Quicksilver

Volume One of the Baroque Cycle by Neal Stephenson is a mind-boggling novel. I don't know how to categorize it. Maybe an historical novel of science and politics. Whatever. This tale of 17th century Europe features appealing characters caught in historical events, illuminating them from a fascinating and humorous insider perspective. In spite of the fact that the book is enormous, it is mesmerizing. The second volume is out. I'll be reading it.

Published in hardcover by William Morrow.

I am surprised by how much I hated this. I love Neal Stephenson, but couldn't stay awake while reading this. So dull and plodding. Generally I do not have an issue with the length of his novels, but I really felt it with this one. At least that means I can knock the two other gratuitously long books In the baroque cycle off my list as well. Maybe I'll try for a reread once I'm not a new parent and I'll have more patience.

Stephenson's previous work, Cryptonomicon, was easily the best book I've read in the past several years, so it was with great excitement that I approached this book. Overall it was a very good year, although I think that it was definitely not in the same league as the Crypto. [return]The book is divided into three parts, each featuring a character related to the characters and events of Cryptonomicon. The first third focuses on Natural Philosopher Daniel Waterhouse, and follows his relationship with other great minds, including Newton and Leibniz, during the latter half of the 17th century. The second part of the book is more action-based, switching the focus to the noble Vagabond, Jack Shaftoe, as he seeks to make his fortune and his way in the world. The last third returns to Waterhouse, and also greatly expands on Eliza of Qwghlm, a former slave-girl who may just be the lynchpin of European society. Intermingled with all of these events as well is the alchemist Enoch Root[return]Overall, the book was fairly good, although to be honest I felt it dragged somewhat in the middle third. It was interesting, though, to see the interplay of the ancestors of characters that are already fairly well-known, as well as their interactions with various historical characters. I'll definitely have to give a read to the next volume in the story.

I am shelving this as “historical fiction,” but Quicksilver oddly satisfies me in the same way an epic fantasy or science fiction book would. It took me out of myself and enchanted me.

I appreciate Stephenson's ability to put the reader into the word of long ago without making it feel strained and pretentious, either with archaisms or painful modernisms. The anachronistic touches did not feel out of place, but rather like a “dynamic equivalence” translation from one language into another.