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Odalisque
- Book Three of The Baroque Cycle
- Narrated by: Simon Prebble, Katherine Kellgren, Kevin Pariseau, Neal Stephenson (introduction)
- Series: Baroque Cycle, Book 3
- Length: 13 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged Audiobook
- Categories: Literature & Fiction, Action & Adventure
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Summary
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.
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- Jim
- 24-05-15
Swashbuckling and stockbroking
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
2 people found this helpful
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- Amazon Customer
- 08-04-14
Eliza doesn't sound like Katherine Kellgren!
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...
1 person found this helpful
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- ASHISH SINHA
- 04-08-21
Third book in a riveting series
Interesting book which takes the Baroque cycle further and develops the characters further. Well naratted and well paced book
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- Iain Leedham
- 18-10-19
Back to school
I hated physics at school and this brought back memories of sitting there waiting for the bell to go and end my misery
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- Doug
- 08-07-18
Book three and it is under your skin by now
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
1 person found this helpful
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- mrmalaya
- 30-10-17
Really grips you as it goes on
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.
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- Mr. Kevin W. Karney
- 05-11-15
Great story
Great historical detail but you need to check the who is who to understand the real from fictional characters
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- Tamlin
- 31-03-11
Intrigue, Technology and Commerce
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.
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- Doug D. Eigsti
- 28-10-14
Imp of the Perverse Embodied in Brilliant Fiction
This series must be contemplated as a unified whole. This review is for the entire BAROQUE CYCLE.
Sorry Neal, I was wrong. For me Neal Stephenson was a bit of an acquired taste. My first Stephenson exposure was with SNOWCRASH, a zany over-the-top Sci-Fi farce with quirky characters, tight plotting and fascinating ideas—try an ancient software virus in the human brain. My next Neal Stephenson encounter was THE DIAMOND AGE and this was for years my last. It was not until revisiting SNOWCRASH now as an audiobook (narrated by the superb Jonathan Davis) that I realized that anyone able to reach such dizzying fictional heights once deserves more than one strike. It was after this that I listened to ANATHEM; strike two. But there was one more title that had received acclaim that I first had to tackle before relegating Stephenson to one-hit-wonder status: CRYPTONOMICON. This was a home run; different from SNOWCRASH in almost every way but still wonderful, and really long. From this I learned three things: (1) Stephenson was not easy to pigeon-hole; and (2) He could handle fictional works in the long form; and (3) If you are not preoccupied with plot advancement, the rabbit trails can be quite scenic. So, once I learned that many of the characters in CRYPTONOMICON had ancestors in THE BAROQUE CYCLE, I determined to tackle the whole lot back-to-back, as if it were one giant novel. QUICKSILVER is the first audio installment of THE BAROQUE CYCLE, which is here divided into seven installments. In print form it is broken into eight books published in three hefty volumes.
I could tell from the comments of other listeners that this huge tome is not for everyone. If you require fast tight plotting, this may not be for you. If you enjoy witty repartee between vagabonds, kings, courtiers and thieves then this may be the mother lode. I liken Neal Stephenson to Gene Wolfe; another writer who can keep my interest just by the brilliance of his prose. It was in the middle of ODALISQUE, book three in the cycle, that I realized I didn’t much care that the plot was just creeping along, and that side trips to follow the numerous cast of characters kept taking me away from the one I liked best. I was enjoying the show and didn’t want it to end. This is truly not seven different novels, but one huge novel tied together by recurring characters and one vast and very satisfying story arc.
This accomplishment by Neal Stevenson is just the thing that the term magnum opus was coined for. Mr. Stevenson demonstrates his ability to manage a vast narrative alternate history and retains his focus over two-thousand six-hundred eighty-eight hardcover pages, through one-hundred fourteen hours of audiobook narration; yet the feel and texture and pacing is consistent throughout the entire work. Amazing. If you decide to tackle this tome you will be rewarded. It may cause you to rethink the whole audiobook medium.
I really enjoyed Stephenson’s insights into the politics of the scientific community, revolving around Isaac Newton. The fusing of Natural Philosophy (science), Alchemy, commodity-based monetary theory, rags-to-riches character transformations, and court intrigue make for a fascinating experience. Listening to this series is like taking a time-travel vacation to the eighteenth century. The shabby, muddy, miasmic grunge of the period’s living conditions sometimes remind me of Monty Python and the Holy Grail or Jabberwocky, with associated punch-lines. This is a very different world from the one we live in but I began to think I might understand it a little better and found that, in some ways, it might not be so bad.
If you are at all interested in free-market economics, and commodity-based monetary theory then one of the long-term story arcs will be of intense interest to you. Stevenson explores the impact of the foundation of the central Bank of England upon the flow of gold. And his deft insertion of an Alchemical component into the mix creates an enjoyable element of mystery. This is the storyline that required one-hundred hours to tell.
This is a Science Fiction work because the alternate-history angle with Alchemy infecting the realm of science will appeal to the SF fan. If you were provided with a plot outline or given some character sketches you may think this an historical novel, and it could be read from that perspective. But Science Fiction readers don’t as a rule read historical novels, but they will read this, therefore, whatever qualities it possesses, justify the SF label.
—PERSISTENT THEMES OF THE BAROQUE CYCLE—
Predestination versus Free-Will is on everyone’s mind
The debate between Protestantism versus Catholicism had a huge political impact
Geocentrism versus Heliocentrism is the only thing everyone can agree upon
Commodity-based Monetary theory makes the world work
Court Intrigue and witty conversations provide joy in every circumstance
Meritocracy rags-to-riches stories abound
People can endure much if they have hope
Vagabond underworld versus Persons of Quality show we have much in common
Alchemy counterpoised with Natural Philosophy revel the nature of science
Encryption and secret writing have long been employed
True love makes life worth living
Courtly liaisons show the shallowness of the ruling class to whom society is entrusted
Simon Prebble does yeoman’s work on this production. To my ear he nailed every single pronunciation of every word in the course of over one-hundred hours of narration—no mean feat. His character voicings are subtle but immediately recognizable. His talent allows him to even give convincing alternate pronunciations of words to the different characters that are appropriate to their individual personalities. The more foppish English characters habitually emphasize different syllables than the lower class characters. Despite the deep quality of his voice Simon Prebble handles both male and female character voices convincingly. His voice has a limited range but I was constantly amazed at how he could make subtle alterations in inflection, diction and pacing to effectively distinguish the various characters in a conversation. Simon Prebble achieves the desirable state of occupying the place in your head usually reserved for your own internal sub-vocalizations when you are reading a print book to yourself. This is a high achievement indeed and makes this a soothing book experience.
Narrated by Simon Prebble (Main text)
Kevin Pariseau (Chapter epigraphs)
Katherine Kellgrin (Eliza’s letters)
Neal Stephenson (Introduction)
22 people found this helpful
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Overall

- Evelyn
- 25-05-11
Great book
I found the addition of Katherine Kellgren as Eliza in the third book a little jarring, after having gotten used to Simon Prebble doing Eliza's voice in the two previous books (and doing a seamless job of it, too.)
Kellgren's Eliza is a touch too arch, too insufferably prissy; not how I imagined Eliza to be. It makes the numerous readings of Eliza's correspondence in this book three of the cycle seem interminable. This stands out because, though this is a ridiculously long work, I rarely lose patience with its length - and I remember reading through the correspondence sections of the third book without any impatience or sense of 'slogging through'.
I think her voice is just a bit too much, like trying to make an entire meal of lemon bars. Makes you long for plain bread. I'm hoping this effect lessens as the books go on.
12 people found this helpful
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- Darwin8u
- 02-07-18
One Star for Making me Buy (1/3) of a Book
"Even a well-made clock drifts, and must be re-set from time to time."
- Neal Stephenson, Odalisque
An odalisque was a chambermaid or a female attendant in a Turkish haram (seraglio), particularly the ladies in haram of the Ottoman sultan.
So, the book title references Eliza, who in book 2: King of the Vagabonds is rescued by "Half-Cock" Jack (King of the Vagabonds). Eliza in this book enters the world of European economics and spycraft. She rises from broker of the French nobility, eventually earning the title of Countess of Zeur. She also aids William of Orange as he prepares to invade England, gaining the added title of Duchess of Qqghlm. Odalisque also brings us back to Daniel Waterhouse.
I personally missed Jack Shaftoe, but that was partially assisted because we were introduced to his brother Bob Shaftoe.
I've enjoyed Volume one. I'm a big fan of the Age of Enlightenment and was thrilled to experience of fictionalized Pepys, Newton, Leibniz, William of Orange, etc.
The only reason I'm giving this a 1-star for performance is I find it RI·DIC·U·LOUS that I have to buy three credits worth of books to listen to 'Quicksilver'. It seems a bit like William Morrow & Co is milking the structure of this book a bit.
5 people found this helpful
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- Tim
- 22-02-14
Volume One, Finished
"Odalisque" is the last book in the first volume and there are two more volumes to go. I'm not too sure why Audible decided to split up the three volumes into eight books, but so far, the third book is my favorite. The story is finally moving along in Baroque Cycle.
Unlike Quicksilver, which was basically the premise, and King of the Vagabonds, which was explaining the day wagers, Odalisque goes back at exams the hierarchy of the monarch. The story between of Daniel and Eliza makes it more compelling to read. The best part of this chapter in the series is the science and astronomy from Newton and his peers.
In any series that I listens to, at certain point I need to read something else because after the third book, I loose interest. Maybe because I'm a fan of Stephenson or been waiting to read Baroque Cycle, I'm powering through these books and can't wait for more.
4 people found this helpful
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- Kevin
- 17-10-14
Entertaining series
I got into this series reading Locus award winners for SCI-FI . Not sure how this series got there. I also did not realize there were 8 books (only three won awards). And then to find out that this is really sort of three books (long ones) broken into 8 books...one can't keep track. This book was covers some pretty interesting historical events and is quite interesting.
The performance is great - the reader gives unique personalities to all the characters. Overall its a pretty good read.
2 people found this helpful
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- Philip Criswell
- 09-03-17
Still can't figure out whether I like this series...
Like the others, hard to start, easy to finish, and I look forward to the next one.
1 person found this helpful
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- Amazon Customer
- 09-11-16
Outstanding Book - Excellent Presentation
This was a very well written book. Great information, humor, and presentation. I will listen to them all.
1 person found this helpful
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- PJ
- 13-05-16
Great followup to king of the vagabonds
Loved it. But then I am a Neal Stephenson fan. The plot and all the little nuanced details are fantastic. The characters started in the second book are developed in to intriguing and engrossing ones in this book. Daniel remains at the core of the story here like in the first book.
Personally I felt there was too little of Newton in this book hopefully it will be made up in the next one.
The narrators are brilliant and kept the book interesting all through
Overall a top read.
1 person found this helpful
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- Sylvia
- 16-03-15
A little slow to start...
Would you listen to Odalisque again? Why?
It is a great story that has characters pulled from history - but that means that a large part of this is about filling the reader in on the historical context in which certain event and characters are important. This is not a story for people who want instant gratification - but it is still a very good read.
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- Julie W. Capell
- 16-11-14
It's the journey, not the destination
I think listening to this as an audio book is probably the very best way to experience it. There are long stretches that are letters written by Eliza, which by their nature involved long explanations of things Eliza had done. I wish the author had simply shown Eliza interacting with people and her environment, since she is such an unusual and compelling female protagonist. Seeing her primarily through her letters made her feel more distant, although she does explain lots of interesting things about early commerce, such as how insurance began (Lloyd's was originally a coffee shop!), how to be an effective spy, and how to use binary code encrypted in needlepoint to send coded messages. Still, I found my mind drifting at times, and thought more than once that if I had been reading this as a hard copy book, I probably would have given up. But the audio performers do a lovely job of pulling the listener along on this fantastic voyage, in much the same way that a really good Shakespearean actor can make you understand the meaning of what is being said, even if you don't comprehend every word.
3 people found this helpful