Quicksilver: Volume 1 of the Baroque Cycle

by Neal Stephenson.

Historical page-turner.

Quicksilver

I don't read much fiction. Not because I don't enjoy it, but because I much prefer reading factual stuff. But I do occasionally read novels on holiday. When I do, I like them to be thick, historical page-turners. Quicksilver fitted the bill perfectly.

I really enjoyed Stephenson's Cryptonomicon (Amazon: UK, US), so, when I heard he'd written a whole series of prequels, known as The Baroque Cycle, I thought I'd give the first one a go.

What can I say? Totally brilliant! It's set after the Restoration, in the early days of the Royal Society, and features a clever mix of historical and fictional characters and events. The famous names include Isaac Newton, Robert Hooke and Samuel Pepys.

I can't wait for my next big holiday, and volume two of the cycle.

Note: I will receive a small referral fee if you buy this book via one of the above links.
Published

Richard Carter

A fat, bearded chap with a Charles Darwin fixation.

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