The Confusion - Critical Reception

Critical Reception

Again, like Quicksilver, reviewers of Confusion were impressed by its quality, some noting the greater complexity and others its more action oriented approach. Andrew Leonard of Salon.com noted that Confusion moved much faster than Quicksilver did, not getting bogged down in an overwhelming amount of detail. Again, though, he notes that Stephenson is willing to go into excess on certain ideas, developing some plot twists in exhaustive detail. On the other hand, David Larsen of the New Zealand Herald noted "The title is a praiseworthy piece of truth in advertising." His overall commentary on the piece notes how overly complicated the plot was, drawing heavily on the complexity developed in Quicksilver. Yet still discussing his interest and appreciation of the story he wrote "but don't be deterred. Bring on volume three."