Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.95 AVERAGE
3.95 AVERAGE
challenging
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
challenging
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The third reading and I still find new things. Both about the book and myself.
challenging
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I loved this book. I don't have much to say about it. That's just the way it is with Gene Wolfe sometimes. It pains me to try and write a coherent review about a book that feels more like a mirage, or—considering The Fifth Head of Cerberus is a collection of three self-referential novellas—a reflection of a reflection of a reflection. Another reason I struggle to write about this book is that, in all honesty, I can hardly tell you what it's about. Does that mean I didn't pay attention? No, no. Anyone who says they have a full grasp on this book after their first read either used a guide or is lying. What I can tell you is: there is a colonial element to the story, a large mystery surrounding the ongoing existence of a native population of shapeshifters, something about twin planets and a vaguely psychopathic family of clones, and a whole bunch of myths. There is a lot of guessing about who characters really are throughout the three novellas, and it all sort of blends together into a loose narrative about identity, personhood, heritage, and the erasure of such things by the state (or at least that's how I interpreted it). I'm glad that I read the whole Solar Cycle before reading this because it prepared me for a lot of the tricks that Wolfe likes to play, especially regarding the hybridization of personalities that comes into play in the third novella.
In typical fashion, Gene Wolfe zooms right into the characters and leaves a lot of the worldbuilding details dangling in the periphery for the reader to grasp at. It can be frustrating at times to ground yourself in this book, but it's something he does intentionally to encourage the reader to put on their thinking cap. No author trusts the intelligence of their reader more than Wolfe does, and he is constantly overestimating mine; I have no shame in admitting that. Especially in the second novella, Wolfe just leaves so much information off of the page. It's a myth that seemed at first to have marginal relevance, and I actually struggled to push through it, but then I was rewarded by the third novella, which was amazingly constructed in itself but also recontextualized the previous story into something I now appreciate despite struggling through.
It is true what they say about rereading Wolfe, but I think The Fifth Head of Cerberus would probably benefit the most from a second or third read out of any other entry in the Solar Cycle. Maybe then I can give it a proper in-depth review. Until then, all I can say is, if you are a fan of Wolfe, this book will not disappoint you. It has all the hallmarks of what makes his Solar Cycle so great but in a really condensed form that will absolutely break your brain. And the best thing about Wolfe is that, despite his sadistic glee at prodding his readers through an impossible maze, his prose is just so damn enjoyable. Someone said that Wolfe's earlier prose was a lot more daring, and I have to agree. I was so blown away by some of the acrobatic sentences that even when I felt lost, I never stopped enjoying the act of reading. And that is why Gene Wolfe continues to maintain his spot as my favourite author.
In typical fashion, Gene Wolfe zooms right into the characters and leaves a lot of the worldbuilding details dangling in the periphery for the reader to grasp at. It can be frustrating at times to ground yourself in this book, but it's something he does intentionally to encourage the reader to put on their thinking cap. No author trusts the intelligence of their reader more than Wolfe does, and he is constantly overestimating mine; I have no shame in admitting that. Especially in the second novella, Wolfe just leaves so much information off of the page. It's a myth that seemed at first to have marginal relevance, and I actually struggled to push through it, but then I was rewarded by the third novella, which was amazingly constructed in itself but also recontextualized the previous story into something I now appreciate despite struggling through.
It is true what they say about rereading Wolfe, but I think The Fifth Head of Cerberus would probably benefit the most from a second or third read out of any other entry in the Solar Cycle. Maybe then I can give it a proper in-depth review. Until then, all I can say is, if you are a fan of Wolfe, this book will not disappoint you. It has all the hallmarks of what makes his Solar Cycle so great but in a really condensed form that will absolutely break your brain. And the best thing about Wolfe is that, despite his sadistic glee at prodding his readers through an impossible maze, his prose is just so damn enjoyable. Someone said that Wolfe's earlier prose was a lot more daring, and I have to agree. I was so blown away by some of the acrobatic sentences that even when I felt lost, I never stopped enjoying the act of reading. And that is why Gene Wolfe continues to maintain his spot as my favourite author.
If Book of the New Sun was Herman Melville's Adventure Time, this is more William Falkner's The Martian Chronicles, and I struggled with it a lot. Three novellas, all set on a human colony in the far future, where the indigenous inhabitants have all vanished - and there is evidence that perhaps they killed the humans on arrival, and replaced them, so completely that now they themselves have forgotten what they originally were. It's a fertile and profoundly spooky concept, and I think it was a smart choice not to face it head on. It comes up short next to BOTNS, though, on the question: if you're not staring your main theme in the eyes, what are you staring at? Unless you're following what's going on underneath the surface - which I sometimes was, and usually wasn't - FHOC seems to jump from scene to scene at random, and I struggled to feel at most moments what I'm actually here for.
Then again, Gene Wolfe always does write for the re-read, so I'm a bit loathe to pass too much judgement on any of his books after first reading. All I can say is that I finished Citadel of the Autarch with half a mind to immediately pick up Shadow of the Torturer again. But I also finished FHOC with half a mind to immediately pick up Shadow of the Torturer again.
Then again, Gene Wolfe always does write for the re-read, so I'm a bit loathe to pass too much judgement on any of his books after first reading. All I can say is that I finished Citadel of the Autarch with half a mind to immediately pick up Shadow of the Torturer again. But I also finished FHOC with half a mind to immediately pick up Shadow of the Torturer again.
dark
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
challenging
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Complex, thought-provoking. Speculative fiction that has the gravity of myth and the echoing symbolism of an epic poem. Sly slippery prose that confuses and delights.
challenging
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Some aspects of this story that I didn't truly get until after I was done with it and had sat on it for a while. I'll definitely need to reread this
Dream sequences are a huge pet peeve for me so I just could not handle this one. Love the concept, couldn’t continue.