Shogun - James Clavell

Let me warn you right now, I have nothing bad to say about this book.

My opinion about James Clavell's Shogun has always been that it will go down as a classic piece of literature.  That it should be spoken about in the same breath as The Count of Monte Cristo, Moby Dick and The Hunchback of Notre Dame.  It's that grand.  It's exactly that compelling.  And for a fat novel running at around 1,200 pages, it's exhilarating in it's pacing and sense of adventure.

Set in feudal Japan, Clavell's masterpiece tells the story of English seaman John Blackthorne, Pilot-Major of the Dutch trader-warship Erasmus.  Far from home in uncharted waters, the Erasmus  is the last surviving ship in its fleet when it is driven by a furious storm onto the shores of Japan.  At a distinct cultural disadvantage, Blackthorne is soon caught up in the political machinations of the society and the rise of the daimyo Toronaga to the Japanese Shogunate.

Displaying a deft touch, Clavell's storytelling is flawless.  With an incredibly well realised cast of characters, Shogun weaves a compelling tale of ambition, of discovery, of love and adventure.  Charting Blackthorne's rise from foreigner to trusted advisor and political trading chip, the narrative arc is as impressive as they come, told as it is against a backdrop of religious tension, political ambition and the threat of civil war.

Shogun is one of the more ambitious works of fiction you'll find.  The novel misses nothing, touching on religious tensions, the ramifications for trade and culture of East meets West, and the dense social and political hierarchy of feudal Japan. None of it is over-explained, but it's existence is felt, creating a rich and compelling tapestry for the story, bringing an authenticity that is often missing from historical fictions.  But however high it reaches, Shogun never once falls short.

Above all, Clavell's tale is one that I consider a seminal piece of work, though in an interesting way.  While not necessarily the influence on political and historical fiction that it might have been, Shogun is however a major influence in the world of speculative fiction, particularly epic fantasy.

My score (predictably) - 10/10

Quicksilver - Neal Stephenson

Let's be clear about something: Neal Stephenson is probably smarter than you.

One look at his back-catalogue and you'll see the impressive array of his undertakings to date.  His cyberpunk novel Snow Crash, now considered a classic in many circles, was a visionary meshing of virtual reality and Sumerian myth.  Yes, you read that correctly.  It's the sort of thing you come to expect from him.  He's examined Quantum computers, nanotechnology, life as software, code decryption from the World Wars, and online multiplayer gaming.  He's constructed entire civilisations with their own science and philosophy.  And in every instance, Stephenson has managed to construct a compelling narrative.

I mention all of this in an attempt to relate the scope of Stephenson's imagination.  It's no surprise then, when I tell you that the Baroque Cycle is perhaps one of the most ambitious works of speculative fiction you'll find on the market today.

An examination of the history of the world, Quicksilver includes in it's cast of characters Isaac Newton, Gottfried Wilhelm von Leibniz, Robert Hooke, William of Orange and many other influential characters from history.

It's a history text which examines the formation and proliferation of some of the world's most important scientific theories.  The inner workings of some of the world's most influential political events.  The history and evolution of religion and its place in the world.  Witness the birth of calculus, the creation of the reflective telescope, the romantic notions of the Royal Society of Fellows toward alchemy and dare I say it, the system of the world.

All of these events are told through the eyes of Isaac Newton's friend and room mate Daniel Waterhouse, the vagabond Jack Shaftoe and a virgin slave turned Duchess and spy, Eliza .

Stephenson, with his flawless prose and his flair for humour, knows exactly when to lighten the mood, when to raise the stakes and when to exercise a little self-mockery.

By no means however, should you consider this an easy read.  About a third of the way in you'll think to yourself:  It's demanding.  It's weighty.  It's intimidating.  It's all of these at once.  At this point, Quicksilver is a difficult beast to master.  But fear not, because help is on the way - in the form of Half-cocked Jack Shaftoe, an old world thief and vagabond of the highest order.  It's at this point that Quicksilver becomes fun.  Now you're reading something weighty and dense and intelligent that is also exciting, romanticised and excitingly, romantically funny.  It's a riot.  It's rewarding.  It's spectacular.

And all of this comes just in time, because if it hadn't, then quite honestly I may have missed the ride.  Because waiting on the other side of Quicksilver is volume 2 of the Baroque Cycle, The Confusion.  You see, in reviewing Quicksilver, The Confusion may be its biggest drawback.  Because while Quicksilver is a great set-up for what is the most imaginatively ambitious and complex series I've ever read, it is at the end of the day, just that.  A set-up.  A thousand page set-up to what I consider a 10/10 book (The Confusion)

So while I would give the Baroque Cycle itself a 9/10 and tell you that it left me in absolute awe of Stephenson's skill as a story-teller, author and researcher, I've also got to be honest and tell you that Quicksilver, although great, is the weakest of the series.  Of course - relatively speaking.

My score - 8/10