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3.95 AVERAGE
3.95 AVERAGE
Gene Wolfe stories checklist
* Person isn't a person
* Thing isn't what the reader thinks it is
* "it's another planettttttttt"
* Woman = sex?
* old timey language but about spaceships
* Person isn't a person
* Thing isn't what the reader thinks it is
* "it's another planettttttttt"
* Woman = sex?
* old timey language but about spaceships
challenging
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The book was horrible. 3 short stories with a core question that is explored in such an obtuse way as to be a waste of paper. I literally fell asleep reading this at every sitting. Run on sentences and intangible ideas.
I found the first story very good, but a little boring and not very credible in the mix of 19th century+future (in the New Sun series there are good reasons to make that believable, but here they are not). The second story is utterly uninteresting and unreadable; the third just very boring.
I love GW in his Sun series, but this book was a big let-down for me.
I love GW in his Sun series, but this book was a big let-down for me.
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This is a set of three interlocking novella's that all have different framing devices and "main characters."
As Wolfe's first work (we don't talk about Operation Ares) It really showcases the way in which he overlays layers of perception and memory to obfuscate, which *requires* careful consideration by the reader in order to understand what he's getting at with the story. Its definitely not for the faint of heart.
Also, because it's simply a brutal, disgusting, and sad story. The extent of positive emotion that might be garnered from this book straight up runs out after the first novella, and after that it's simply a dark dark dark post-colonial tale of oppression and misery.
My only problem is that I haven't been able to definitively pin down the truth behind all the clockwork, and neither has any of the numerous smart people that've written on the subject, which leaves the whole thing feeling a little unfinished. Regardless, it's a technical masterpiece of writing and worldbuilding and gives a strong rebuttal to the shiny "space colonization" thread of sci-fi works that were popular during the golden age.
As Wolfe's first work (we don't talk about Operation Ares) It really showcases the way in which he overlays layers of perception and memory to obfuscate, which *requires* careful consideration by the reader in order to understand what he's getting at with the story. Its definitely not for the faint of heart.
Also, because it's simply a brutal, disgusting, and sad story. The extent of positive emotion that might be garnered from this book straight up runs out after the first novella, and after that it's simply a dark dark dark post-colonial tale of oppression and misery.
My only problem is that I haven't been able to definitively pin down the truth behind all the clockwork, and neither has any of the numerous smart people that've written on the subject, which leaves the whole thing feeling a little unfinished. Regardless, it's a technical masterpiece of writing and worldbuilding and gives a strong rebuttal to the shiny "space colonization" thread of sci-fi works that were popular during the golden age.
challenging
funny
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
From a pure writing standpoint this book is excellent. It'll probably end up at closer to a 4.5 once I figure out what the hell is going on.
Cool and interesting tripartite story that doesn't spoonfeed the reader. Simplistic, amoral characters keep TFHoC tethered to the genre, although I found the effect more nostalgic than boring: this isn't a sanitized narrative made for a Hollywood movie. That said, I did get some 3 Women/Mulholland Drive vibes from the unreliable points of view and open-ended conclusions.
Gene Wolfe is unbelievably good. It's too bad those who dismiss SF as silly genre fiction won't get a chance to read him, especially this book.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I don't feel that I have much to say that can really add to the already extensive conversation regarding this book's merits; I'll just say that I gave it the four stars because I felt that the second of the three novellas in the book dragged a bit (in spite of its short length) and because in general I just didn't get quite as much out of this book as I was hoping to. Saying something like that about a Gene Wolfe book is just inviting people to tell you you missed something or didn't get it, and that may be the case, but either way I just didn't have my mind blown by this book the way a lot of people seem to have their minds blown by it. It certainly made me want to read more of Wolfe's books, and I have no doubt that I'll be rereading it some time not too far in the future, I just didn't find any of the books central mysteries and revelations to be that captivating. Much like Delany's "Empire Star," this book is an intellectually satisfying puzzle whose characterization and emotional core leave something to be desired.