What it boils down to is this: if you have come here hoping to get an explanation of something that puzzles you about Quicksilver, then this site should serve that purpose. If you don’t find an existing annotation that answers your question, you can request that I or someone else write one and post it.
Along the way, as you browse the site, you may stumble over a lot of information that seems to have nothing to do with the novel. This material has probably been put there by contributors who have decided to post explanations of things that they care and know about. Feel free to ignore, browse, or contribute to any of it as the spirit moves you.
-Neal Stephenson, 2003
QuicksilverDramatis Personae by Type
http://www.metaweb.com/wiki/wiki.phtml?title=Stephenson:Neaclass="underline" Quicksilver:List_of_people
This is a list of the dramatis personae in Quicksilver who have entries in the Metaweb. As this list grows, we may group people by family, region, religion, language, title or noble status, or other methods.
Jack Shaftoe
Eliza
Daniel Waterhouse
Enoch Root
Gottfried Wilhelm von Leibniz
Isaac Newton
Spinoza
Thomas More Anglesey
Robert Hooke
John Wilkins
Nicolas Fatio de Duillier
Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit
Aristocrats and Politicians
James I of England
Oliver Cromwell
Charles I of England
Charles II
James II of England
Monmouth
William of Orange
Queen Anne
George I of Great Britain
Princess Caroline
King George II of Great Britain
Louis Anglesey, Earl of Upnor
Louis Joseph, Duke of Vendome
(duchesse d’)Oyonnax
(Comte) d’Avaux
(Duc) d’Arcachon
Etienne d’Arcachon
Edouard de Gex
Bonaventure Rossignol
King Phillip the V of Spain
Gomer Bolstrood
Knott Bolstrood
John Comstock
Roger Comstock
Foot
Sluys
Yevgeny (the Raskolnik)
People mentioned only a few times with only a tiny part in the narrative.
Arlanc
Elias Ashmole
(comte de) Beziers
Beatrice Beziers
Louis Beziers
Mary Dolores
Jack Ketch
(marquise d’)Ozoir
Danny Shaftoe
Jimmy Shaftoe
Mother Shaftoe
· List of notable Baroque figures
NEALSTEPHENSONissueth from a Clan of yeomen, itinerant Parsons, ingenieurs, and Natural Philosophers that hath long dwelt in bucolick marches and rural Shires of his native Land, and trod the Corridors of her ’Varsities. At a young age, finding himself in a pretty Humour for the writing of Romances, and discourse of Natural Philosophy and Technologick Arts, he took up the Pen, and hath not since laid it down.
Quicksilver:Critical Acclaimfor
Volume One of the Baroque Cycle
TIME:“Genius. (That’s right, I’m using the g-word.)… You’ll wish it were longer.”
Entertainment Weekly:“[A] warm, loamy novel of ideas, adventure, science and politics… The great trick of Quicksilver is that it makes you ponder concepts and theories you initially think you’ll never understand, and it’s greatest pleasure is that Stephenson is such an enthralling explainer… Stephenson’s new machine is a wonderment to behold. A-”
Wired:“Neal Stephenson rewrites history - for the dark prince of hacker fiction, looking backward is another way of seeing the future.”
Seattle Times:“Because of his subject matter, Stephenson won’t lose his usual science-lovers. He’ll pick up some history buffs as well, and his quirky characters, zestful pace, and wryly humorous tone will charm almost everyone else… Stephenson’s aim is more than an entertaining account of remarkable personalities. Quicksilver’s panoramic view encompasses the bitter religious and political struggles which gave rise to the scientific way of thought. [Quicksilveris] a sprawling, engrossing tale.”
Men’s Journaclass="underline" “ Quicksilver… tosses its three main characters into the bubbling cauldron of science and intrigue that Stephenson, like a mad alchemist, has cooked up in his lab… [A] swashbuckling pirate battle, for example, dares any reader to put down the novel and gives Quicksilver… the decadent pacing of a beach thriller.”
Newsweek:“Sprawling, irreverent, and ultimately profound.”
Slate:“ Quicksilverinfuses old-school science and engineering with a badly needed dose of swashbuckling adventure, complete with a professor-versus-the-pirates battle at sea. Who knew the Natural Philosophers were so cool?”
Library Journal(starred review):“Sparkling prose, subtle humor, and a superb knowledge of the period makes this grand feast of a novel a mandatory choice… highly recommended.”
Salon:“We expect nothing less from Neal Stephenson than sustained ecstatic zaniness… As seen through Stephenson’s eyes the late seventeenth century is endlessly fascinating, and so is the focus on the intersection of religion and science… The late seventeenth century saw an explosion of intellectual brilliance that resembles nothing so much as it does an overflow from a boiling cauldron. So does Quicksilver.”
Publishers Weekly:“Stephenson, once best known for his techno-geek SF novel Snow Crash, skillfully reimagines empiricists Newton, Hooke, and Leibniz, and creatively retells the birth of the scientific revolution. He has a strong feel for history and a knack for bringing settings to life. Expect high interest in this title, as much for its size and ambition, which make it a publishing event…”
Pages:“The joy of entering le monde Stephenson is that of surrender. Give up any and all preconceived notions of historical consistency, linear scientific progress, and fail-safe happy endings, and you’ll enjoy the ride… you’ll be begging for more.”