Quicksilver

Book One of The Baroque Cycle

By: Neal Stephenson

Narrated by: Neal Stephenson (introduction), Kevin Pariseau, Simon Prebble

Length: 14 hrs and 43 mins

Publisher's summary

In this first volume of Neal Stephenson’s genre-defying epic, Daniel Waterhouse, fearless thinker and courageous Puritan, pursues knowledge in the company of the greatest minds of Baroque-era Europe in a chaotic world where reason wars with the bloody ambitions of the mighty, and where catastrophe, natural or otherwise, can alter the political landscape overnight.

The Baroque Cycle, Neal Stephenson’s award-winning series, spans the late 17th and early 18th centuries, combining history, adventure, science, invention, piracy, and alchemy into one sweeping tale. It is a gloriously rich, entertaining, and endlessly inventive historical epic populated by the likes of Isaac Newton, William of Orange, Benjamin Franklin, and King Louis XIV, along with some of the most inventive literary characters in modern fiction.

Audible’s complete and unabridged presentation of The Baroque Cycle was produced in cooperation with Neal Stephenson. Each volume includes an exclusive introduction read by the author.

Listen to more titles in the Baroque Cycle.

©2003 Neal Stephenson (P)2010 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

“[The “Baroque Cycle”] will defy any category, genre, precedent, or label – except genius….Stephenson has a once-in-a-generation gift: he makes complex ideas clear, and he makes them funny, heartbreaking, and thrilling.” ( Time)

“A book of immense ambition, learning, and scope, Quicksilver is often brilliant and occasionally astonishing in its evocation of a remarkable time and place.” ( Washington Post Book World)

Absolutely Fascinating

I couldn't stop listening. Although I'm not a science buff and didn't understand much about science, I enjoyed Stephenson's rich and detailed portrayal of a bygone era - and one that is the backdrop of much historical fiction. I loved the way he played with time by depicting his character Daniel Waterhouse backward and forward - as a young man destined for the new world and an old man going back to the old world. By ordinary standards, Waterhouse is brilliant; by the standards of his peers (Isaac Newton, Godfrey Leibniz) he is ordinary. Having just finished listening to "The Three Musketeers" and Captain Blood," this novel fit right in - about the same time and with many of the same political figures. It is worth mentioning that Quicksilver is the "prestory" to other novels in the cycle, not entirely an independent novel in its own right. Stephenson is a great storyteller and has a wonderful sense of humor. Narrator Simon Prebble is excellent - as usual. I'm completely hooked.

Good, just good

I found the historical and philisophical aspects of the book interesting, but it gets rather boring. It is like hanging out with my geek-friends who don't have a life, only their work. I was looking forward to intrigue and wow, this just didn't have it.

Love History Love Science

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I would recommend it to any friend who loves science and history

What did you like best about this story?

The details the author provides and how he sets the scenes

What about the narrators’s performance did you like?

The narrator is good

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

One of my favorite parts was in the first half when the main character is in Massachusetts.

Any additional comments?

It took me a long time to listen to this book...which provides value. There is a lot of detail and period changes, but it is so worth the listening.

I like the characters but no plot to this story

I like the characters but there is no plot to this story. I am hoping the payoff must come in later books and this was to develop some characters.

Little Slow, But Necessary

Where does Quicksilver rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

This was probably one fo the harder books to get through, if only for the long meandering story. But it a necessary foundation piece.

Has Quicksilver turned you off from other books in this genre?

No, historical fictions can be a difficult read but Neal Stephenson does an excellent job of keeping git well grounded and interesting.

Which character – as performed by the narrators – was your favorite?

Enoch is a thread through out this series and his mysterious origins, and operations are well captured.

If you could rename Quicksilver, what would you call it?

Prequel. Because it set the stage for the 7 books to come.

TV Series Fodder

As with all of Neal Stephenson's books, I got to the end and wished there was more. Luckily, in this case, there is!

Since I don't like historical fiction, I didn't think I'd like this book, but it isn't really historical fiction. At the same time, it isn't an alternate past either. The genre for this book is unique. It tells a big picture story of major past motivations that makes history finally make sense. Characters from the past are no longer cardboard cutouts in my mind. Thanks to Stephenson, they are now real people with social alliances, quirks and values that would naturally lead to their actions recorded in history books.

Stephenson makes you earn it...

I suspect Neal Stephenson to deliberately start his books slow. Very slow, agonizingly slow. I suspect he wants only the brave to finish his books. The deserving ones. Any one of his books will get mixed reviews by people who gave up. People who did not want to push through. But if you do...the reward is so wonderful, so enriching. Mixing fact with fiction, actual history with fictional adventures can be so rewarding. Neal Stephenson is the kind of history teacher you wish your children to have. One that creates a story that sucks you up and leaves you wanting more. Mostly he finds a link with binary history and weaves it ever so gently into his stories. For those who stay and listens this story brings a wealth of information and enjoyment. But only start this if you are willing to follow the epic journey to it's end.

Rambling, Interesting, Acquired Taste

How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?

The story was enjoyable, but is clearly an introduction to a larger story. For those with patience (or some residual fondness for Cryptonomicon characters), this is a perfectly fun romp. But we have yet to delve into the larger story.

Any additional comments?

3.5 stars. This is the first book in a lengthy series (or cycle, as Stephenson has coined it) and it is a bit of an oddity. As is typical for Stephenson, he has done extensive historical research, which amply shows. Told from the vantage point of Daniel Waterhouse in 1713, mostly through flashbacks to the mid-1600s, we are introduced to a host of fictional and historical figures. The fictional are largely the ancestors of the main characters in Stephenson's Cryptonomicon; the historical figures range from luminaries in the Royal Society (including Isaac Newton) and a number of other scientific and royal movers and shakers from the Enlightenment. What makes this entry so odd is that it doesn't really go anywhere - what little forward moving narrative there is (mostly of a now elderly Daniel Waterhouse setting sail from Massachusetts back to England and a pursuit by pirates) takes up no more than a tenth of the novel. The remainder is a series of interludes involving Royal Society members, ranging among scientific endeavors, discussions of religion, cultural musings, class observations, and political maneuverings. These interludes are entertaining, but only for those that enjoy Stephenson's tendency to ramble and who don't mind a massive set-up for the remaining books in the cycle.

Caveat: Not the entire novel

Stephenson's bulky novel QUICKSILVER is divided into three parts: Quicksiver, King of Vagabonds, and Odalisque. The Audible version has been divided into three separate books, so this is roughly 1/3 of the book Quicksilver as you would buy it in a bookstore.

unsurpassed excellence in storytelling

Not only is the storing telling rich and the characters enchanting at the historical characters true to form, but the placement in history and the amount of History experienced is exceptional. And the emotional or human aspect of the characters place in time is just beautiful.

Neal Stephenson is an absolute genius add his roots in the words are pure beauty.