The Confusion, by Neal Stephenson
published 2004 - read 2004

The Confusion follows the tendencies of Quicksilver to their logical ends - it presents a clockwork alternation between thrilling, imaginative action/adventure sequences and horribly tedious courtly drama.  (The third, arguably primary strand of Quicksilver, the Bildungsroman of Daniel Waterhouse, is essentially absent here, along with its associated "wacky science" scenes.  This is a mixed blessing.)  So long as the page you're reading deals with Jack Shaftoe and his band of globetrotting pirates, you're safe - when you see a section told entirely through epistolary, take a deep breath and get ready to take one for the team.  Thankfully, the desire to get back to the pirate mayhem makes even the boring sections into page-turners (sometimes); this is another winner for Stephenson, even if its bulk and middle-of-the-storydom somewhat discourages rereads.

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