- Hardcover: 816 pages
- Publisher: William Morrow & Company; Limited edition (Feb 2005)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0060599340
- ISBN-13: 978-0060599348
- Product Dimensions: 31.7 x 19.8 x 7.5 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 3,138,873 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
The Confusion: The Baroque Cycle 2
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Review
"[T]he definitive historical-sci-fi-epic-pirate-comedy-punk-love story. No easy feat, that. A-."--Entertainment Weekly
--This text refers to the
Paperback
edition.
Jack
‘a hugely talented author’
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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First Sentence
HE WAS NOT MERELY AWAKENED, but detonated out of an uncommonly long and repetitive dream. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover
HE WAS NOT MERELY AWAKENED, but detonated out of an uncommonly long and repetitive dream. Read the first page
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Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
16 of 16 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
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:Paperback
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
Format:Paperback
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
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 14 months ago by Blackbeard
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 18 months ago by Sentinel
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
Standing on the shoulders of giants
Cryptonomicon was astounding. Weaving together multiple periods in time isn't a new idea but in the right hands it is a powerful tool. Read more
Published on 16 Feb 2005 by "unsliced"
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