I finally finished Neal Stephenson’s 3,000-page novel (in three books) and I’m still decompressing from the 17th-18th century United Kingdom. Especially the vocabulary, which he handles very well.
I was disappointed with the ending because it didn’t bring us full circle back to the beginning of the first book. I’d have liked to hear more from Enoch Root, the novel’s Methuselah, and Daniel’s young son Godfrey who, as one character says will carry his line far into the future.
Also, while I never doubted that Jack would not be shaft-o on the Treble Tree, a more artful telling of his survival could have been made. Nevertheless, it was a fine journey through the development of Western science and world commerce. I will miss not having Jack and Eliza and the Natural Philosophers to return to day after day after day.
THE TEXAS SCRIBBLER 