A trilogy of brick-shaped paperback books: that is what the Neal Stephenson’s Baroque Cycle is. Having conquered it feels good. It’s been a part of my list at 43 things (which as of now only consists of 12 items, when the “Finish the Baroque Cycle” is checked off) for a long time.

Now I look forward to other reading accomplishments. Next up is another, less fictitious account: Gödel, Escher, Bach aka G.E.B. by a Douglas R. Hofstadter. It’s referenced in Stephenson’s earlier work, and I borrowed it from my good friend, the Fortran expert. “I never finished it,” he admitted. We’ll see how I fare, in meeting Hofstadter’s work.

**Update:** Review – If you read Cryptonomicon, and G.E.B. and feel like re-reading it, in an historical re-hash, then the Cycle is for you. (It was *for me*.)

**Update again**: [Thorbiörn](http://www.allconsuming.net/person/trurl) (in Stockholm, link to Allconsuming profile) has begun reading G.E.B. a week before me! [G.E.B. page at Allconsuming](http://www.allconsuming.net/item/view/14256).

**Update a third time (June 4, 2006):** [Peter Rukavina](http://ruk.ca/) was here in Copenhagen for a visit, saw my book said “My father had that book on his coffee-table, all of my childhood. I tried reading it, but it baffled me. You are most probably more equipped now, to enjoy it.”