215 reviews for:

The Fifth Head of Cerberus

Gene Wolfe

3.95 AVERAGE

conradfl's review against another edition

5.0

adventurous challenging mysterious reflective slow-paced

eachuisgereads's review against another edition

4.5

adventurous challenging dark mysterious slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: N/A

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An interesting, challenging read, the kind of sci-fi that never really "resolves", never really explains itself, but in the best possible way - unknowable, un-understandable but somehow crystal clear. Three slightly linked stories that paint an alien world with hidden mysteries, shape-shifters, lies and truths, body modification. 

fanbogle's review against another edition

4.5

challenging mysterious slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

cbaalke's review against another edition

4.75

challenging mysterious reflective slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

sophiamaks's review against another edition

4.0

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I was not really getting this book until VRT, especially with the second story but VRT pulls everything together so beautifully and intelligently. There is a lot of symbolism that I still probably don’t really understand but I enjoyed this a lot more than I thought I would.

tokeen's review against another edition

5.0

adventurous challenging dark mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

laeral's review against another edition

4.25

adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced

raaycwh's review against another edition

4.5

adventurous mysterious reflective slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

dknippling's review against another edition

5.0

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So. I've read the opening novella several times, but this is my first time through the whole book.

--Probably this is not the place to start. I'd go with the Best of Gene Wolfe collection or An Evil Guest.
--I don't think it's connected to the Solar Cycle but I'm not married to the idea.
--I think a base concept might be, "Humanity rediscovers the fae." I think the shadow children are or partake of the fae, either literally or figuratively, and have kept psychic abilities that earthly humans have lost but atavistically remember.

thejjgoodman's review against another edition

5.0

challenging mysterious reflective slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated