The System of the World, like all of the "Baroque Cycle", felt like a bit of a slog at times. But that is always true of Neal Stephenson. He revels in the details; the minutiae and isn't ashamed of it at all.

I enjoyed this story. It's a very long one, but the machinations of the characters, both fictional and fictionalized, kept me engaged throughout.

This is definitely not for everyone, and I'm looking forward to not having this trilogy hanging over my head, but if you like Stephenson's other work, you should try to get past the irritation you may feel towards the historical fiction and the conceit of writing what boils down to a 3000 page book.