Book-Quicksilver

Quicksilver by Neal Stephenson is a large book in many ways. Not only large in the physical sense, at over 900 pages of fine print in a large format paperback, but large in ideas and storylines.

It takes place in the late 1600's (mostly), at a time when Europe was awash with new thinking. Issac Newton and many other scientists were trying to learn how everything worked. The Catholic church had been fractured by the Reformation, and people were trying to figure out how god worked. So all these ideas and thoughts floating around: scientific, mathematical, philosophical, religious, economic and meta-physical.

Into this world comes Daniel Waterhouse, friend to a young Isaac Newton and companion to many in England's Royal Society, a group of scientists that is determined to learn everything there is to know (that Newton eventually becomes a part of). Daniel, raised a Puritan, embodies most of these categories of ideas in one person, and while master of none, seems to have a hand in all the movements going on in this time period, be they political or economic...he is somehow involved.

Two other characters play a large role in the book. Jack Shaftoe, or half-cocked Jack...because half his penis was burned off trying to do away with the French pox that is driving him mad. He is a Vagabond, a roving ne'er-do-well, that comes into the periphery of these great doings.

And Eliza, rescued by Jack from a Turkish harem, and becomes deeply embedded in the spy network of the Sun King of France, but is actually working against him. Her character is an economic whiz, and really shows the changing face of economies in this era also.

As I mentioned, the book is big. And is only the first of a trilogy that has all three books about the same size. It really took me about 150 pages before I could even decide if I was liking this book. Stephenson adds WAY too much info for his readers to process. I like detail, but there are times when you can go overboard, and Stephenson does. The number of characters and philisophies being talked about would be tough enough without huge digressions being taken to explain minute details that don't really seem to matter.

I also can't really get a handle on where the story is going. Two kings of England have already gone by the wayside. But I don't know what progress has been made in 900pages. It doesn't seem to be getting us anywhere in particular.

I hope there is a payoff in the second two books. The good thing is, that I have started the second book, The Confusion, and it is much easier to get into, knowing the characters and the style of writing, so it is actually less confusion for me, despite the title.