A review by jupiterjens666
The Confusion by Neal Stephenson

4.0

I'm a big Stephenson fan, even though his politics are childish and he seems too big a seller for editors to edit him anymore, despite his tendency to pages-long regressions on mathematics or numismatics or what Isaac Newton thought of alchemy, or perhaps because of. Like, I made the decision to read a book with a major theme of the changing science of coinage in the late 17th century. I'm here for it. I'm not as into it as Neal, but you know what, it's important to him how the Mint of England got its silver in 1705, so, buddy, please feel free to talk about it for 815 pages. There's also lots of generally excellent swordfighting and epic battle scenes. He still does that thing where he introduces new characters (and there are HUNDREDS - you like characters, there are characters here) anyway he introduces new characters in scenes as if we're supposed to know who they are because if he took the time to tell us who the hell every new person was, the book would be 8150 long - and I'd still read it - because it's no small feat to make a book this long, this sprawling, and keep it genuinely entertaining, even provocative, for such a great clobbering mass of pages. I exclaimed aloud no fewer than four times while reading this, something I hardly ever do while reading. (I am known for my equipoise.) It surprised, it engaged! He talks for about four thousand words about the origin of Damascus steel and I was riveted! The many many characters were interesting, the book is mad, but it is accomplished, it is an accomplishment. I am exhausted. I can't believe I read that. I am delighted to see that the next one is 840 pages.