Lezersrecensie
Absolute tour de force
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This book is the first in Neal Stephenson's Baroque Trilogy and is, in turn, also divided into three books. To make things even more confusing, the first sub-book is also called Quicksilver. As far as I know, these sub-books were also published separately as eight books in the Baroque Cycle.
In the first sub-book, you follow the fictional character Daniel Waterhouse. Through his eyes, you see the development of science in the second half of the 17th century. You meet Newton and Leibniz. You see the development of capitalism and money, all against the backdrop of European politics, the Anglo-Dutch Wars, and the France of Louis XIV, the Sun King.
In the second book, you follow Jack Shaftoe, a vagabond, and Eliza, a concubine from the sultan's harem. Jack frees Eliza, and together they travel from Vienna to Germany and then to Amsterdam. The reader gets to know 17th-century society from the perspective of the common man and worker. At the same time, you learn about the Amsterdam Stock Exchange and the global economy.
In the third book, the storylines of Daniel Waterhouse and Eliza converge. Eliza emerges as a sort of Mata Hari and must balance between Stadtholder William III and the Sun King. Meanwhile, Waterhouse becomes embroiled in political intrigues in England, which ultimately lead to the Glorious Revolution.
The second half of the 17th century is an extremely fascinating period, and Stephenson succeeds in conveying this to the reader. The geopolitical tensions between the France of Louis XIV, England, and the Netherlands of William of Orange, fueled by the religious conflict between Protestantism and Catholicism. The rise of capitalism and the modern banking system, and the emergence of science.
Interesting questions arise, such as what is intelligence and consciousness? If you build a machine that contains a certain degree of intelligence, does it also have consciousness? Is there a force in the background that ensures that something arises? Is this then God (Newton), or is it something that must also be captured in natural laws (Leibniz)?
The prose is typical Stephenson: detailed and dense. It doesn't move quickly but is extremely interesting. This book is an absolute tour de force. I can imagine this book isn't for everyone, but I find it an absolute must-read. 5 stars!
This book is the first in Neal Stephenson's Baroque Trilogy and is, in turn, also divided into three books. To make things even more confusing, the first sub-book is also called Quicksilver. As far as I know, these sub-books were also published separately as eight books in the Baroque Cycle.
In the first sub-book, you follow the fictional character Daniel Waterhouse. Through his eyes, you see the development of science in the second half of the 17th century. You meet Newton and Leibniz. You see the development of capitalism and money, all against the backdrop of European politics, the Anglo-Dutch Wars, and the France of Louis XIV, the Sun King.
In the second book, you follow Jack Shaftoe, a vagabond, and Eliza, a concubine from the sultan's harem. Jack frees Eliza, and together they travel from Vienna to Germany and then to Amsterdam. The reader gets to know 17th-century society from the perspective of the common man and worker. At the same time, you learn about the Amsterdam Stock Exchange and the global economy.
In the third book, the storylines of Daniel Waterhouse and Eliza converge. Eliza emerges as a sort of Mata Hari and must balance between Stadtholder William III and the Sun King. Meanwhile, Waterhouse becomes embroiled in political intrigues in England, which ultimately lead to the Glorious Revolution.
The second half of the 17th century is an extremely fascinating period, and Stephenson succeeds in conveying this to the reader. The geopolitical tensions between the France of Louis XIV, England, and the Netherlands of William of Orange, fueled by the religious conflict between Protestantism and Catholicism. The rise of capitalism and the modern banking system, and the emergence of science.
Interesting questions arise, such as what is intelligence and consciousness? If you build a machine that contains a certain degree of intelligence, does it also have consciousness? Is there a force in the background that ensures that something arises? Is this then God (Newton), or is it something that must also be captured in natural laws (Leibniz)?
The prose is typical Stephenson: detailed and dense. It doesn't move quickly but is extremely interesting. This book is an absolute tour de force. I can imagine this book isn't for everyone, but I find it an absolute must-read. 5 stars!
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