The System of the World

Book Eight of The Baroque Cycle

By: Neal Stephenson

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

In this concluding volume of Neal Stephenson’s epic work, “Half-Cocked Jack” Shaftoe must escape the noose of Jack Ketch; the rivalry between Newton and Leibniz comes to a head; and Daniel Waterhouse pursues his dream to build the Logic Mill.

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.©2004 Neal Stephenson (P)2010 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

“Learned, violent, sarcastic and profound: a glorious finish to one of the most ambitious epics of recent years.” ( Kirkus Reviews)

The sort of work that quickly becomes an obsession.” ( Toronto Star)

The casting for jack shaftoe is spectacular

Who was your favorite character and why?

Jack Shaftoe and Daniel Waterhouse are impossible to choose between for me. They are both performed wonderfully and their stories completely enthralling.

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

Whoever performs jack shaftoe is completely amazing and has made me cheer with joy and cry with sadness. I actually choked up when jack was talking about his sons.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Yes, this book has done both and left me clenching my stomach with anticipation.

Great Ending to the Series

No one thing stands out when it comes to this audiobook because everything is done so well. The story is the perfect finale to the series and it is excellently performed. Although, like other Neal Stephenson tomes, it was a bit slow to get going as he set up the characters and the situations that would drive the story forward, I enjoyed the Baroque Cycle - and this reading of it in particular - from beginning to end.

Awesome series.

This book is a nice way to finish a great series. characters and the performances of Kevin Pariseau and Simon Prebble were just fantastic.

The Final Chapter

This is a fitting end to this series. Its a well told story tracing parts of the true Baroque period in the guise of SCI-FI. This series was okay. Some of the books are great, others are a bit slow. Overall, its a fun few of our history told through some interesting characters. Over the course of the books, the fun heros do get somewhat lost in the story. The are very compelling in the first few books and not so compelling in the last.

But I am glad I read the series.

A fitting conclusion to a LONG slog!

I can't say I necessarily recommend reading the entire Baroque Cycle, given the investment of time and mental energy it will take to get through all the books. However, if you've gotten this far, you definitely need to finish the series. This final book is great. The story finally gets gripping, and most of the wide ranging threads get resolved. I felt genuinely sad at the passing or departure of certain characters, who I have been hearing about for what seems like 100+ hours up to this point. I also love the readers, they bring a genuine humor to what could otherwise be a somewhat dry story.