So, if you haven't gotten around to it yet, you should really go read The Baroque Cycle, by Neal Stephenson. I attempted to say something to that effect when I finished it a while back, but simply didn't have the time and energy to put forth the required effort. Fortunately, I don't have to, as MJD already did it. I don't agree with everything he says (for example, I enjoyed Stephenson's earlier stuff, despite its flaws), but he does a fantastic job of explaining the core stuff you should understand about the books before you dive in to them, primarily the fact that they are really just one really long book, so you shouldn't form an opinion after the first half of Quicksilver, as you really need to get to the end of System of the World in order for it all to fit together properly.
