Normally, I plow through a 900-page book in a few days, but this one has had me tied up for weeks. It's extremely dense with information, and between the extensive historical detail, and Stephenson's exceptional talent for plot, I've been savoring this one. Still about 100 pages left to tear through and I'm looking forward to getting home and finishing it off. The start of things seems slow, but don't let that dissuade you...things start coming together nicely, and no doubt, start setting the stage for the next book in the Baroque Cycle.