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3.84 AVERAGE
3.84 AVERAGE
adventurous
inspiring
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Between this and the first part of the Book of the New Sun I've gained an understanding of how to appreciate Gene Wolfe without completely appreciating him myself. He's an excellent manipulator of his reader, but it still discomfits me to be so manipulated. I'm not left wanting more, because I fear the clarity I crave from his opacity will never come. And that in itself is not a problem or weakness of his style, but of me. Definitely a cult classic author. In conceit and evocation of a Greece I've studied fairly well, this is amazing. But Wolfe is harder to love than he is to appreciate. I will surely read more, but I'm left in no rush.
What a fascinating fantasy read. Wolfe really is a master at manipulating narrative. The use of “the unreliable narrator” here is exquisite. The main character cannot remember anything that happens more than about one full 24 hour cycle ago. This leads to all kinds of interesting scenarios that are often a puzzle for the reader and character alike.
Not to mention the huge swath of Roman/Greek culture and mythology we get reading this. There is so much ground covered in these pages and it can be hard to keep up without a reference point, but well worth the effort.
Not to mention the huge swath of Roman/Greek culture and mythology we get reading this. There is so much ground covered in these pages and it can be hard to keep up without a reference point, but well worth the effort.
Beautiful, often dreamlike in a staccato way. The translated names and epithets for the gods give it a more fantastical veneer than I expected, and I would've been totally lost for many of them without reading The Metamorphoses.
Latro was quite strange, sometimes simple and childlike, other times able to debate theology with Pausanias. I suppose the two aren't contradictory.
The ancient world is depicted so smoothly, without exposition, strange in so many ways to us, from the relations of city-states, to the ubiquity of slavery, to the role of sacrifice. Absolutely beautiful.
The triple goddess stuff sounds slightly ahistorical, but my knowledge of Greek religion isnt that deep to say whether it is or isn't.
Standout moments were Latro remembering the Lar and his mother, and Latro's encounter with Demeter/Gaea in the woods.
Latro was quite strange, sometimes simple and childlike, other times able to debate theology with Pausanias. I suppose the two aren't contradictory.
The ancient world is depicted so smoothly, without exposition, strange in so many ways to us, from the relations of city-states, to the ubiquity of slavery, to the role of sacrifice. Absolutely beautiful.
The triple goddess stuff sounds slightly ahistorical, but my knowledge of Greek religion isnt that deep to say whether it is or isn't.
Standout moments were Latro remembering the Lar and his mother, and Latro's encounter with Demeter/Gaea in the woods.
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
challenging
dark
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I confess I've always been afraid that Gene Wolfe would be a little beyond me. I'm not a subtle reader, and symbolism and various other literary devices are mostly closed books to me. But I've decided not to worry about that anymore, and just to read and enjoy his books in any way I can. Because there's a lot to enjoy here. And I can look up reviews and analyses to fill in the bits I missed.
First, the writing is gorgeous. Reading prose like this is just so satisfying. It's the story of Latro, the Roman mercenary who fought for Xerxes. Latro received a head injury that affected his memory. He doesn't remember his past, and his short-term memory is about 24 hours long. He carries a scroll with him, and writes down the events of each day. He also sees and interacts with pagan gods and mythological creatures.
Latro is on a journey to find his home and friends. He meets an interesting assortment of people along the way. It's interesting and compelling reading. Be warned though - starting this book is a little like hitting the first volume of Patrick O'Brian's Aubrey/Maturin series. There are lots of words and terms that aren't familiar to most modern readers. Carry on through, looking up words as needed.
Good stuff.
First, the writing is gorgeous. Reading prose like this is just so satisfying. It's the story of Latro, the Roman mercenary who fought for Xerxes. Latro received a head injury that affected his memory. He doesn't remember his past, and his short-term memory is about 24 hours long. He carries a scroll with him, and writes down the events of each day. He also sees and interacts with pagan gods and mythological creatures.
Latro is on a journey to find his home and friends. He meets an interesting assortment of people along the way. It's interesting and compelling reading. Be warned though - starting this book is a little like hitting the first volume of Patrick O'Brian's Aubrey/Maturin series. There are lots of words and terms that aren't familiar to most modern readers. Carry on through, looking up words as needed.
Good stuff.
An interesting read with lots of striking visuals and a great concept. Just couldn’t shake the feeling that I was missing out and not getting references/connections, probably because of my severe lack of history knowledge.
challenging
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced