Neal Stephenson
around 2700 pages total
Originally published in three volumes, now broken into smaller units for paperback
Historical fiction at its meatiest!
It’s actually a prequel to Cryptonomicon, in itself an amazing book.
A prequel in three volumes, more history of science than you can shake a stick at at, and plenty of derring-do. Fab.
Pip pip!
I’ve been reading Cryptonomicon for some time now - it’s very hard to read such a complex book when you have children. Snatching half an hour here or there to read leaves you feeling like you have a fragmented veiw of the book, which is criminal for such excellent writing.
I got into his writing via The Diamond Age, Snow Crash and Zodiac
like I hadn’t already read that…
Hmmm. I LOVED Cryptonomicon (in my top 5 best books ever) but didn’t really like the Baroque Cycle as much. Too verbose for me. (I was shocked, b/c I also adored The Diamond Age and Snow Crash.) (Zodiac a bit less, but still liked it.)
I felt the same way. I never even finished the first book of the Cycle, which is mad considering it dips straight into fields I have interest in, right at a period of time which is so fascinating to me. Verbose, that would be a good way of putting it. I understand he was trying to emulate a certain writing style, but it just didn’t work for me.