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Quicksilver is a historical novel by Neal Stephensonpublished in It is the first volume of The Baroque Cyclehis late Baroque historical fiction series, succeeded by The Confusion and The System of the World both published in Quicksilver won the Arthur C. Clarke Award and was nominated for the Locus Award in Ineach internal book was released in separate paperback editions, to make the pages more approachable for readers. These internal books were originally independent novels within the greater cycle during composition. The novel Quicksilver is written in various narrative styles, such as theatrical staging and epistolaryand follows a large group of characters. Though mostly set in England, France, and the United Provinces in the period throughthe first book includes a frame story set in late Massachusetts. In order to write the novel, Stephenson researched the period extensively and integrates events and historical themes important to historical scholarship throughout the novel. However, Stephenson alters details such as the members of the Cabal ministrythe historical Quicksilver: The Baroque Cycle of Charles II of Englandto facilitate the incorporation of his fictional characters. Within the historical context, Stephenson also deals with many themes which pervade his other works, including the exploration of knowledgecommunication and cryptography. The plot of the first and third books focus on Daniel Waterhouse's exploits as a natural philosopher and friend to the young Isaac Newton and his later observations of English politics and religion, respectively. The second book introduces the vagabond Jack Shaftoe "King of the Vagabonds" and Eliza a former member of a Turkish harem as they cross Europe, eventually landing in the Netherlands, where Eliza becomes entangled in commerce and politics. Quicksilver operates in the same fictional universe as Stephenson's earlier novel Cryptonomiconin which descendants of Quicksilver characters Quicksilver: The Baroque Cycle and Waterhouse appear prominently. During the period in which he wrote CryptonomiconStephenson read George Dyson 's Darwin Amongst the Machineswhich led him to Gottfried Leibniz 's interest in a computing machine, the Leibniz—Newton feudand Newton's work at the Royal Treasury. He considered this "striking when [he] was already working on a book about money and a book about computers," and became inspired to write about the period. In QuicksilverStephenson places the ancestors of the Cryptonomicon' s characters in Enlightenment Europe alongside a cast of historical individuals from Restoration England and the Enlightenment. Amongst the cast are some of the most prominent natural philosophersmathematicians and scientists Newton and Leibnizand politicians William of Orange and Nassau of the age. In an interview, Stephenson explained he deliberately depicted both the historical and fictional characters as authentic representatives of historical classes of people, such as the Vagabonds as personified by Jack, and the Barbary slaves as personified by Eliza. In his research for the characters, he explored the major scholarship about the period. Stephenson did extensive research on the Age of Enlightenment, noting that it is accessible for English speaking researchers because of the Quicksilver: The Baroque Cycle well documented figures such as Leibniz, Newton and Samuel Pepys. Some reviewers commented that Stephenson seems to carry his understanding of the period a little too Quicksilver: The Baroque Cycle at times, delving into too much detail. Nick Hasted of The Independent wrote that this research made "descriptions of Restoration London feel leaden, and intellectual discourses between Newton and his contemporaries textbook-dry. Both main and secondary fictional characters become prominent members of society who advise the most important figures of the period and affect everything from politics to economics and science. For example, he repopulates the real Cabal Ministry with fictional characters. Quicksilver is a historical fiction novel that occasionally uses fantasy and science fiction techniques. The narrative often presents protracted digressions. These digressions follow a multitude of events and subjects related Quicksilver: The Baroque Cycle history, philosophy and scientific subjects. For example, USA Today, commented on the length of discussion of Newton's interest in the nature of gravity. These techniques include lettersdrama, cryptographic messaging, genealogies and "more interesting footnotes than found in many academic papers. Stephenson incorporates 17th century sentence structure and orthography throughout Quicksilvermost apparent in his use of italicization and capitalization. The first book is a series of flashbacks Quicksilver: The Baroque Cycle to the earlier life of Daniel Waterhouse. While following Daniel's decision to return to England and board a Dutch ship the Minerva to cross the Atlantic, the book flashes back to when Enoch and Daniel each first met Newton. During the flashbacks, the book refocuses on Daniel's life between and While attending school at Trinity College, CambridgeDaniel becomes Newton's companion, ensuring that Newton does not harm his health and assisting in his experiments. However, the plague of forces them apart: Newton returns to his family manor and Daniel to the outskirts of London. There Daniel takes part in a number of experiments, including the exploration of the diminishing effects of gravity with changes in elevation, the transfusion of blood between dogs and Wilkins' attempts to create a philosophical language. Daniel soon becomes disgusted with some of the practices of the older natural philosophers which include vivisection of animals and visits Newton during his experiments with color and white light. They attempt to return to Cambridge, but again plague expels the students. Daniel returns to his father; however, his arrival on the outskirts of London coincides with the second day of the Fire of London. Drake, taken by religious fervour, dies atop his house as the King blows it Quicksilver: The Baroque Cycle to create a fire break to prevent further spread of the fire. Soon after Drake's death, Newton and Quicksilver: The Baroque Cycle return to Cambridge and begin lecturing. A Quicksilver: The Baroque Cycle finds Daniel's ship under attack by the fleet of Edward Teach Blackbeard in Then the story returns to the past as Daniel and Newton return to London: Newton is under the patronage of Louis Anglesey, the Earl of Upnor, and Daniel becomes secretary of the Royal Society when Henry Oldenburg is detained by the King for his active foreign correspondence. During his stint in London, Daniel encounters a number of important people from the period. Daniel remains one of the more prominent people in the Royal Society, close to Royal Society members involved in court life and politics. By both Daniel and Newton become fellows at Trinity College where they build an extensive alchemical laboratory which attracts other significant alchemists including John Locke and Robert Boyle. Daniel convinces Newton to present his work on calculus to the Royal Society. InDaniel meets Leibniz in England and acts as his escort, leading him to meetings with important members of British society. Soon, Daniel gains the patronage of Roger Comstock as his architect. While under Roger's patronage, the actress Tess becomes Daniel's mistress both at court and in bed. Finally the book returns towhere Daniel's ship fends off several of Teach's pirate ships. Soon they find out that Teach is after Quicksilver: The Baroque Cycle alone; however, with the application of trigonometrythe ship is able to escape the bay and the pirate band. It begins by recounting Jack's childhood in the slums outside London where he pursued many disreputable jobs, including hanging from the legs of hanged men to speed their demise. The book Quicksilver: The Baroque Cycle jumps towhen Jack travels to the Battle of Vienna to participate in the European expulsion of the Turks. While attacking the camp, Jack encounters Eliza, a European slave in the sultan 's haremabout to be killed by janissaries. He kills the janissaries and loots the area, taking ostrich feathers and acquiring a Turkish warhorse which he calls Turk. The two depart from the camp of the victorious European army and travel through Bohemia into the Palatinate. To sell the ostrich feathers at a high price, they decide to wait until the spring fair in Leipzig. Jack and Eliza spend the winter near a cave warmed by a hot water spring. In the springtime, they travel to the fair dressed as a noblewoman and her bodyguard where they meet Doctor Leibniz. They quickly sell their goods with the help of Leibniz, and agree to accompany him to his Quicksilver: The Baroque Cycle mine in the Harz Mountains. Once they arrive at the mine, Jack wanders into the local town where he has a brief encounter with Enoch Root in an apothecary 's shop. Jack leaves town but gets lost in the woods, encountering pagan worshippers and witch hunters. He successfully escapes them by finding safe passage through a mine connecting to Leibniz's. Eliza and Jack move on to Amsterdamwhere Eliza quickly becomes embroiled in the Quicksilver: The Baroque Cycle of commodities. Jack goes to Paris to sell the ostrich feathers and Turk, leaving Eliza behind. When he arrives in Paris, he meets and befriends St. George, a professional rat-killer and tamer, who helps him find lodging. While there, he becomes a messenger for bankers between Paris and Marseilles. However, during an Quicksilver: The Baroque Cycle to sell Turk Jack is captured by nobles. Luckily, the presence of Jack's former employer, John Churchillensures that he is not immediately killed. With Churchill's help, Jack escapes from the barn where he has been held prisoner. During the escape, he rides Turk into a masquerade at the Hotel d'Arcachon in a costume similar to that of King Quicksilver: The Baroque Cycle. With the aid of St. George's rats he escapes without injury but destroys the ballroom and removes the hand of Etienne d'Arcachon. This causes a panic from which they profit. Afterwards, the French Ambassador in Amsterdam persuades Eliza to go to Versailles and supply him information about the French court. Eliza agrees after a brief encounter and falling-out with Jack. William of Orange learns of Eliza's mission and intercepts her, forcing her to become a double Quicksilver: The Baroque Cycle for his benefit and to give him oral sex. Meanwhile, Jack, with an injury caused by Eliza, departs on the slaving trip. The ship is captured by Barbary pirates, and the end of Quicksilver: The Baroque Cycle book has Jack as a captured galley-slave. He continues to be deeply involved with the English court, ensuring the passage of several bills which reduce restrictions on non-conformists despite his detraction from the Francophile court. Meanwhile, Eliza becomes the governess of a widowers' two children in Versailles. She catches the eye of the king and becomes the broker of the French nobility. With her help, the French court, supported by King Louis, creates several market trends from which they profit extensively. Her active involvement in the French court gains her a title of nobility: Countess of Zeur. Daniel Quicksilver: The Baroque Cycle Eliza finally meet during a visit to the Netherlands where Daniel acts as an intermediary between William of Orange and the detracting English nobility. Daniel realizes Eliza's importance during a meeting at the house of Christiaan Huygens. Eliza woos Daniel and uses this connection to Quicksilver: The Baroque Cycle entrance into the English court and the Royal Society. Daniel also meets Nicholas Fatio while in Amsterdam. Soon after this meeting, Fatio and Eliza prevent the attempted kidnapping of William of Orange by an ambitious French courtier. Upon his return, Daniel is arrested by the notorious judge George Jeffreysand later imprisoned in the Tower of London. Daniel escapes with the help of Jack Shaftoe's brother Bob, whose infantry unit is stationed there. After a brief return to Versailles, Eliza joins Elizabeth Charlotte of the Palatinate at her estate before the invasion of the Palatinate in her Quicksilver: The Baroque Cycle. Eliza informs William of Orange of the troop movements caused by the French invasion which frees his forces along the border of the Spanish Netherlandsa region of stalemate between France and the Dutch Republic. During her flight from the Quicksilver: The Baroque Cycle of the Palatinate Quicksilver: The Baroque Cycle, Eliza becomes pregnant by Louis's cryptographerthough popular knowledge suggested it was the French nobleman Etienne D'Arcachon's child. James flees London and Daniel Waterhouse soon encounters him in a bar. Convinced that the Stuart monarchy has collapsed, Daniel returns to London and takes revenge on Jeffreys by inciting a crowd to capture him for trial and later execution. Quicksilver (The Baroque Cycle, Vol. 1) - AbeBooks - Stephenson, Neal:

Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read. Want to Read saving…. Want to Read Currently Reading Read. Other editions. Enlarge cover. Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Open Preview See a Problem? Details if other :. Thanks for telling us about the problem. Return to Quicksilver: The Baroque Cycle Page. Preview — Quicksilver by Neal Stephenson. In which 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. Get A Copy. Mass Market Paperbackpages. Published February by HarperTorch first published September 23rd More Details Original Title. The Baroque Cycle 8 volume 1. Other Editions Friend Reviews. To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up. To ask other readers questions about Quicksilver: The Baroque Cycleplease sign up. I am torn on this book. Snow Crash and Cryptomonicom were up and down for me. Not a big fan of Diamond Age. Will I enjoy this epicly long series? See 1 question about Quicksilver…. Lists with This Book. Community Reviews. Showing Average rating 4. Rating details. More filters. Sort order. Mar 26, Bradley rated it it was amazing Shelves: sci-fitraditional-fiction. I'm re-reading this wonderful Historical revolving Daniel Waterhouse because I'm a huge fan of Stephenson and I have to admit that I never continued further than this first book of the first Cycle. I don't know Quicksilver: The Baroque Cycle Perhaps I just wanted more SF or Fantasy in my life at the time and it just fell away from me, but I feel like Quicksilver: The Baroque Cycle idiot now. Rereading this brought me back fully into the world of post-Cromwell England, so full of details and concerned mostly with the heart Quicksilver: The Baroque Cycle modern science The stories themselves are endlessly Quicksilver: The Baroque Cycle, actually, and the man who ties them all together, Daniel Waterhouse, is equally so. His getting into the Invisible College at its inception and working closely with all these fantastic persons was great for both story, history and, more specifically, the history of science. It's hugely detailed and interconnected, and if that wasn't enough, Stephenson throws in a huge discourse on the economics, political issues, the wars, Quicksilver: The Baroque Cycle plague, and of coruse religion. This is a fantastically intelligent, broad, and detailed look at England, late 17th century and early 18th. I remember being flabbergasted at the amount of research the first time and now that I know more the second time, I'm still flabbergasted at the amount of research. The fact that he can weave a cool tale and have everything hold together as one of the best historicals I've ever read is a testament to Stephenson. There's two sets of books or book collections out here that have gone a great way to confusing me as to what to read where and how. I'll just make a note to everyone else who might also be confused. The Quicksilver novel shows up both as the first book in the first cycle, also called Quicksilver. So I'm reviewing the individual first novel in the Cycle here, with this, and then reviewing King of Vagabonds as part two a full novel as well of the Quicksilver Cycle, followed with Odalesque. The two conventions would have us believe that there are either three Cycles bound together as three enormous books, or Eight Books altogether, separate. View all 4 comments. Jun 29, Darwin8u rated it really liked it. That one man sickens and dies, while another flourishes, are characters in the cryptic message that philosophers seek to decode. It gives a bit of a low-brow SF Pynchon vibe. It works well in parts, and falls a bit flat in parts. I sometimes wish Stephenson wouldn't chase down every last snowflake. I really do, however, enjoy the primary narrator Daniel Waterhouse and his interactions with su That one man sickens and dies, while another flourishes, are characters in the cryptic message that philosophers seek to decode. I really do, however, enjoy the primary narrator Daniel Waterhouse and his interactions with such figures as Isaac Newton, Samuel Pepys, John Wilkins, etc. Having already read Cryptonomicon, I was also glad to see Enoch Root one of my favorite characters from that book. Like Pynchon, Stephenson takes historical fiction Quicksilver: The Baroque Cycle probes the fiction needle into history at funky angles. He thrills at Quicksilver: The Baroque Cycle his fictional characters to interact in oblique ways to historical characters. View all 3 comments. Book 2 is King of the Vagabonds. Book 3 is Odalisque. Quicksilver is well-researched and well-written and chock full of plenty of stuff I love to read about: 17th and 18th century scholars and politicians exploring the way the world works. What an exciting time to be alive! Neal Stephenson successfully captures the feeling of the Baroque world — its architecture, fashion, nobility, plagues, and lack of waste management. I could go on. Quicksilver will get you half way through a liberal arts Quicksilver: The Baroque Cycle in only pages. Quicksilver has none of that. In Quicksilver, he exists to look over the shoulders of the men who are the real Quicksilver: The Baroque Cycle of the book: the members of the Royal Society. I can think of no reason to read this history as a fictional account if it contains none of the elements of an entertaining novel. That is excellent historical fiction. Quicksilver was funny in places such as when the Royal Society members talk about time, kidney stones, and opiates during one of their meetings — and engrossing a couple of times such as when Daniel Waterhouse and Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz discuss cognition, free will, and artificial intelligenceand though I enjoy learning about the invention of clocks, calculators, and coffee, Quicksilver is mostly information overload without a story to back it up. Now that sounds like fun! View 2 comments. I am beginning the Baroque Cycle by Neal Stephenson. Check this link for further explanation regarding this eight book series. This is a review of the first book, Quicksilver not the three Quicksilver: The Baroque Cycle volume of the same title. This is a Quicksilver: The Baroque Cycle novel with two parallel story lines, Quicksilver: The Baroque Cycle following the fictional Daniel Waterhouse as a young man in the late 17th Century and the other framing narrative following him as an old man in as he remembers his earlier life. Daniel as a young man was a close acquaintance of both Isaac Newton and Gottfried Leibniz. Forty years later inWaterhouse who is now living in colonial Massachusetts has been asked Quicksilver: The Baroque Cycle return to England to attempt to resolved the bitter dispute between Newton and Leibniz regarding credit for the creation of calculus mathematics. In the narrative Waterhouse boards a ship leaving Boston harbor which runs into an extended encounter with pirates, including Edward Teach a. Quicksilver: The Baroque Cycle the midst of these adventures he remembers his earlier years, thus the earlier 17th Century narrative. In the earlier story line we learn that Waterhouse was a member of The Royal Society and rubbed shoulders with what seems like every conceivable historical personage in politics and natural philosophy at the time. He Quicksilver: The Baroque Cycle mentored by John Wilkins, founder of the Royal Society. He was a roommate of Isaac Newton's at Cambridge. He had extended conversations with the young Leibniz. He worked as an assistant to Robert Hooke in his scientific experiments. In other words, he was at the core of the beginning of advances in scientific and mathematical thinking during the Enlightenment era. I thoroughly enjoyed Stephenson's description of time, place and historical characters. He does plant some fictional items in the story that correlate with his novel, Cryptonomiconwhich is set in the 20th Century. This is a link to my review of Cryptonomicon. Stephenson has characterized the Baroque Cycle as science fiction due to the presence of some anomalous occurrences and the emphasis on themes relating to science and technology. That may be true, but I experienced to book primarily as historical fiction. Well, God gave us brains for a reason--not to use those brains would be a sin. View 1 comment. Dec 05, Sandi marked it as lemmed. Quicksilver (novel) - Wikipedia

Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read. Want to Read saving…. Want to Read Currently Reading Read. Other editions. Enlarge cover. Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Open Preview See a Problem? Details if other :. Thanks for telling us about the problem. Return to Book Page. Preview — Quicksilver by Neal Stephenson. Quicksilver is Quicksilver: The Baroque Cycle story of Daniel Waterhouse, fearless thinker and conflicted Puritan, pursuing knowledge in the company Quicksilver: The Baroque Cycle the greatest minds of Baroque-era Europe, in a chaotic world where reason wars with Quicksilver: The Baroque Cycle bloody ambitions of the mighty, and where catastrophe, natural or otherwise, can alter the political landscape overnight. It is a chronicle of the breathtaking exp Quicksilver is the story of Daniel Waterhouse, fearless thinker and conflicted Puritan, pursuing knowledge in the company of Quicksilver: The Baroque Cycle greatest minds of Quicksilver: The Baroque Cycle Europe, in a Quicksilver: The Baroque Cycle world where reason wars with the bloody ambitions of the mighty, and where catastrophe, natural or otherwise, can alter the political landscape overnight. Quicksilver: The Baroque Cycle is a chronicle of the breathtaking exploits of "Half-Cocked Jack" Shaftoe--London street urchin turned swashbuckling adventurer and legendary King of the Vagabonds--risking life and limb for fortune and love while slowly maddening from the pox. And it is the tale of Eliza, rescued by Jack from a Turkish harem to become spy, confidante, and pawn of royals in order to reinvent Europe through the newborn power of finance. A gloriously rich, entertaining, and endlessly inventive novel that brings a Quicksilver: The Baroque Cycle age and its momentous events to vivid life, Quicksilver is an extraordinary achievement from one of the most original and important literary talents of our time. And it's just the beginning Cover design by Richard L. Get A Copy. PaperbackP. More Details Original Title. The Baroque Cycle 1. Clarke Award Other Editions Friend Reviews. To see what your friends thought of Quicksilver: The Baroque Cycle book, please sign up. To ask other readers questions about Quicksilverplease sign up. It seems to be straight forward Historical Fiction to me. There is a small amount of magical realism: alchemy works, there's a special kind of physically-im …more It's obviously BOTH historical fiction and fantasy. There is a small amount of magical realism: alchemy works, there's a special kind of physically-impossible gold and there is at least one immortal walking about, possibly two. Depends where you draw the line between ordinary fiction didn't happen and fantasy couldn't happen. Please help me finish this book! Is it just meandering? Is it me? Susan Ackland I dropped it maybe half-way through. Was there a Quicksilver: The Baroque Cycle experiment of …more I dropped it maybe half-way through. Was there a science experiment of that age that he didn't describe for us? A real estate development that wasn't presented in excruciating detail? The plot doesn't so much wander as get buried under all of the detail. I loved "Cryptonomicon. A lot of the detail in Quicksilver seems to be dead weight. Another reason that "Cryptonomicon" was a better read was that the characters were more accessible and appealing. I didn't "bond" with the characters in "Quicksilver. That's the nub of it; Stephenson is sui generis and those of us who admire his work find it almost addictive. See all 4 questions about Quicksilver…. Lists with This Book. Community Reviews. Showing Average rating 3. Rating details. More filters. Sort order. Start your review of Quicksilver The Baroque Cycle, 1. This book is just too vast Quicksilver: The Baroque Cycle give justice to it in the few lines of this review that I might come up with now. If you are ready to read this, here are some suggestions: 1 Start with Cryptonomicon first. You don't need to read this first, but it will help you get used to Stephenson's style, and you'll appreciate Quicksilver better having done so. Did you know that London burned? Do you know what the Monmouth This book is just too vast to give justice to it in the few lines of this review that I might come up with now. Do you know what the Monmouth Rebellion was, and the Bloody Assizes that followed? Do you know about the interregnum? It would be nice if a timeline could be provided that summarizes the main points of English history that Quicksilver: The Baroque Cycle as context for this book - I admit I did not know enough myself of the history involved to get full appreciation of the book on my first reading Perhaps read the wikipedia page on the diary of Samuel Pepys if not the diary itself. Although he's really just a minor figure in this novel, his diary covers many of the same events that you'll encounter in Quicksilver. Instead of seeing them as tedious, look for the humor. Stephenson inevitably tries to put some humor into these, and although it's often very dry, it's quite amusing when you see how he's looking askance at the goings-on of the times and persons. When you understand just how a "letter within a letter" can be written, you'll appreciate more of Stephenson's particular genius. Be prepared, then, for descriptions of events seen through the eyes of a trained scientific observer. Something as simple as the motion of a boat's mast can be used scientifically to provide information about how the boat is loaded, as you'll find in the novel. Again, these portions of the book are trademarks of Stephenson's ingenuity, and I enjoyed them immensely. This is a long book, and not an easy read. If you can keep track of the main characters, you can actually put it away for a time, and return to it later to resume reading. I actually started this book some time ago, reading it only when I had uninterrupted opportunities to digest Quicksilver: The Baroque Cycle novel. I read other, lighter, works in the interim to keep me occupied and entertained. In fact, after starting this book, I actually began work on a Master's degree, and completed the Master's degree faster than completing the book. That was perhaps a bit too slow, but also tells more about how busy I was instead of describing the nature of the book. It is indeed a masterpiece, and you can certainly gain more with each reread. This type of book is indeed rare, and its peculiar idiosyncrasies just make it more distinctive in its majesty, not lessening Quicksilver: The Baroque Cycle achievement in any way. View all 13 comments. Jul 02, Kemper rated it really liked it Shelves: historical-fictionsci-fi. The following is an excerpt from Quicksilver: The Baroque Cycle journal of Neal Stephenson. I know that I want do something set during the late 17th century in Europe. Perhaps have characters who are the ancestors of Lawrence Waterhouse and Quicksilver: The Baroque Cycle Shaftoe? Putting an ancestor of Waterhouse in among them seems like a natural fit. Having a character with a Puritan upbringing caught up in these events would be interesting. Our modern economic Quicksilver: The Baroque Cycle were being developed, and even the very nature of money itself was being redefined. That might be a natural place to use a Shaftoe character. Maybe this should be a Shaftoe character. This would definitely be a great Shaftoe character. Maybe have some kind of very smart female character who has to use her charm and brains to navigate a variety of social and political challenges? Could I tie that in with the money Quicksilver: The Baroque Cycle If I write about spies, I could use some of the cryptography stuff I brought into the last book again. I definitely need to do something with pirates. I should also work in some stuff about slavery. Maybe do some chapters like a stage play from the era? Or tell a section via a series of letters? There are too many possibilities. I just had a crazy thought.