Thrown back into a web of international intrigue, Eliza must contend with all manner of characters, including buccaneers, poisoners, Jesuits, financial manipulators, and ever the stray cryptographer or two.-In this hugely ambitious, profoundly compelling adventure, Neal Stephenson brings to life a cast of unforgettable characters in a time of breathtaking genius and discovery - men and women whose exploits defined an age known as the Baroque.
The Confusion: The Baroque Cycle 2
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‘Stephenson excels in marrying geekspeak with riotous action’ -- Guardian
‘This weird, wonderful collision of scholarship and story telling has no peer. Roll on, October’ -- Time Out
‘a hugely talented author’ -- Jack
‘This weird, wonderful collision of scholarship and story telling has no peer. Roll on, October’ -- Time Out
‘a hugely talented author’ -- Jack
Book Description
Neal Stephenson follows his acclaimed historical novel, Quicksilver, with the extraordinary second volume of The Baroque Cycle (20040922)
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
16 of 16 people found the following review helpful
By Alexander Kjerulf
VINE™ VOICE
Format:Hardcover
I cannot find words for how good The Confusion is. We still follow the people from Quicksilver as they strive to find their way in the chaotic world of the late 1600's and early 1700's. The themes are still money, piracy, sex, slavery, science, black magic, etc. and the cast is still comprised of vagabonds, galley slaves, scientists, royalty, soldiers, priests, alchymists and much, much more. The action goes (literally) round the world, to places like Egypt, India, Japan, the Philippines, all of Europe and, of course, Qwghlm, the fictional Island that also appears in Cryptonomicon.
I am in awe of how many themes are woven together in this book, and of the amount of research it must have taken. I have never had any sense of what the rennaisance was like, and suddenly the 1600's seem real and present to me. I've done some fact-checking in Wikipedia, and it only serves to expand and deepen the picture that Stephenson paints of that period.
The ending is just about the funniest, saddest, most satisfying, most intriguing and most annoying thing I've ever read. And I can't wait to read the final book in the series which is The System of the World.
A word of caution: These books are subtle. Much of the actions is hinted at rather than described explicitly. Once you get the hang of it, it is immensely satisfying to read.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
After reading "The Confusion" I had to go back and read "Cryptonomicon" to confirm what I suspected - these books don't just feature different generations of the same families, they are building into a coherent and (I hope) complete story. There are, for example, passing references in "Cryptonomicon" that only make sense in the light of "Confusion". I'm looking forward to the treat of reading "System of the World" where I hope I will find the final answers - in particular, who (or what) is Enoch Root?
But then I'll probably have to go back and read "Quicksilver" again to get the full picture.
Anyway - an excellent series, taken together.
12 of 13 people found the following review helpful
By JohnRW
Format:Hardcover
This novel has everything; humour, adventure, intrigue, sex and naval warfare! It's all extremely well written with excellent dialogue and a cast of characters that will split your sides with laughter (my particular favourite was a Spanish nobleman galley slave with Tourette's syndrome…….).If you haven’t read Quicksilver, buy it together with this one and be prepared for a literary feast!
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
3.0 out of 5 stars
Baroque cycle - Confusion
I had read Quicksilver previously and found that I started that book with keen interest but that it sapped the life out of me towards the end and i gave up with a few chapters to... Read more
Published 2 months ago by R. C. E. Guy
3.0 out of 5 stars
Number two
I found myself becoming increasingly annoyed as I read this, and even though the style is not at all different from the first book, it didn't take me long to figure out what I was... Read more
Published on 5 April 2011 by Blackbeard
5.0 out of 5 stars
More rich treasure
Confusion, the second volume in this massive epic trilogy, continues to use characters, both real and fictitious,to drive the action across many countries/cultures/civilisations,... Read more
Published on 4 Dec 2010 by Sentinel
4.0 out of 5 stars
Easier than the first
I am entirely perplexed by this trilogy! Usually by the time I have read the first book in a trilogy - let alone the second - I know well whether I am intending to keep the series... Read more
Published on 8 Feb 2010 by A. L. Rutter
4.0 out of 5 stars
Thank goodness for bulk buying!
Having read a great deal about the Baroque cycle before buying i decided to order all 3 books in the series. Read more
Published on 26 Aug 2008 by Charlie Mount
5.0 out of 5 stars
Sublime & Intriguing
In the Baroque cycle (of which this is the 2nd book) and in his previous book Cryptonomicon, Neal Stephenson creates sublime story-scapes mixing history, science and fiction to... Read more
Published on 27 Nov 2007 by Flipflops
4.0 out of 5 stars
epic
I've liked a lot this second episod of the saga. the focus shifts outside of europe and that also makes it more interesting. Read more
Published on 22 Dec 2006 by an italian in london
5.0 out of 5 stars
Mind-blowingly erudite !
I've been immersed in this novel for awhile now, and have resisted taking it to read on the train as I'd more than likely miss my stop. Read more
Published on 25 Nov 2006 by Ms. K. Johnston
5.0 out of 5 stars
Genius
I liked 'Snow Crash', absolutely loved 'Cryptonomicon' and am awed by the Baroque Cycle. Admittedly sometimes it is a bit too long. Read more
Published on 3 Mar 2006 by Dominic Buschi
4.0 out of 5 stars
More Jack please
I just read this over a week while on holiday and as I was in the South of France, I found this an apt why to spend some of my time there. Read more
Published on 16 May 2005 by S. Baptist
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