Quicksilver cover art

Quicksilver

Book One of The Baroque Cycle

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Quicksilver

By: Neal Stephenson
Narrated by: Neal Stephenson (introduction), Kevin Pariseau, Simon Prebble
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About this listen

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. Action & Adventure Fantasy Fiction Genre Fiction Historical Science Fiction Royalty Middle Ages Mathematics War Imperialism

Critic Reviews

“[The “Baroque Cycle”] will defy any category, genre, precedent, or label – except genius….Stephenson has a once-in-a-generation gift: he makes complex ideas clear, and he makes them funny, heartbreaking, and thrilling.” ( Time)
“A book of immense ambition, learning, and scope, Quicksilver is often brilliant and occasionally astonishing in its evocation of a remarkable time and place.” ( Washington Post Book World)
All stars
Most relevant  
I love this novel. It’s like time travel. Immersive, detailed, fun and insightful. It’s become like a friend I return to again and again…

Well narrated speculative fiction

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Tried to give it a serious chance, sometimes new books take time to grow on you. Gave up after about 4.5 hours and eventually gave up on it. Poorly written, no flow, unable to get into the story.

No flow

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