Rating: 
Summary: A bit of botched alchemy here...
Review: Stephenson's problem used to be his endings - he'd just kinda fade out an otherwise riveting tale. Here, instead, he's taken the opposite approach: he's fading into his epic historical Cycle, and it's off to a bit of a bumpy start. I disagree with those who claim there is no plot; the plot is there, but it is tightly interwoven with the era and the atmosphere that Stephenson carefully describes, and his overall success in carrying off that delicate merger is what makes the almost 1000 pages worth the read. I'm tempted to "phant'sie" whether an editor could have cut this behemoth down to size without doing damage to the story. Some of the characters shine, others never quite take off, and while the mix of historical facts and fiction is enjoyable enough and key to the whole concept of the Cycle, it starts to get in the way both of the plot itself and of the implicit history lesson -- it's hard to ascertain what's true and what's a figment of Stephenson's fertile imagination, conjured up to accomodate the story after a few hundred pages. I had hoped for some real gold here, but Stephenson's Quicksilver is an odd amalgam. All the same, I'll stick with the Cycle thru the next volume.
Rating: 
Summary: Unreadable
Review: Some facts you should know: 1) I LOVE Neal Stephenson's books "The Cryptonomicon" & "The Diamond Age" so I've never had trouble with his work before 2) British and European history has been the primary focus of my studies and readings for 30 years.
3) I am far from stupid. Those helpful nuggets about me will (I hope) keep you from muttering insults about my qualifications to review "Quicksilver", Neal Stephenson's (sort of) sequel to "The Cryptonomicon" & the 1st of his "Baroque Cycle" books. The simple & unvarnished truth of the matter is: This book is unreadable. It is unreadable because, firstly, it has no real discernible plot. It is unreadable, secondly, because nothing really happens in it. It is unreadable, thirdly, because the protagonists (whether fictional or historical) engage in lengthy conversations with each other that simply do not read as believable conversations. Stephenson uses these discussions as a means to fill the reader in on historical background & sketch in the "backstory" of each character. It simply doesn't work. "The Cryptonomicon" was also a book that combined fictional & historical characters moving through actual historical events. Unlike "Quicksilver" however, "The Cryptonomicon" used action & interior thoughts to allow the reader to become familiar with each character. I'm not sure why he didn't trust his readers this time around, but whatever his thinking, it makes "Quicksilver" into a ponderously slow, uninvolving book. I'm not giving up on Stephenson however; he's too immensely talented a writer to ignore his future offerings. I sincerely hope the next 2 books of the Baroque Cycle will return to his former writing style & be as intellectually exciting as his books prior to "Quicksilver". Everyone stumbles now & again, this must be Stephenson's.
Rating: 
Summary: Wow... that's a lot of nothing!
Review: Not much happens in this humongous novel (nearly 1000 pages). But Stephenson is an insightful writer and a crafty devil to boot. If you liked Cryptonomicon, then you'll probably enjoy this work as well. What tickles in this book is not the scintillating plot... mostly because there *is* no plot. It is all in the minor events and scenery that the characters devour, the amazing descriptions (from outlandish, foppish fripperies to the amazingly bad experiments of the Royal Society). The minute detail is all here and all well wrought. In the past year I've read some very popular but very crappy long-series works of fantasy. This book (barely speculative fiction) walks back and forth over the prostrate supine works of morons like Robert Jordan. But at the same time I'm a bit nervous. With two books in the offing, I don't exactly look forward to reading 3000 pages (nearly 10 normal novels) to get anywhere. Stephanson hasn't really disappointed in the past. And you could do far worse than this novel, even without a plot, for sheer joyful reading. But I'm holding my breath...
Rating:
Summary: Start with Cryptonomicon, please.
Review: As a long-time fan of Mr. Stephenson, I thoroughly enjoyed Quicksilver. This is not, I repeat, not, the place for a new reader to start. Read his previous book, Cryptonomicon, first. (I may be the only person in the US who has read it 4 times.) If you like the style, and can do with less action and a world unlike the one around you, then The Baroque Cycle is for you. New Stephenson readers will not be excited by the antecedent Waterhouses, Shaftoes, Comstocks, et al. interacting in the everchanging Europe of the late 17th/early 18th century. Not a big fan of novels in general, I've always found Stephenson to be entertaining due to his sharp understanding of the intersection of intriguing technology and clever humans. (I'm a hard core business and marketing guy.) Without that to fall back on, Quicksilver is more of an exercise in style. Face it, there are people who will read anything King, Grisham, or Steele write, and Mr. Stephenson is no different. Please, please, please read Crytonomicon first. If you lose sleep trying to finish it, then submit yourself to Quicksilver. Otherwise, go elsewhere. (Note: antecedent CAN be used as an adjective...)
Rating: 
Summary: is there a plot?
Review: After 250 pages of interesting history, i am still
waiting for a plot.
Rating: 
Summary: Stephenson does it again
Review: Stephenson has written another masterpiece. He splits quicksilver into three different books. all of which is historical fiction set in the 16 and 1700s. each character has a very distinct personality and the narration is changed up to describe each characters piece of the story. The reader gets descriptions of historical events through a character's eyes. this tends to make it more of a feeling like you are witnessing events through an average persons eyes which gives the book some meaning to those who would rather know how things happened not from a historian's point of view, but through the possible point of view of a person during this time period. for those who would like to have a description on the founding of calculus, or colonial surgery, READ A HISTORY BOOK, this book is not too inform the reader of these things but too be just what many books are created for. ENTERTAINMENT. understand that many books are made to entertain people, not just inform them. this gives the reader enough of a historical base that they can very well learn something, but most of all it is entertaining. and if you read 300 pages in and are not hooked then you obviously have a reading disorder or ADD.
Rating:
Summary: A masterpiece of historical fiction
Review: Stephenson succeeds in crafting a description of one of European history's watershed eras that encompases vast geograhies and philosphies in an equally vast number of pages. For that, unlike many other reviewers, I do not fault him. We readers are guided on a tour of the intellectual landscape in England from the time of the English Civil War through to the Glorious Revolution. Stephenson entangles us in the religious/political mayhem that ran rampant during that time. From Versailles, to Venice to the hodge-podge of flyspeck Germanic sub-principalities, we gain a feeling for the incestuous interconnectedness of the royal and noble families that were accustomed to being the only Powers That Mattered at the time. Juxtaposed against them, we are introduced to the coterie of geniuses who flourished at the time and whose scientific and philosophical endeavors reshaped the way people came to view the world. Stephenson's voluminous description of the time, and his creation of a set of fictitious peers and contemporaries of its great thinkers allows him to explore and play with the ideas that were radically new in European culture at the time, which we contemporary readers have inherited as truths we take for granted. He does not go to pains to demonstrate how radically new some of the political theories he explores were in their historical context, and unsophisticated modern readers might have the urge to think "Well, duh... everybody knows and thinks that way... its normal." This book takes us through the struggles that unseated kings and smashed the concept of divine right, as well as through the empiricist revolution that retired the antiquated aristotelian modes of understanding the world and their alchemical/mystical offspring. This is not an adventure story, though there are a few adventureous tales woven into it. This is a novel of ideas, and as such, it does a spectacular job, just like each of Stephenson's earlier books.
Rating:
Summary: A review of the reviewers
Review: Judging from the reviews I've read so far, readers either love this book (myself included) or hate it. The latter seem to be either hardcore science fiction fans who are disappointed that Quicksilver is not "Snow Crash II" or some such,and English lit majors and historians who have a problem with Stephenson's literary style or historical accuracy. I fall into neither category. I simply love good writing and my definition of "good" is not so narrow as to only encompass action filled plots or effete literary pyrotechnics. "Quicksilver" is one of the finest historical novels that I have ever read; a list including Patrick O'Brian's Aubrey/Maturin series, Bernard Cornwell's Sharpe series, Dorothy Dunnet's works, and Colleen McCullough. The novel is well researched and covers the politics, religion, science, and philosophy of the time. This is a novel of ideas. This is a great novel. I can't wait for the next in the series.
Rating:
Summary: Awkward historical fiction
Review: Stephenson's other works were marvelous works of imagination, marked by his unique, odd sense of humor. He translated his ideas into strangely compelling fictional universes. Even Cryptonomicon, which used a measured dose of history as its base, felt like an epic survey of cryptography. So I purchased Quicksilver without reservation. Now, after wading through about 300 pages of ponderous prose, I've given up. Stephenson was never what I'd consider a great composer of prose, but he overcame that with his ability to merge an understanding of technologies with a vivid imagination. Quicksilver is historical fiction, always a tricky category. If the history being covered is compelling in and of itself, and in this case it is, the fiction needs to be particularly strong to avoid distracting the reader. It is not. Stephenson uses characters dialogue to explain a lot of the history and background to the reader, rendering the dialogue dull and awkward, and the characters feel not like human beings but mannequins on which various ideas and exposition can be draped. If I had read 300 pages of pure non-fiction from a gifted historian on Leibniz and Newton and their struggle to claim credit for the invention of calculus, or 300 pages of non-fiction about 17th century England, I would expect to have learned quite a bit. Stephenson's introduction of Daniel Waterhouse failed to enhance my appreciation for that piece of history one bit. I do believe that Stephenson knows much more about this era than I do, and I firmly believe he wants to convey to us an appreciation for the birth of some of our age's most momentous ideas. His planned 3000 page 3-part Baroque Cycle of historical fiction sounds like much too painful a means of sharing it, though. I'll pass.
Rating:
Summary: Cryptonomicon its not...
Review: You may be tempted to give up after 200 pages, but hold out... The Waterhouse's are always a a bit dull... Once you get to the origins of the Shaftoes you be rolling around. Since this is the 1st book of a three part series, I'm willing to give Neal a break. I'll assume that this 1st book is just a set-up for the next two.
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