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Description edit
Neal Stephenson's Quicksilver is here. A monumental literary feat that follows the author's critically acclaimed New York Times bestseller Cryptonomicon , it is history, adventure, science, truth, invention, sex, absurdity, piracy, madness, death, and alchemy. It sweeps across continents... read more
Ridiculously Simplified Synopsis edit
Characters edit
- Enoch Root: a mysterious and ageless man
- Daniel Waterhouse: Fellow of the Royal Society, founder of the Massachusetts Bay Colony Institute of Technologickal Arts
- Isaac Newton: Fellow of the Royal Society, friend of Daniel Waterhouse
- Jack Shaftoe: Mudlark, Vagabond, Janissary
- Eliza de la Zeur: Escaped British slave of a Turkish Vizier
- Bob Shaftoe: Mudlark, sergeant of the Kings Own Black Torrent Guards
- Gottfried Leibniz: German savant
- Robert Hooke: English natural philosopher
- John Wilkins: Fellow of the Royal Society, author of Cryptonomicon (no, not that one)
- Drake Waterhouse: Puritan father of Daniel Waterhouse
- Roger Comstock: Marquise of Ravenscar
- Jeffreys: RS
- William of Orange: Sovereign Prince of Orange
- James: A king
- Turk: Jack Shaftoe's Horse
- Oliver Cromwell: English military and political leader
- John Churchill: 1st Duke of Marlborough
- John Comstock: Add a description of this character.
- Oldenburg
- Samuel Pepys: English naval administrator and Member of Parliament
- Charles II: Monarch of the three kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland
- Elizabeth Charlotte of the Palatinate: "Liselotte"German princess and the wife of Philippe I, Duke of Orléans,
- Sophia of the Palatinate: "Sophie"Heiress to the crowns of England and Ireland and later of the crown of Great Britain
- Mr. Foot: Proprietor of the Bomb and Grapnel
- Mary
- Monsieur
- Looie
- Mr. Sluys
- Margravine Caroline of Brandenburg-Ansbach: "Caroline"Daughter of John Frederick, Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach, and his second wife, Princess Eleonore Erdmuthe of Saxe-Eisenach
- Yevgeny
- Marie
- Herr Geidel
- Van Hoek: Captain of Minerva
- Chester
- Dr. Von Pfung
- Dick
- Winston
- Mr. Vliet
Setting & Locations edit
- London Bridge
- England
- France
- Paris
- Amsterdam
- Versailles
- Cambridge
- Monmouth
- Leipzig
- Vienna
- Whitehall
- Europe
- Epsom
- Upnor
- Massachusetts
- Anglesey
- Dunkirk
- Binnenhof
- Hague
- Court
- Heaven
- Spain
- Raleigh
- Germany
- Trinity
- Holborn
- Boston
- India
- America
- St. Cloud
- Africa
- Monseigneur
- North Sea
- Piccadilly
- Jamaica
- Scheveningen
- Venice
- Penn
- Huygens
- Ben
- Nijmegen
- Brussels
- Mainz
- Linz
- Tower Of London
- Taunton
- Charlestown
Organizations edit
- The Royal Society: Royal Society of London for the Improvement of Natural Knowledge, for the advancement of science and physics.
- Massachusetts Bay Colony Institute of Technologickal Arts: A satellite venture of the Royal Society, by Daniel Waterhouse
First Sentence edit
Enoch rounds the corner just as the executioner raises the noose above the woman’s head.
Themes & Symbolism edit
- The Church: Much of the book is taken up with the Anglican and Catholic churches fighting over establishment in Great Britain with the anti-establishment churches caught in the middle.
- Cryptology: There's a lot of cryptology in the book when the characters communicate by letter.
- Finance: The evolution of global financial models into the modern system.
Series & Lists edit
This is book 1 of 3 in The Baroque Cycle. (standard series)
Followed by The Confusion.
This book is in Significant Speculative Fiction (Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror). (community list)
Authors & Contributors edit
- Neal Stephenson (Author)
First Edition edit
Original Language: English
Publisher: William Morrow
Country: USA
Publication Date: 2003
ISBN: 0380977427
Page Count: 944
Publisher: William Morrow
Country: USA
Publication Date: 2003
ISBN: 0380977427
Page Count: 944
Awards edit
- Locus Science Fiction Award (Finalist, 2004)
- Arthur C. Clarke Award (2004, #1)
Classification edit
- Library of Congress: Add the Library of Congress Classification.
- Dewey: 813.54
Notes for Parents edit
Reading Level: Young AdultsSince the three volume series is really a single, fast work, you have to plan to read the whole series (total of maybe 3000 pages).Later volumes in the series include some fairly graphic (and quite creative) sex scenes.
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