Currently Reading: The Confusion

Well, Ok, I guess it's about time for a new post isn't it? I haven't told you what I've been reading ever since November, and what a better way to start off the new year. This one is going to be taking me awhile, since it's 848 pages. Hah, never fear though. I like big books and I'm never scared of having to read them even if they look daunting at first. I consider them more bang for the buck I just alternate between a big meaty book and a light read to give my mind a break, so the next one after this will be a book that will take me a week or two to read through.

I've been a fan of Neal Stephenson ever since I read Snow Crash. I think it's the book that started many people reading him, and as any fan will know, he's quite wordy, and his descriptions can go on and on. That's basically why I like him. He can make some of the most mundane things really stand out, and his prose can be quite good and memorable. I've read everything of his ever since. Well, I think there is one I haven't read and that's the one set in a university, and those that were previously under a different pen name co-written with an uncle of his.

Anyway, this book is the second book in what is called The Baroque Cycle, a 3 book series, and it was originally going to be published all as one book, but that would have been a bit daunting for anyone, including me, considering they all have approximately the same amount of pages. It's set in the 1600's, and it's essentially a prequel series to his previous book, Cryptonomicon, which took place in WWII and present day. All the characters in The Baroque Cycle are ancestors to the characters in Cryptonomicon, and it's interesting to see what these characters do in relation to what happened in Cryptonomicon, meaning that whatever these people do, will end up creating a legacy for the people that follow in their footsteps. For example, in the Baroque Cycle, there are Jack and Bob Shaftoe, and in Cryptonomicon there is Bobby Shaftoe. Daniel Waterhouse in the Baroque Cycle, Lawrence Pritchard (1940's) and Randy (1990's) Waterhouse in Cryptonomicon. All of this presents a certain depth to the universe that is being read, and all of them at the end of the Baroque Cycle will end up close to where the characters in Cryptonomicon are born, I think. I find it nice when an author puts some thought into writing like this as you can expect a certain quality to it. It makes the stories that much more meaty, and that's the kind of thing I like, and it makes me keep coming back for more. I mean, nobody likes a turkey filled with air, right? ;)

As an aside, I hope everyone had some nice holidays. My computer, which is practically all new now is running great, and it's only a matter of time before I get some games to show off it's awesome power. I got two new CDs as a Christmas present from my sister that arrived in the mail on Friday, so you can expect to see reviews of those fairly soon.