The Confusion

, #2

Hardcover, 815 pages

English language

Published April 2004 by William Morrow.

ISBN:
978-0-06-052386-2
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OCLC Number:
642373250
ISFDB ID:
33346

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4 stars (73 reviews)

In the year 1689, a cabal of Barbary galley slaves -- including one Jack Shaftoe, aka King of the Vagabonds, aka Half-Cocked Jack -- devises a daring plan to win freedom and fortune. A great adventure ensues -- a perilous race for an enormous prize of silver ... nay, gold ... nay, legendary gold.

In Europe, the exquisite and resourceful Eliza, Countess de la Zeur, 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.

Meanwhile, Newton and Leibniz continue to propound their grand theories as their infamous rivalry intensifies, stubborn alchemy does battle with the natural sciences, dastardly plots are set in motion ... and Daniel Waterhouse seeks passage to …

8 editions

Review of 'The Confusion' on 'Goodreads'

5 stars

Book 2 in the massive Baroque Cycle, The Confusion mostly follows the stories of Jack Shaftoe, King of the Vagabonds in one "book" ("Bonanza") in a rousing round the world adventure, while in other book, "The Juncto", stars Eliza, who works her way through European royalty. Nearly impossible to describe yet written with boundless energy, The Confusion and the Baroque Cycle continues to enthrall me.

In "Bonanza", Jack Shaftoe is a galley slave, in amongst the lowest of the low. Him and his bunkmates come up with a daring plan to steal a ship to buy their freedom. They talk up some backers, get the ship and embark on a round the world adventure as they stay one step ahead of the authorities, as the ship contained far more than they bargained for. Long periods spent doing things like ruling an Indian nation, barely escaping with their lives trading with …

Review of 'The Confusion (The Baroque Cycle, Vol. 2)' on 'Goodreads'

5 stars

No diversion goes too far afield, no tangent is too barock or philosophickal, and no intrigue is too ornately improbable for me in this yarn. If it were written on a roll of Turing machine tape, extending infinitely into the horizon, I have no doubt I would continue reading as long as I breathe. Alas but there is only one tome remaining in the trilogy for me.

Review of 'The Confusion (The Baroque Cycle, Vol. 2)' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

I picked up and put down Quicksilver over the course of a few years... Books of that physical size tend to intimidate me, so I was in no hurry to start The Confusion.. But once I got an ebook reader the physical size was no longer a factor. While I ostensibly started this book a few years ago, I really started it mid Jan 2013. Once I got into it I couldn't stop, finishing it two weeks later (though with a massive assist from a beach vacation).

It took me way too long, as so much time had passed since I had read it, to recall the events of Quicksilver, even with a Wikipedia assist. Other than that I found the book to be interesting and engaging, and I honestly cared about the characters.

On one hand it could be (easily) argued that this book could use some editing, the …

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