Hmmm. Interesting, but I prefer his sci-fi stuff. The Baroque Cycle was… weird. Full of intricate detail, but I derived relatively little satisfaction from reading it, and I’ll wait for proper reviews before reading this one.
Lesson learned: Always wait for the reviews. It stays in a prominent position on my bookshelf to remind me of that.
I remember seeing a picture of him, I think it was attached to an interview or maybe on a later books dust jacket, not long after. He was wearing a red velvet smoking jacket surrounded by ornate walnut furniture.
That picture stuck with me. It seemed so pompous and pretentious, exactly the vibe I got from that book. If any of his new books give me the same vibe, I simply don't bother.
I think a lot of it was adjusting headspace from "Stephenson == Sci Fi". It is a fantastically detailed read that touches on a lot of fascinating historical stuff.