Point Regarding Books Quicksilver (The Baroque Cycle #1)
Title | : | Quicksilver (The Baroque Cycle #1) |
Author | : | Neal Stephenson |
Book Format | : | Paperback |
Book Edition | : | P.S. Edition (US/CAN) |
Pages | : | Pages: 927 pages |
Published | : | September 21st 2004 by HarperCollins Perennial (first published September 23rd 2003) |
Categories | : | Fiction. Historical. Historical Fiction. Science Fiction. Fantasy |

Neal Stephenson
Paperback | Pages: 927 pages Rating: 3.93 | 34829 Users | 2026 Reviews
Narrative To Books Quicksilver (The Baroque Cycle #1)
Quicksilver is the story of Daniel Waterhouse, fearless thinker and conflicted Puritan, pursuing 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. It is a chronicle of the breathtaking exploits of "Half-Cocked Jack" Shaftoe--London street urchin turned swashbuckling adventurer and legendary King of the Vagabonds--risking life and limb for fortune and love while slowly maddening from the pox. And it is the tale of Eliza, rescued by Jack from a Turkish harem to become spy, confidante, and pawn of royals in order to reinvent Europe through the newborn power of finance. A gloriously rich, entertaining, and endlessly inventive novel that brings a remarkable age and its momentous events to vivid life, Quicksilver is an extraordinary achievement from one of the most original and important literary talents of our time. And it's just the beginning... (back cover) This P.S. edition includes 16 pages of supplementary materials. Cover design by Richard L. Aquan Cover illustration from the Mary Evans Picture Library; painting of Great Fire of London on stepbackDetails Books Toward Quicksilver (The Baroque Cycle #1)
Original Title: | Quicksilver |
ISBN: | 0060593083 (ISBN13: 9780060593087) |
Edition Language: | English URL https://www.harpercollins.com/9780060593087/quicksilver |
Series: | The Baroque Cycle #1 |
Characters: | Isaac Newton, Eliza, Jack Shaftoe, Enoch Root, Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz, Daniel Waterhouse, Bob Shaftoe |
Literary Awards: | Locus Award Nominee for Best Science Fiction Novel (2004), Arthur C. Clarke Award for Best Novel (2004) |
Rating Regarding Books Quicksilver (The Baroque Cycle #1)
Ratings: 3.93 From 34829 Users | 2026 ReviewsCritique Regarding Books Quicksilver (The Baroque Cycle #1)
I think it's official: I hate Neil Stephenson's books. I hated his so called cyberpunk classic Snow Crash --a fact that sets me apart from most of the nerdegalian-- and I really hated Quicksilver.Quicksilver is kind of hard to classify, if you in fact insist on classifying it. It's kind of historical fiction in that it's set in the 17th and 18th century and follows the rise of empiricism and science. It features real people from that period, like Isaac Newton, Gotfried Leibniz, Robert Boyle,Stephenson deserves an editor that will tell him to write less. The man prodigiously describes "cool" "fun" "interesting" events with such detail and precision that it usually loses its narrative flow. The guy has a command of the english language and is certainly fascinated by late 17th century and early 18th century goings-on that this feels like a historical narrative rather than historical fiction, yet the whole book feels like it was written in computer code; it is an odd stylistic quirk of

(The following is an excerpt from the journal of Neal Stephenson.)After the success of Cryptonomicon, Im having some problems narrowing down my next project. The issue is that I have far too many ideas, and I cant decide which plot to use for my next book.I know that I want do something set during the late 17th century in Europe. It was an amazing time with huge changes in politics, culture, commerce and science, but there was just so much going on that I cant seem to make up my mind and pick
complete reread of the novel (and of course continuing with the sequels) - while I greatly enjoyed it the first time I read the series (in 2008), this time I have appreciated it even more; epic, memorable characters, adventures, intrigue and the birth of the modern world set on the twin pillars of formalized rational inquiry - what we call now science and was once called natural philosophy - and capitalism which forces innovation - which for most history was strongly resisted by societies - by
I've owned this "cycle" of books for something like seven years. I don't read massive books but I did love Stephenson's cyberpunk books and this sounded interesting, but no way was I ever planning on reading it, size matters after all.But I've had a hankering for something approaching the content of Wolf Hall/Bring Up the Bodies since finishing the second book and despite being set over a hundred years later - taking place after the other Cromwell was beheaded - Quicksilver is similarly
What a mess! This volume commits several heinous sins; the Sin of Protagonist Switching occurs twice. The Sin of Rambling Aimlessly occurs through out. The Sin of Being Pointless might possibly be redeemed in the remaining volumes...but can I be bothered to read them?There are fun and exciting passages that account for the two star rating but they are islands floating on the structural swamp.
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