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The Confusion

Books Four & Five of The Baroque Cycle

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The Confusion

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

In the year 1689, a cabal of Barbary galley slaves, including one “Half-Cocked Jack” Shaftoe, devises a daring plan to win freedom and fortune. A great adventure ensues that will place the intrepid band at odds with the mighty and the mad, with alchemists, Jesuits, great navies, pirate queens, and vengeful despots across vast oceans and around the globe.

Back in Europe, the exquisite and resourceful Eliza, Countess de la Zeur, master of markets, pawn and confidante of enemy kings, onetime Turkish harem virgin, is stripped of her immense personal fortune by France’s most dashing privateer. Penniless and at risk from those who desire either her or her head (or both), she is caught up in a web of international intrigue, even as she desperately seeks the return of her most precious possession -- her child.Meanwhile, Newton and Leibniz continue to propound their grand theories as their infamous rivalry intensifies. And Daniel Waterhouse seeks passage to the Massachusetts colony in hopes of escaping the madness into which his world has descended.

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.

©2004 Neal Stephenson (P)2010 Audible, Inc. Action & Adventure Fiction Genre Fiction Historical Fiction Science Fiction Sea Adventures Royalty Adventure Alchemy King France Pirate Imperialism

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Critic reviews

“[Stephenson] might just have created the definitive historical-sci-fi-epic-pirate-comedy-punk-love story.” ( Entertainment Weekly)
“Monumental… combines adventure with Big Ideas and lots of intrigue.” ( Locus)
“Vast, splendid, and absorbing.” ( Publishers Weekly)
Most relevant
The Confusion is definitely the best part of the Baroque cycle. The shift between the two parts of the story works well. There is a wonderful sense of scale and adventure as Jack and his band travel to all corners of the world.

The best of the series

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While the conclusion of this, “stage,” of Neal Stephenson’s epic, winding saga was not what I had hoped for personally, I can see how it would have hit that sweet spot for so many fans, so I cannot begrudge them their happiness at that.
What I particularly enjoyed myself was the resurfacing of almost every single character from just about all of the previous novels, at some point or other, from our main protagonists to other, less essential, yet highly entertaining figures. I particularly enjoyed the resurfacing of the charmingly loquacious Dapper who made such an amusing impression on me during his adventures with Daniel Waterhouse.
As their stories continue, the characterisations of these players have deepened and Stephenson’s capacity to pull on our heartstrings has matured, like fine wine.
Now, along with the intricacies of science history, the pragmatism of political history, and the deft conjurations of the manner in which these characters loop their way through time’s great events and discoveries, we have a far deeper affection for the characters who are central to the narrative.
Consequently, we can still laugh out loud at their antics, or the wit of their dialogue, but we are also beginning to dare to foster hopes and dreams for them too. And this makes the reader feel their failures more deeply concomitantly.
In the end, I was left with a slightly sour taste in my mouth, but that was merely because I didn’t see the particular outcomes I was so selfishly hoping for . . . at least, not yet . . .
However, this personal sense of dissatisfaction only proves to me how deeply I have come to identify with these characters and is testament to the author’s skill.
I will have to read the remaining book/s to see if I will ever get the ending I was hoping for.

Getting The Band Back Together . . . Sort of . . .

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Thirty four hours and I was still sad when it ended. Part pirate caper as our buccaneer crew plot to gain their freedom and a galleon full of gold. Part political thriller as Eliza is caught up in the intrigues of the English succession. All good as Stephenson keeps the listener engrossed with smart plot twists. A real bonus for everyone who has reached this far because we get a day and half of entertainment for the one credit.

Epic

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This series gets better and better!

The Baroque Cycle really is vast. Part of me wants to listen over again from the start to make sure I grasped everything, though I confess the sheer length of these books is daunting. I will certainly be re-reading Cryptonomicon though.

Great books, especially now we're past all the bewildering financial and economic stuff in the earlier volumes. Prebble is a wonderful narrator, with an amazing range of character voices.

My one and only irk with these audiobooks has been Kevin Pariseau who reads the little quotations at the start of each section - truly awful intonation and reading that renders the most straightforward text completely incomprehensible. (but he's not in it much thankfully!)

Can't wait to start the next book in the Cycle...

'Epic' now has a whole new definition...

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Excellent series from Master Stephenson. I love the mingling of history and fiction. BRILLIANT

Bravo

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This book is the best so far in this series. Plenty of different inlerlinking stories. A history of discovery, navigation science and politics.

Really enjoyed listening to this.

The best so far

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I'm giving this book a perfect score. It is the best Stephenson book I have read so far (I'm reading is oeuvre in publication order). It has all the seriousness and detail of Quicksilver, and even more of the fun. But..... I fear he has gone too far with the final development of the book. It's...... silly. The King of France believes an English vagabond can destroy the mint because..... he's heard outlandish rumours about Jack's adventures and accomplishments? Gimme a break!

Narration was absolutely top-notch.

Perfect score, but.....

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A tour de force that always made me want to hear more. A page turner

Finally something as entertaining as Shantaram

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I just never tire of listening to this entire series. I loved Neal Stephenson's Sci-Fi and was unsure about starting on this epic series but I must have listened the whole thing through 3 times now and it just never gets tired. The ways the story runs take a little getting used to but once you are in the swing it is an absolute joy. Do the whole set. Wonderful

The story continues ....

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This Baroque Cycle gets a little better with each book. Not dramatically so, but gratifying all the same. In addition, the whole series stands up well to an occassional re-reading of the earlier books for a fuller appreciation of how the series develops.

Perhaps the best yet?

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