
Quicksilver
Book One of The Baroque Cycle
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Narrated by:
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Neal Stephenson (introduction)
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Kevin Pariseau
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Simon Prebble
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By:
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Neal Stephenson
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.Listeners also enjoyed...




















Critic reviews
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Absolutely Fascinating
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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.
TV Series Fodder
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Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?
I would recommend it to any friend who loves science and historyWhat did you like best about this story?
The details the author provides and how he sets the scenesWhat about the narrators’s performance did you like?
The narrator is goodWas 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.Love History Love Science
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I like the characters but no plot to this story
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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.Little Slow, But Necessary
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Stephenson makes you earn it...
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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.Rambling, Interesting, Acquired Taste
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Caveat: Not the entire novel
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Neal Stephenson is an absolute genius add his roots in the words are pure beauty.
unsurpassed excellence in storytelling
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very well written
very good historical fiction
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