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Odalisque

Book Three of The Baroque Cycle

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Odalisque

By: Neal Stephenson
Narrated by: Simon Prebble, Katherine Kellgren, Kevin Pariseau, Neal Stephenson (introduction)
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About this listen

The trials of Dr. Daniel Waterhouse and the Natural Philosophers increase one hundredfold in an England plagued by the impending war and royal insecurities, as the beautiful and ambitious Eliza plays a most dangerous game as double agent and confidante of enemy kings.

The Baroque Cycle, Neal Stephenson’s award-winning series, spans the late 17th and early 18th centuries, combining history, adventure, science, invention, piracy, and alchemy into one sweeping tale. It is a gloriously rich, entertaining, and endlessly inventive historical epic populated by the likes of Isaac Newton, William of Orange, Benjamin Franklin, and King Louis XIV, along with some of the most inventive literary characters in modern fiction.

Audible’s complete and unabridged presentation of The Baroque Cycle was produced in cooperation with Neal Stephenson. Each volume includes an exclusive introduction read by the author.

Listen to more titles in the Baroque Cycle .©2003 Neal Stephenson (P)2010 Audible, Inc. Action & Adventure Fantasy Fiction Genre Fiction Historical Science Fiction Royalty Funny

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Critic reviews

“Rollicking good fun…Historical fiction driven by the history of ideas… Stephenson is a magnificent chronicler.” ( Wall Street Journal)
“Sprawling, irreverent, and ultimately profound.” ( Newsweek)
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I just never tire of listening to this entire series. I loved Neal Stephenson's Sci-Fi and was unsure about starting on this epic series but I must have listened the whole thing through 3 times now and it just never gets tired. The ways the story runs take a little getting used to but once you are in the swing it is an absolute joy. Do the whole set. Wonderful

Book three and it is under your skin by now

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There is simply too much to say about this book, so instead, I simply offer that it rounds out the fates and conclusions of all the characters and story lines that that readers of the previous two novels will have come to love and be engrossed by, respectively, in the most satisfying way imaginable.
I can add, for those fans, that you will finally get the one thing that was lacking in the previous stories:
Since Neal Stephenson’s sense of irony and ribaldry has a tendency to put the listener at a slight distance from the characters, enabling us to see them in context and through our historically educated eyes, seeing entire situations with a full appreciation of our knowledge as to what will come next, thus, appreciating the sardonic wit of the author. The only negative payoff from this practice has been the tendency of the first two novels to enforce that sense of distance from the characters, regardless of how exciting, thrilling, funny, or simply entertaining their circumstances, or their reactions to historical events. The author seems to have realised this and now, for the first time, to the long list of his literary achievements he can add, “genuine empathy.” This is the first of his novels that have actually moved me. Most particularly, the ending made me cry, which was as much of a surprise to me as it was to the characters in the book!
Also, of great value to me personally, is the fact that the author takes a moment to introduce each novel in his own, apparently American, voice. The fact that his knowledge of this period of history is so scholarly and granular is not a great surprise, as any good academic can glean such depths of knowledge these days, at the click of a mouse. Nor am I surprised at his ingenious capacity to weave his fictional characters with such fine detail, so elegantly into the very fabric of this cloth with such intricacy (See what I did there?). The care and thought he has put into his plotting and environmental story telling is also something I had come to expect by now, from his previous work. So it takes no effort of imagination to believe in the Shafto’s, Waterhouse’s and Eliza, Dutches of various locations depending on which Monarch’s court she appears in, as real people; or at least, we believe that there must have been such people about amid these times, to make things happen as they did. What really astonishes me is Stephenson’s empathy for us Brits.
He really, REALLY gets us! He writes like a witness to events, with a depth of empathy and comprehension frequently missing from even our best historians. He understands the thinking and FEELING of present day Britishness; our response to upheaval, our tolerations, our dry humour, our ingenuity and wit, along with our many failings and manages to transpose this feeling into the period in a manner that is utterly plausible.
This is an author who clearly loves his subject as much as the characters he creates. And for that, I will be eternally grateful; for the entertainment and for marvelling at his use of historical events as though they were conjuring tricks, always introduced in dazzling ways, or as a clever misdirection to thicken the plot, but never failing to amaze and leave the reader filled with admiration for his dexterity and skill.
You just HAVE TO read the previous books first, though! If that impulse that drew you to check this review, to see if this is for you, because you enjoy history, science, philosophy, or just a cracking yarn that can lift you out of your present day concerns? . . . Then you WON’T regret it. Buy this book and the two previous so you can fully enjoy taking the circuitous, baroque, route through the machinations of Restoration (and then, “revolutionary”) England, via various locations in Europe and The Americas.

A Perfect Conclusion . . . So Far . . .

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What did you like most about Odalisque?

Love the Baroque Cycle and Simon Prebble's narration of it. Tolerated Kevin Pariseau's curious phrasing of the quotes at the beginnings of each chapter, but really didn't like Katherine Kellgren's interpretation of Eliza - she doesn't match my 'picture' of Eliza at all; on audible.com someone wrote she was 'too arch; too prissy' and I have to say I agree...

Eliza doesn't sound like Katherine Kellgren!

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The third part of Stephenson's chronicle of intrigue, technology and commerce focuses on Eliza and her adventures in France. A third of the way through but the real story is only beginning. Each part of this wonderful book deserves its own review and five star rating.

Intrigue, Technology and Commerce

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Stephenson's use of ye olde vernacular for humourous effect had me burst out loud laughing on multiple occasions.
A great dramatisation of the period with mystery, education, chases and seduction

awesome baroque story

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If you liked volume one and two enough to consider buying volume 3 don't be too put off. Poor Katherine Kellgren doesn't really nail Eliza for other reviewers or, indeed, this one. But she wasn't bad enough to stop me enjoying it and in later volumes she was retired. So even if you do find her intolerable it won't last for the whole series. Part of this volume is spent in Versailles and the Hague and once again we get a great plot alongside fascinating historical details about the French political system at the time and the rise of the international finance markets. Deep, rich, geeky stuff underpinned by great plot dynamics and snappy dialogue

Swashbuckling and stockbroking

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Great book. The story is filled with all sorts of details other authors would leave out, so it is strange that my only complaint is that this almighty tome would have benefited from the addition of a a handful of chapters better linking up certain sections of the narrative.

As for the narration: superb. I don't know why they suddenly added a female voice actor to narrate Eliza's lines (the guy was doing fine), but she was excellent. Tiny complaints: the guy keeps pronouncing principia with a soft 'c' sound. He also says upmost instead of utmost.

What an accomplishment!

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Interesting book which takes the Baroque cycle further and develops the characters further. Well naratted and well paced book

Third book in a riveting series

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Great historical detail but you need to check the who is who to understand the real from fictional characters

Great story

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There is this underlying problem with the actress narrating Eliza, but otherwise this book really gripped me. Fantastic detail, plot and performance for everyone but Eliza.

Really grips you as it goes on

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