Rating: 
Summary: slush
Review: What is this slush? This is boring, difficult to get into, and nearly impossible to understand. If you're going to write such a long book, it had better have some action at the start to intrigue the reader. There was no motivation to continue reading this book past 50 pages.
Rating: 
Summary: Not a linear plot
Review: If you've made it this far to this review, then you already know that this book does not have anything resembling a standard plot. Instead, what you get is a lot of confusion, missteps, lurches, wandering, and mayhem (Jack Shaftoe).To put it simply, this series appears to be about the freedom to think (politically, religiously, scientifically), but the people involved had few agreements about the goals and little clue about how to get there. The result is an often confusing book because it tries very hard to faithfully represent the confusions, with entertainment as a secondary goal. There is also an underlying current on encryption. Again, it is confusing, and I am left wondering whether anything has been encrypted into the writings of this book.
Rating: 
Summary: Disappointing - was this written by the same Stephenson?
Review: I read most of the book, but only because i was hoping that it would get better. No such luck. The couple of chapters dealing with the development of natural philosophy (which i liked) just aren't able to save this book from being, well... boring. After about 700 pages of dead wood, the book just crawls to a stop. If you like long-winded, pointless dialogues, disconnected plot twists and repetitive pseudo-philosophical rants, you may like this book. Otherwise, save your time and money and stay away.
Rating: 
Summary: Why, Neal, why?
Review: Add me to the list of fans disappointed with this effort from Neal Stephenson. I've been a huge fan of his - Snow Crash, Cryptonomicon, and Diamond Age were all amazing novels. Quicksilver, while it has it's moments, isn't in the same league as these previous works. For this reader, it's been a hard-to-follow rambling story without any discernible plot, which with a novel of this length has made for a very difficult read.
Rating: 
Summary: David
Review: Unclassifiable, riveting and original. I normally wait for the paperback edition but I may have to pay the extra for the hardcover just to obtain Volume 2 as soon as I can.
Rating:
Summary: Not his best work, but still amusing
Review: After reading all of the previous books by Stephenson, it was clear he peaked with Crytptonomicon, a book of epic proportions which maintained an entertaining flow throughout. I (and many others, it seems) had high hopes for his new trilogy. However, I must say that this book came as a complete surprise. It is unlike anything he has ever written and is basically like reading a school text book if written in novel form. It is eminently educational and thorough, with not much of a plot. However, if the reader can make it to the end of the first section, I think they will enjoy the rest of it. The plodding and confusing start does not accurately reflect the rest of the book, which becomes more entertaining. Give it a try and if you cannot stand the first half, put it away, if not you may find something to like about it.
Rating:
Summary: Stephenson's best...so far
Review: After a two week marathon session, during which I shunned food, family and Christmas alike, I finished Stephenson's Quicksilver. Once again, I was blown away by his style, vocabulary, character development and his astounding ability to weave a multitude of seemingly-unconnected events into a coherent, even beautiful, whole. The characters seemed to jump off the page and far from being carbon copies of one another; each brought a unique force to bear on this shaky, intrigue-plagued, action-packed era of world history. Those that criticize the work do so, I imagine, out of a disappointment that this book is not a hard-core science fiction work, a la "Snow Crash" or "Diamond Age". However, anyone who read "Cryptonomicon" and enjoyed the characters of Enoch Root, America Shaftoe or Randy Waterhouse, will no doubt enjoy glimpsing a few generations back in their family history. At just over 900 pages, it's not for everybody. If you are looking for a book that is intelligent, witty, fun, exciting and does NOT cater to the lowest common denominator, then Quicksilver is for you. I can't wait for the sequel.
Rating:
Summary: Whoa!
Review: What the heck was this all about? Uggh. I just finished it and I am at a loss as to why I continued past page 100. As much as I love Stephenson's other books, I was just bored with this one.
Book 1 and Book 3 were both incredibly boring but Book 2 was interesting.
I am very disappointed with Quicksilver and have no intention of reading volumes 2 and 3 of "The Baroque Cycle."
Rating:
Summary: Stephenson's brilliant ideas are missing -
Review: What a disappointment! After several weeks of intermittent reading (ploddingly slow), I have decided to abandon this eagerly-purchased novel. The truly original and creative ideas that Stephenson introduced in his earlier cyber-novels (Snow Crash and A Young Lady's Illustrated Primer) are totally missing, along with any compelling story line (at least up to page 200). What is the point of this book? I am an occasional Stephenson reader and fan, and have read enough of his work to recognize and enjoy flashes of his brilliant ideas. Past novels have tended to wander somewhat aimlessly and I had visions (hopes) of a coherent plot that would thread through three fat, juicy novels. It's not to be, at least not yet.
Rating:
Summary: What are you guys smoking?
Review: This book is a disaster. There is no coherent plot. The characters are unsympathetic and one dimensional. I labored to read this book because of my affection for what Stephenson has done before. However, this book is a diaster of unimaginable proportions. Three years to write this. William Martin does a better job describing the emotional impact of the plague in 20 pages in Harvard Yard than Stephenson does in over 100. A total waste of words and wood pulp. Is it possible for me to convey my anger at having sacrificed far too many days with this worthless book published solely on the merits of the authors previous works which are high? The thought of two more volumes before something of value is again published has put me off Stephenson.
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