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The Baroque Cycle is what made me stop reading him. It actually pissed me off.
by borkyborkbork 2y ago
The Baroque Cycle is what made me stop reading him. It actually pissed me off.
- inhumantsar 2y agoI was a huge fan before these came out. Bought a hardcover copy of the first book as soon as it was available. It was tedious. Every page smelled of self-indulgence. Lesson learned: Always wait for the reviews. It stays in a prominent position on my bookshelf to remind me of that. I remember seeing a picture of him, I think it was attached to an interview or maybe on a later books dust jacket, not long after. He was wearing a red velvet smoking jacket surrounded by ornate walnut furniture. That picture stuck with me. It seemed so pompous and pretentious, exactly the vibe I got from that book. If any of his new books give me the same vibe, I simply don't bother.
- trog 2y agoI didn't particularly enjoy the Baroque Cycle the first time I read it, but increasingly enjoy it the more often I read it! I think a lot of it was adjusting headspace from "Stephenson == Sci Fi". It is a fantastically detailed read that touches on a lot of fascinating historical stuff.