You are currently browsing the monthly archive for January 2007.
I feel as if I have been reading this novel for ever, but not in a bad way! I started it before Christmas but stuff at home, some difficult commutes which put me off reading and the sheer size of the paperback back mean that I haven’t been picking it up consistently. But this morning I decided that I would finish it, and I’m glad I persevered, as it’s a rich and rewarding read.
Quicksilver is the first of a trilogy, and is set in the late 17th and early 18th centuries. It deals with all sorts of things: alchemy and the development of modern science, revolution and intrigue. It mixes real people like Isaac Newton, William of Orange, James II and Samuel Pepys among many others, with Stephenson’s own characters. It has a lot of detail, which I know has put some people off, but I found that if you allow yourself to sink into it you’ll be swept along by the story. It’s very funny in places and the set pieces are wonderfully described. I’m looking forward to reading the sequels!
If I’m honest, these days most of my reading is done on my train journey to and from London, which gives me around 50 minutes a day where I can lose myself in a book.
Disaster struck yesterday, however, when my MP3 player died on me (a long story to do with corrupt disks which I just don’t want to think about) and I realised how much I needed music while reading on public transport to stop me from being distracted by other travellers and their bizarre mobile phone conversations.
This is a shock for me as I was well known as a child for not let anything short of the end of the world disturb me while I had my head in a book – perhaps it’s just age………
I hope you will join me here from time to time to find out what I’ve been reading, and possibly what I’ve been watching as well, as so many of the films and TV programmes I’m drawn to seem to be based on books that I’ve read (or mean to).
You’ll see over the coming months that I read all sorts of things from sci-fi, horror and crime fiction to sixteenth century history (a particular favourite, but more on that in the future)
I hope you’ll feel free to comment and perhaps make some recommendations!
Bride of the Book God 