For those who like a book with a mind of its own..., 11 Jun 2005

[Top tip: don't wait too long between books - they are best read in succession as the plot follows from one to the other.]

These are challenging books: they delve into everything from metallurgy to economics to physics but in a way that is always integral to a breakneck plot and the result is that you emerge out the other side actually with a fundamentally better understanding of the modern world. But in a sense you've got to be the kind of reader who is interested in all this stuff. I happen to be and Stephenson is my kind of odd.

Incredibly researched, whether it's Versailles or C17th England or Dutch trade routes, he makes people like James Michener look like amateurs.

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The 1600's come to life, 12 Dec 2004

By	Alexander Kjerulf "Alexander Kjerulf" (Copenhagen, Denmark) - See all my reviews

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.

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Standing on the shoulders of giants, 17 Feb 2005

Quicksilver, a massively-pre prequel, was almost as good. A huge book, a real epic, but you're forever stuck with idea that the sheer good fortune of our central characters - just how lucky did Jack, Eliza and Daniel have to be in order to mix with the factual people they did - was a little bit too much. But you were having so much fun, you gave Stephenson more slack.

And so the sequence rolls on - The Confusion will be just that if you've not read Quicksilver (which itself was probably better if you'd read Cryptonomicon). It's a huge endeavour - it took me an age to finish it, and while it starts slowly it's a real slow burner. By the end you'll be as gripped as with the best cinematic thriller.

It's a subtle read, you really do need to pay close attention (or to have access to the Megaweb wiki to look up those previous threads) or you'll lose track completely, but ultimately it is worth it.

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