Books - Neal Stephenson: Quicksilver

Under completely normal circumstances, I would file this massive tome under the category of ‘junk fiction.’ Also under normal circumstances, I would not bother with anything in this category. For some reason that I can’t explain, when I was in the bookstore looking for something new to run my eyes over I wandered over into the sci-fi section. I’ll admit that at first its attraction was purely physical. It was massive, hardcover and was the first of a multi-part series. My sense of bibliosnobbery was fully and thoroughly engaged. Then I opened it. The first pages I beheld contained something I’d never ever seen in a science fiction book before: an equation. It was at that point that I quietly closed the book, readied the ubiquitous bookstore coupon and proceeded carefully to the checkout area hoping insanely that nobody would see the book and decide they needed to steal it from me.

Stephenson’s massive tome is 920 pages and every bit filled with an almost Dickensian level of detail as he describes the life of his main character, Daniel Waterhouse. Daniel makes his way through 17^th century England, witnesses the deaths of three kings of England, becomes a member of the Royal Society and hangs out with a vast array of real scientific minds of the day including Newton, Leibniz, Hooke and countless other contemporaries. This is really more of a lesson in history and science than it is a work of fiction. His descriptions of the scientific thinking of the day is at once unsettling (Hooke is constantly drinking mercury in an attempt to lengthen his life) and awe inspiring. The frenetic activity of these people is truly amazing though despite their example, I’ll admit that I’m not ready to vivisect anything.

To compliment the scientific cast, Daniel wanders through an incredibly detailed backdrop of European cities ending up in the Tower of London and involved in many of the momentous events of the period. I feel thoroughly educated and yet wholly entertained at the same time. That, in my opinion, is what fiction should really be about. I bow to Mr. Stephenson and wholly recommend his works. 

What’s next? Sadly, I feel obligated to finish what I’ve started. The Swiss Family Robinson sits on the end table with a bookmark on page 323. As amazingly dull as this book as turned out to be, I have no choice but to finish. *sigh* Hopefully the encyclopedia will end soon and the plot will resume…