Quicksilver (The Baroque Cycle, Vol. 1)

I never received my book. Lost in shipment I am told. I did receive a refund but no other books were available to send to me. Had my heart set on getting this book to read with my husband. I was constantly having to call or write to find out the status of the book. Not ready to try again although when I signed up for the amazon prime I received my products when promised. Sad I have to pay extra to get services promised to me.

yeah, Stephenson can seriously turn a phrase, so many delights, but it's too much unjuicy between the fun bits. I wonder if there's some wink wink encryption in all the scene chewing, that someone could crack and then find the real sauce. Don't think I'll be going for the other two books.

Okay book but I feel like it needed some editing. The storyline and characters didn't really grab me, but the historical information was interesting and the writing was smooth. The story moved very slowly and there wasn't much to the plot. I'll probably read the rest of the series, but I don't think I'll rush out to get them.

I loved this book. It's intelligent and most of all fun. Now, I'm a literary scholar, but I'm also a rabid consumer of fiction--everything from Stephen King's horror to Robert Jordan's fantasy. I don't know what drew me towards this cycle of books. Honestly, it looked sort of boring from the outside. I suppose I was drawn to the wacky contradiction between the author and the subject matter. Here's a guy who's best known for cyberpunk, and he's writing a quasi-historical novel. Well, I chose wisely, because this book really suited me. It's fast-paced with a screw-ball tone. It reminds me of Pirates of the Carribean without supernatural elements. Also, this guy's mind is just impressive. This is a really good book, but I'd add that it's also difficult to wade through. This is certainly for the more advanced reader who enjoys plunging into history. But don't get me wrong. This isn't for the stuffy old professor types either. It's audience is somewhere in between--the educated and the adventurous. If that's you then I say go for it and take the challenge!

If you are interested in reading Neil Stephenson's the Baroque Cycle (and you should be), DO NOT BUY THIS BOOK!!! It is falsely advertised as being the first book in the Baroque Cycle trilogy (the others being The Confusion and The System of the World). It is only the first part of the first book of the Cycle. You will be missing two thirds of the first book if you buy this edition. It is not Quicksilver, but rather a re-published edtion that will require you to buy TWO MORE books to have the whole text!!!

The Amazon Review DOES NOT refer to this edition!!! They are lying to you!

For whatever reason, Amazon does not sell the first volume in it's entirety, so if you want to read it, but don't want to get screwed over, you'll have to find it somewhere else.

Severely Disappointed. No Stars.