Sci-Fi and Fantasy Books

Sci Fi and Fantasy books everyone should Read - Quicksilver: The Baroque Cycle (Baroque Cycle 1)

Reviews
 

It rambles, dialogue is horribly clunky, nothing happens for ages i just could not get into this book at all after about 200 pages. i will give it another go in a bit and update my opinion accordingly.
Marco John

---

To all those lost souls who've complained that there's too much detail, or it goes on and on without having a story, let me explain: Baroque: of or relating to or characteristic of the elaborately ornamented style of architecture, art, and music popular in Europe between 1600 and 1750. So think of Les Invalides. Does it need all that decoration on the dome? Not to keep the rain out, certainly, but the purpose of that roof is a bit more extensive than that. So with this story. The digressions, the detail and the care and attention to minor points are what makes it 'Baroque', not just the period in which it's set.
J. D. Burnell

---

It's a great blend of geekiness, history, romance, some philosophy and a lot of adventure. I liked it a lot and it's length was not a problem for me. I read "Quicksilver" and "The Confusion" and I am awaiting eagerly for the third volume, "The System Of The World". This book will draw your attention to the very interesting period in Britain's -- and Europe's -- history.
Roman Werpachowski

---

It is so very hard to classify this book - the first in an extremely weighty trilogy (this book alone weighs in at over 900 pages!) Is it fantasy? Is it science fiction? It is historical? It most certainly is dense, dull, delightful and dry.

The book is split into three different sections. The first of these looks back on Daniel Waterhouse's early life in London and his association with the Royal Society and the pre-eminent philosophers, mathematicians, astronomers and scientists of that time, including Isaac Newton. This period of the book can be extremely difficult reading, and needs intense concentration. Even with that, I found myself struggling with the esoteric vocabulary used and the overwhelming amount of science on display. I find science and maths difficult at the best of times, and this book did nothing to ease me - often I found myself understanding only one paragraph in three and had to really persevere to get through this section. There was light relief periodically from present-day Daniel, travelling by ship back to England and being pursued by pirates. One thing I enjoyed immensely about this part of the book - science aside - was the way that Stephenson conveyed the wonder and mystery of the discoveries that were coming thick and fast, driven by certain people whose ideas have not been surpassed even now.

The second part of the book dealt with Eliza and Jack Shaftoe. This section flew past in a flurry of giggles and adventure, including an amusing interlude with an ostrich and a Turkish harem. Jack is a lively character, seemingly destined to die from the French pox (syphilis), but determined to make a life for himself and generate an inheritance for his two boys. Eliza is enigmatic, alluring and tom-boyish by turns - both drawn to Jack and repelled by him. They travel together across a lot of Europe and end up in Amsterdam, where Jack leaves Eliza to make his fortune in Paris and ends up on a ship bound for deepest Africa. I loved this part of the book, and it more than made up for the dryness of the first section.

The last part draws all the threads of the story together, culminating in the revolution that Waterhouse has spent his life working towards. There is intrigue, and gripping letters between Leibniz and Eliza, who, by now, is the Countess de la Zeur. James II is overthrown and Daniel suffers a spell in prison.

So, all in all, a massive book with massive ideas and massive characters. It should have been unbelievable and unforgettable, but I was left feeling a little as though it were too much work. I will read the other two volumes in the trilogy for completeness, but I don't embark on them with a lightness of spirit!
A. L. Rutter

---

I persevered with this book for just over 200 pages against my better judgement; this story of the scientific enlightenment failed to engage my interest, as the author is more interested in detailing the minutiae of everyday life at the expense of character and tight storyline.It is slow,plodding hard work trying to get interested in the flimsy,rambling and threadbare plot. There are undoubtedly many potentially great stories to be told about this period in history, but this is not one of them. It can't make up its mind what it wants to be, and simply ends up rambling on and on and on.....His editor ought to have cut it in half.
Better to read Iain Pears' An Instance Of The Fingerpost; it has rounded characterisation,a tight plot,mystery,murder,cryptography,espionage,philosophical speculation galore, and religious revelation,as well as a richly satisfying denouement with several twists and unexpected turns.Or then again, you might prefer A Maggot by John Fowles....both much more satisfying and tightly written.
M. Daly

---