Quicksilver by Neal Stephenson

[flash]

Highly rated amongst all books I have read. If you like science you will like this book. It is set during the restoration in the times of Newton, Boyle, Hooke, et al. It is very funny and also contains a good bit of history.

Warnings:
  it is long
  it is part 1 of a trilogy - the other 2 are equally long
 
 

[mtlouie]

I swear I have tried and tried to get into these books.  Galt read the first one and actually got excited (rare, very rare for her) and said, "MOM!  You have to read this!  It's totally you!  Conspiracy theories  and all that stuff!"

So, she's read everything he's put out, she got my ex into them and he's read everything he's put out.  I have 'Anathem' now, and hope to get into that.  I am also going to try the trilogy again this winter.....

I don't know why I'm having trouble with these books.  I know Strangefire loved them.

[Jonathan_Byron]

I thought Cryptonomicon was a great read, but I couldn't get into Quicksilver.

[flash]

The problem is that he has a habit of going on in a thought for a few pages before you understand what he is saying - he gives clues as you go on. Its annoying but if you persist, you finally get it. Actually, I missed a lot the first time through but the second is much better. Also, I am at the same time reading a history of Britain in that period. No, I dont have a life...
  The portrait of Newton is great and he favours Hooke over Newton which is also great.