy Englishmen doing dandy Englishmen things. Some good pirate parts in the current time. The flashbacks are more for background. I'm still not sure if they are going to form a computer that deals with God or what.
It picks up in Part 2 with the Vagabond King. Hell yeah! Turkish invasion of Vienna! Harem girl escapes with neutered man about to go crazy from the pox! Flashbacks of gritty youth spent with criminals! Fuck, now we're talking.
Go read this book. Skip the boring parts if you want. The Vagabond King is totally awesome. Daniel Waterhouse is okay, but only starts to get interesting in the last hundred pages of part 1. This is a book you'll have to be patient with but then when you do, oh wow.
October 12, 2015
Nice book, more educational and less entertaining than Cryptonomicon. I'm on to the next book in The Baroque Cycle.
September 8, 2019
Simply excellent. It is not often anymore that I begin a multiple-book series and at the end of the first book find myself grateful that I have seven more books to look forward too, but this book accomplished that for me.
May 4, 2015
3.5 stars. Review to come.
November 24, 2023
When you pick up a Neal Stephenson book, be ready for a bit of a brain workout. He's great if you like stories mixed with complex science stuff. Even though I'm not big on science, I still find his stories interesting and intriguing. I don't know why, but I keep coming back for more. I started with "Cryptonomicon," a popular one of his. It got me because it's connected to my job, and I liked how he turned that into a brilliant and intelligen plot.
"Quicksilver" is more for people who really know their science, like what Einstein was up to during the timeline in which it is written. It took a lot of research, which makes it amazing and gives you an insight of what were the stakes at the time and how things were being done without actually reading a history book. Stephenson's way of writing can be a bit tricky, but it keeps you interested in the main characters. It's like a prequel to "Cryptonomicon," so if you're into complex stories and something different, give it a try!
"Quicksilver" is more for people who really know their science, like what Einstein was up to during the timeline in which it is written. It took a lot of research, which makes it amazing and gives you an insight of what were the stakes at the time and how things were being done without actually reading a history book. Stephenson's way of writing can be a bit tricky, but it keeps you interested in the main characters. It's like a prequel to "Cryptonomicon," so if you're into complex stories and something different, give it a try!
December 3, 2011
Overall, this was an extremely well-written book which shows Stephenson's incredible handle on the English language. At times it was difficult to remember that it is a work of historical fiction, not of history. It was incredibly fun to read about a young Isaac Newton and to learn about optics, alchemy and mechanical clocks, all the while seeing the balance of science and politics at play. It was, however, a pretty tough read, and sometimes I had a very hard time figuring out how to pull it all together.
When I read, I'm often looking for something to take me away from the day and to not require to think too much, but this book really requires you to play close attention. Based on reviews I've read, the subsequent volumes of the Baroque Cycle flow much more easily, but I am going to take a break and do a little lighter reader before coming back.
When I read, I'm often looking for something to take me away from the day and to not require to think too much, but this book really requires you to play close attention. Based on reviews I've read, the subsequent volumes of the Baroque Cycle flow much more easily, but I am going to take a break and do a little lighter reader before coming back.
March 6, 2013
I've concluded that either I know almost nothing about 18th-century European/American scientific history, or Stephenson is just making up a whole bunch of stuff. Probably both.
So, on my second attempt at this book, I was able to finish it, but I felt lost and bewildered most of the time. (The 12-page "Dramatis Personae" at the end of the book made me feel at least justified in this response)
There is enough tongue-in-cheek Stephenson to keep me reading, but very little that actually has to do with a plot. However, once I stopped looking for that story line, and just allowed myself to simply be in the same room as the characters while they talked to each other, it was rather enjoyable.
I'll pick up the next one now, and just hope there's less about Louis XIV.
So, on my second attempt at this book, I was able to finish it, but I felt lost and bewildered most of the time. (The 12-page "Dramatis Personae" at the end of the book made me feel at least justified in this response)
There is enough tongue-in-cheek Stephenson to keep me reading, but very little that actually has to do with a plot. However, once I stopped looking for that story line, and just allowed myself to simply be in the same room as the characters while they talked to each other, it was rather enjoyable.
I'll pick up the next one now, and just hope there's less about Louis XIV.
September 17, 2013
The concept of this series intrigued me - an intertwining plot featuring loads of actual historical characters, events, and discoveries from the 17th Century - but the execution let me down. The author often seems SO impressed by his own cleverness that it's like listening to a pretentious know-it-all instead of a good story-teller. Also the characters dissect live dogs for medical experiments - no thank you.
July 20, 2013
I went into this with the understanding that the first book was something I would just have to get through. I got through it. It wasn't all bad - there were some good scenes, some interesting parts, but there was not enough actual story to keep me interested. Now I'm enjoying the second book, which follows a completely different set of characters.
September 14, 2019
I have become increasingly interested in the events of the 17th and 18th centuries and their political, philosophical, and cultural inheritance over the years. Stephenson renders a fascinating world with a remarkable attention to detail, connecting people, places, and events with admirable skill. Reminded my of work by Thomas Pynchon and John Barth.
November 22, 2021
This 8 book series is just amazing. I was expecting SF from Neal Stephenson, but it's not (except for one thing) , it's historical fiction. It's so interesting, and has wonderful characters, some real some made-up, but all very well bought to life. And the story line, wow, you never know where this is going. This is one of my all time favorite series.
February 10, 2026
Stephenson is such an excellent writer. I really liked a lot of the scenes, the dialogue, and how he captures the time period. This doesn't have the plot or narrative pace of some of his more recent work, but was very entertaining and didn't feel nearly as dense as I'd been led to believe. My favorite part was the play (or part of it) inserted into a chapter.
December 2, 2022
Interesting, in-depth historical fiction comes at the expense of the plot’s momentum and clarity. Still, good characters and impressive writing. Clear and dramatic imagery elevates climactic moments that stay with you long after you finish reading. Strong setup for the series.
3.6/5
3.6/5
June 1, 2011
First time reading it (I know, I know.) Wow. Just: 'Wow'.
Read
January 4, 2012I dont know enough about the history of Calculus/Algebra/whatthefuckever to be able to appreciate this. Shame.
April 2, 2012
One word: boring.
January 1, 2019
So far, so good. On to Book Two!
August 11, 2020
Historical, science fiction. Set during the Baroque area. I enjoyed this one a lot.
April 15, 2026
The book feels like a sort of thought experiment: wouldn't it be cool to be Isaac Newton's best friend? What would that be like? This book follows the adventures of this best friend through his young life in London and Cambridge, with a few passages revealing how he's gotten to the area of Boston much later in life.
The integration of events, inventions, and new ideas that were percolating through Newton's London in the 1650's is educational and fun. Historical figures wander into and then out of the frame. The events of the day affect them. It's interesting to read. It takes a special talent to pull this off.
While I enjoyed Quicksilver, it doesn't have much of a plot. It reminds me of John Dos Passos.
Great narration.
The integration of events, inventions, and new ideas that were percolating through Newton's London in the 1650's is educational and fun. Historical figures wander into and then out of the frame. The events of the day affect them. It's interesting to read. It takes a special talent to pull this off.
While I enjoyed Quicksilver, it doesn't have much of a plot. It reminds me of John Dos Passos.
Great narration.
December 19, 2023
December 2023
I honestly did read this book twice this year, and It was defiantly better the second time - within the context of the whole series. The Baroque Cycle is long and complicated, and Stephenson had to start somewhere! Quicksilver sets the stage for the Waterhouse arc (the primary perspective of academics and the mint) which comes and goes throughout the series, and features heavily in the last third. Waterhouse became one of my three favorite characters (along with Jack and Eliza who we don't meet until "King of Vagabonds")
This story is complicated, but if you're even mildly intrigued, defiantly read on in the series. Daniel's voyage back to England on the Minerva in 1713 takes place between books 5 and 6 (or volumes 2 and 3). The books in between expand on key characters and events introduced or eluded to in book 1. The Minerva back story is featured in the middle of the series in the Jack Shaftoe arc, and Newton and Leibnitz come back as rivals later in the series.
The Baroque Cycle offers a character centric overview of the late 17th and early 18th century Europe that had me researching what was real and what was history. There is A LOT of actual history here.
Some of the mind boggling topics that I just had to look up included - weird fashion (periwigs and mouches), what's with all the syphilis (see also periwigs and mouches) and bladder stones (Samuel Pepys and 17th century surgery), the plague year (we just had one of our own!), who are all these people vying for various thrones (I still haven't sorted all of them out yet), the Royal Society, Puritans, and more.
... and it all loosely boils down to currency - which is not something I ever thought I wanted to read about. The problem of money is an ongoing theme - the scene with Waterhouse and Newton buying prisms in the market (at the onset of the plague) really illustrates the currency issue (and made me laugh out loud multiple times). I've been surprisingly enlighted and entertained by this series. I expect I will read this again, because it's well done and personal experience suggests that Stephenson's books are better the second time. I've read 3 of them twice and plan to reread others because it's just not possible to get it all the first time (or probably even the second and third times). I could literally study this stuff!
May 2023
This is the slowest paced Stephenson book I've read to date. Enoch Root is the most interesting character (probably because I met him in "Fall"), but he's only briefly included in "Quicksilver". I would like to have been more attached to Daniel Waterhouse since he's the main POV character. His bland matter-0f-factness and self deprecation are both charming and annoying (in that his sedate delivery doesn't offer much emotional variation).
This book includes a lot of subtle humor, but it's incredibly academic - as in historical fiction from the POV of the highly academic and philosophical. Although I find merit in this perspective, it doesn't scratch my creative or emotional itches. The biggest emotions I experienced were mild amusement due to the aforementioned subtle humor and revulsion due to the heinous treatment of "lab dogs." It defiantly paints a vivid picture of the best and worst natural philosophy had to offer during the age of enlightenment. It also includes so very unique and bizarre fashions - including the Earl of Uponor's ridiculous boots and the gluing spots of black velvet to one's face.
I have never read a palatable history text, but I suspect Neal Stephenson could write one if he was so inclined. That said, I'm grateful he writes fiction.
I honestly did read this book twice this year, and It was defiantly better the second time - within the context of the whole series. The Baroque Cycle is long and complicated, and Stephenson had to start somewhere! Quicksilver sets the stage for the Waterhouse arc (the primary perspective of academics and the mint) which comes and goes throughout the series, and features heavily in the last third. Waterhouse became one of my three favorite characters (along with Jack and Eliza who we don't meet until "King of Vagabonds")
This story is complicated, but if you're even mildly intrigued, defiantly read on in the series. Daniel's voyage back to England on the Minerva in 1713 takes place between books 5 and 6 (or volumes 2 and 3). The books in between expand on key characters and events introduced or eluded to in book 1. The Minerva back story is featured in the middle of the series in the Jack Shaftoe arc, and Newton and Leibnitz come back as rivals later in the series.
The Baroque Cycle offers a character centric overview of the late 17th and early 18th century Europe that had me researching what was real and what was history. There is A LOT of actual history here.
Some of the mind boggling topics that I just had to look up included - weird fashion (periwigs and mouches), what's with all the syphilis (see also periwigs and mouches) and bladder stones (Samuel Pepys and 17th century surgery), the plague year (we just had one of our own!), who are all these people vying for various thrones (I still haven't sorted all of them out yet), the Royal Society, Puritans, and more.
... and it all loosely boils down to currency - which is not something I ever thought I wanted to read about. The problem of money is an ongoing theme - the scene with Waterhouse and Newton buying prisms in the market (at the onset of the plague) really illustrates the currency issue (and made me laugh out loud multiple times). I've been surprisingly enlighted and entertained by this series. I expect I will read this again, because it's well done and personal experience suggests that Stephenson's books are better the second time. I've read 3 of them twice and plan to reread others because it's just not possible to get it all the first time (or probably even the second and third times). I could literally study this stuff!
May 2023
This is the slowest paced Stephenson book I've read to date. Enoch Root is the most interesting character (probably because I met him in "Fall"), but he's only briefly included in "Quicksilver". I would like to have been more attached to Daniel Waterhouse since he's the main POV character. His bland matter-0f-factness and self deprecation are both charming and annoying (in that his sedate delivery doesn't offer much emotional variation).
This book includes a lot of subtle humor, but it's incredibly academic - as in historical fiction from the POV of the highly academic and philosophical. Although I find merit in this perspective, it doesn't scratch my creative or emotional itches. The biggest emotions I experienced were mild amusement due to the aforementioned subtle humor and revulsion due to the heinous treatment of "lab dogs." It defiantly paints a vivid picture of the best and worst natural philosophy had to offer during the age of enlightenment. It also includes so very unique and bizarre fashions - including the Earl of Uponor's ridiculous boots and the gluing spots of black velvet to one's face.
I have never read a palatable history text, but I suspect Neal Stephenson could write one if he was so inclined. That said, I'm grateful he writes fiction.
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