Neal Stephenson - The Baroque Cycle

[wayfriend]

Cryptonomicon would be the first book, no?

Shoulda been more clear - it takes place during WW II and the present day, so sequentially...

Books are not necessarilly meant to be read in the order of the chronology of their stories. (You should never read the Silmarillion before reading the Hobbit, for instance.)

In this case, reading Cryptonomicon first makes the Baroque Cycle far more enjoyable, and I am close to saying it is necessary.

[pat5150]

Jay, I totally agree with you, my friend. There is no comparison between Brown and Stephenson.

You wrote: «Posted that to your blog, BTW. To add: "Quicksilver" is an immensely challenging read, but it pays off in spades. I think fantasy readers will love it because Stephenson takes a world that really existed, and makes it seem magical.»

Again, I couldn't agree with you more on that point!

Patrick
www.fantasyhotlist.blogspot.com

[pat5150]

Finished reading THE CONFUSION and totally loved it. Much more easier to read than its predecessor, and more Jack means more fun!

I've begun the final volume of the series, and I'm eager to see how Stephenson will make it all come together.

It's been said before, but this series is a towering achievement.

Patrick
www.fantasyhotlist.blogspot.com

[Warmark Jay]

Finished reading THE CONFUSION and totally loved it. Much more easier to read than its predecessor, and more Jack means more fun!

Can't wait to read it - anyone know when it's coming out in paperback?

[Roland of Gilead]

The Confusion comes out in trade paperback in June.

[pat5150]

Hey guys!

I have just finished reading Neal Stephenson's The Baroque Cycle. And I have to admit that I am amazed that the author managed to pull this off in such a fashion. The System of the World is as complex, fascinating, surprising and fun as its predecessors.

I have said before that the scope of Stephenson's undertaking was immensely ambitious. Hence, I was quite eager to see how it would all come together in the final volume of what has been an exceptionally brilliant series. And let me tell you that the author does not disappoint. This is a series that lives up to the hype!

When I finished the book, I could do little more than shake my head in wonder. This trilogy, to put it simply, is the work of a genius. I think that I'm now a fan for life!;-)

Deserves the highest possible recommendation. At least in my own humble opinion. If anyone has read the whole thing, I'd love to hear what you think about it!;)

There is a full book review, as always, on the weblog.

Patrick
www.fantasyhotlist.blogspot.com

[wayfriend]

Last week I finished the Baroque Cycle. Re-read Quicksilver, then read The Confusion and The System of the World.

NS has some mad skills as a writer. I'm not exactly sure what they are, however. I still couldn't paraphrase the plot for you. Except I now understand why the tag-line 'when it all changed' seems very apt.

I guess that NS is like SRD in the fact that the characters carry the story. You love the characters so much that almost no matter what they do, it's kind of interesting. Of course, NS also seems able to take situation and find a way to describe it in a fascinating way, often humorously, sometimes sarcastically.

I missed Eliza in the third book. It seems like she didn't get a good chance to make a mark on the story at end - she just sort of faded away long before it was over.

There was one point in the final volume where I read the words -- and then I had to put the book down. I could not continue. I could not continue because I was stunned, and I needed to digest and savor the moment. I literally could not look down at the page until almost twenty minutes had past. I can't think of anything else that ever did that to me, and I am a person who reads in a way so as to savor a book.

(It was the part where the czar blurts out to Daniel the plan for the gold, in the bar, right in front of Isaac Newton. I thought 'oh crap' -- and then I stared straight ahead for a while.)

In summary, I really, really enjoyed this series. But I haven't enjoyed it enough times to understand why.

[wayfriend]

BTW, I was sort of shocked to see one of my favorite books, Interface, being republished ... except the author was changed from "Stephen Bury" to "Neal Stephenson"!