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3.92 AVERAGE
3.92 AVERAGE
adventurous
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Second read for me, much further along in sf&fnal maturity. It's still good! In some ways better with more context (and more experience with Wolfe's style), in some ways not the 5-star masterpiece I thought at first.
This is the first half of the quartet of books that follow Severian, journeyman to the guild of torturers, through a dying earth ("Urth") and eventually to the throne of the Autarchy itself–not exactly a spoiler there. The fun parts are the worldbuilding method–Wolfe is a "translator" of the "future writings" called The Book of the New Sun, so he chooses real (if archaic) words to describe things rather than make up fantasy ones. He (as "translator") makes clear in his Translator's Notes that these descriptions are inevitably wrong, as the ground truth of what they mean was unclear to him: are there really sabre-toothed cats (genus Smilodon) on the far-future Urth, or merely creatures like the prehistoric beasts? And that's just one example. Adding to the fun is Severian's relative ignorance about the technology of his world. He thinks it operates at a more or less medieval level, but at the same time there's clearly some wacky shit going on and it's maybe/maybe not mere "magic."
The second fun part is Severian's "perfect memory" - ha! He repeatedly boasts of and bemoans his inability to forget anything he observes, but Wolfe (the author, not the "translator") gives us pretty much every reason to doubt: Severian might be insane, he might be a liar, he might be telling the truth but inattentive to the point that it makes no difference, etc.
Aside from those things, the actual tale is fairly straightforward sf&f bildungsroman, so it gets by on the quality of the writing and the fun stylistic quirks. I'd say it succeeds over the equivalent in Jack Vance's Dying Earth stories, i.e., the Cugel saga, but for quick-punch dying-earth worldbuilding Vance beats out this half with stories like "Mazirian the Magician."
What's puzzling to me is how much effort people put into cataloging every possible literary reference that Wolfe might have used: there are multiple "guides" and "concordances" to The Book of the New Sun but I really don't understand why. Although, I remember that the back half of the tetralogy gets really weird so maybe that's why? But aside from a close analysis of what's Severian's deal with memory, or a fun but superfluous exercise in trying to locate Nessus, Gyoll, Ascia, the House Absolute, etc. on a modern-day map, does it matter that such and such a scene parallels Charles Dickens? Couldn't you do that for a lot of books?
Anyway, 3.5 stars rounded up. Good stuff.
This is the first half of the quartet of books that follow Severian, journeyman to the guild of torturers, through a dying earth ("Urth") and eventually to the throne of the Autarchy itself–not exactly a spoiler there. The fun parts are the worldbuilding method–Wolfe is a "translator" of the "future writings" called The Book of the New Sun, so he chooses real (if archaic) words to describe things rather than make up fantasy ones. He (as "translator") makes clear in his Translator's Notes that these descriptions are inevitably wrong, as the ground truth of what they mean was unclear to him: are there really sabre-toothed cats (genus Smilodon) on the far-future Urth, or merely creatures like the prehistoric beasts? And that's just one example. Adding to the fun is Severian's relative ignorance about the technology of his world. He thinks it operates at a more or less medieval level, but at the same time there's clearly some wacky shit going on and it's maybe/maybe not mere "magic."
The second fun part is Severian's "perfect memory" - ha! He repeatedly boasts of and bemoans his inability to forget anything he observes, but Wolfe (the author, not the "translator") gives us pretty much every reason to doubt: Severian might be insane, he might be a liar, he might be telling the truth but inattentive to the point that it makes no difference, etc.
Aside from those things, the actual tale is fairly straightforward sf&f bildungsroman, so it gets by on the quality of the writing and the fun stylistic quirks. I'd say it succeeds over the equivalent in Jack Vance's Dying Earth stories, i.e., the Cugel saga, but for quick-punch dying-earth worldbuilding Vance beats out this half with stories like "Mazirian the Magician."
What's puzzling to me is how much effort people put into cataloging every possible literary reference that Wolfe might have used: there are multiple "guides" and "concordances" to The Book of the New Sun but I really don't understand why. Although, I remember that the back half of the tetralogy gets really weird so maybe that's why? But aside from a close analysis of what's Severian's deal with memory, or a fun but superfluous exercise in trying to locate Nessus, Gyoll, Ascia, the House Absolute, etc. on a modern-day map, does it matter that such and such a scene parallels Charles Dickens? Couldn't you do that for a lot of books?
Anyway, 3.5 stars rounded up. Good stuff.
challenging
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
adventurous
challenging
dark
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark as the dimming sun, and just as strange. appropriate for something properly titled, in part, 'the shadow of the torturer.' i was compelled to speed read this one, and i think my experience suffered for it. a book i think would benefit from a future revisit, should i ever find the time.
How do you even begin to go about reviewing a book like Book of the New Sun? I’m seriously struggling. Let’s pare it down some very basic questions then; did I actually enjoy reading this book? No, can’t say that I did. Despite the undeniably effective and powerful prose, the minute-to-minute experience of reading it is frustrating, and the overall impression is disjointed, meandering, incomplete and confusing. This may very well be a consequence of the structure of the series; this book contains volumes 1 & 2 of the 5-part series, so perhaps expecting conclusions or even clarifications is a bit much to ask. But I might at least like to have some idea of what is going on by this point. I am at least so frustrated and intrigued that I will be reading the next collected book (volumes 3 & 4) in the hope that anything is explained. If this does turn out to be the case though, I might lay blame at the publishers; a story that so clearly needs to be read as a single unit should perhaps not be split up and sold separately.
We follow the bizarre adventures of Severian the apprentice torturer, exiled from the torturer’s guild for falling in love with a prisoner. As part of his exile, he is instructed to go to the northern town of Thrax and take up residence there, so he dutifully sets off. In these volumes though, he never reaches it; he is waylaid by a series of strange occurrences, coincidences, and strange characters that reappear and may or may not be disguised as other characters. The whole thing is shrouded in an air of mystery, or at the very least of deep confusion- the events really do seem to happen as non-sequiturs, one bizarre thing happening after another and driving us through this strange world with an almost fairy-tale like unlogic. It does feel fairy-tale like in a lot of ways, and you keep expecting to find the ‘moral’ or the ‘point’ underneath it all, but it remains elusive to the very last page. I won’t say until the end, as the book very much does not end but rather just stops, to-be-continued.
The world that we’re in is interesting, but no more so than many other fantasies or sci-fis. On its face, it is presented as very much a fantasy adventure. Severian the torturer, apprentice of the high tower in the old citadel, surrounded by an ancient city; who sets out across the land, epic sword in hand etc etc. But just beneath the surface we can see that the world we’re inhabiting is actually a far-future earth, as the sun itself has reached the latter stages of its life. Humanity clearly had access to interstellar travel and all kinds of futuristic tech, but much of that is lost, or no longer understood by the common person of the time. Given that the book is written from Severian’s perspective, it makes sense then that all of this tech is couched in the pseudo-fantastical language, leaving the readers much work to do to figure out what exactly we’re looking at.
That’s the crux of it then; the reader has much work to do to figure out what exactly we’re looking at, what’s happening, who’s who, what means what and how relevant any of it is. There’s a strong chance that some of this struggle will be rewarded in later books of the series, but for now I’m just left with a bit of a headache. I don’t mind having to figure out what’s going on, but generally I want to be inspired to do so; here the surface-level plot is just not that interesting or engaging, so I’m very much left wondering what the point of any of it is. If your narrator is so unreliable, and your plot so disconnected that literally anything could happen on the next page and I wouldn’t be surprised; what stakes are left? If your characters are uninspiring and all of your women exist purely to be objects of sexual desire, what emotional hooks do I have to latch on to? Compare to my recent favourite read; Terra Ignota by Ada Palmer. In large part I’m reading BotNS because they cite it as inspiration for their series. While I can definitely see the similarities and elements that have been inspirational; in Terra Ignota the surface level story itself is fascinating and packed with interesting characters, and the world is so cleverly constructed that I want to figure out everything that’s going on- this distinction is key. I want to figure it out, rather than I have to, and there’s still joy to be had without caring about the deeper levels. Maybe at the time it was written, BotNS could produce that same kind of joy for its average reader, but these days I need a little bit more than romping across a fantasy land seducing all the women.
Ultimately a deeply frustrating book, constantly torturing the reader with the impression of deeper levels whilst refusing to commit to anything coherent. But it can give a lot to think about. And I’m going to read the continuation, in the vague hopes that the payoff could possibly make this slog worth it.
We follow the bizarre adventures of Severian the apprentice torturer, exiled from the torturer’s guild for falling in love with a prisoner. As part of his exile, he is instructed to go to the northern town of Thrax and take up residence there, so he dutifully sets off. In these volumes though, he never reaches it; he is waylaid by a series of strange occurrences, coincidences, and strange characters that reappear and may or may not be disguised as other characters. The whole thing is shrouded in an air of mystery, or at the very least of deep confusion- the events really do seem to happen as non-sequiturs, one bizarre thing happening after another and driving us through this strange world with an almost fairy-tale like unlogic. It does feel fairy-tale like in a lot of ways, and you keep expecting to find the ‘moral’ or the ‘point’ underneath it all, but it remains elusive to the very last page. I won’t say until the end, as the book very much does not end but rather just stops, to-be-continued.
The world that we’re in is interesting, but no more so than many other fantasies or sci-fis. On its face, it is presented as very much a fantasy adventure. Severian the torturer, apprentice of the high tower in the old citadel, surrounded by an ancient city; who sets out across the land, epic sword in hand etc etc. But just beneath the surface we can see that the world we’re inhabiting is actually a far-future earth, as the sun itself has reached the latter stages of its life. Humanity clearly had access to interstellar travel and all kinds of futuristic tech, but much of that is lost, or no longer understood by the common person of the time. Given that the book is written from Severian’s perspective, it makes sense then that all of this tech is couched in the pseudo-fantastical language, leaving the readers much work to do to figure out what exactly we’re looking at.
That’s the crux of it then; the reader has much work to do to figure out what exactly we’re looking at, what’s happening, who’s who, what means what and how relevant any of it is. There’s a strong chance that some of this struggle will be rewarded in later books of the series, but for now I’m just left with a bit of a headache. I don’t mind having to figure out what’s going on, but generally I want to be inspired to do so; here the surface-level plot is just not that interesting or engaging, so I’m very much left wondering what the point of any of it is. If your narrator is so unreliable, and your plot so disconnected that literally anything could happen on the next page and I wouldn’t be surprised; what stakes are left? If your characters are uninspiring and all of your women exist purely to be objects of sexual desire, what emotional hooks do I have to latch on to? Compare to my recent favourite read; Terra Ignota by Ada Palmer. In large part I’m reading BotNS because they cite it as inspiration for their series. While I can definitely see the similarities and elements that have been inspirational; in Terra Ignota the surface level story itself is fascinating and packed with interesting characters, and the world is so cleverly constructed that I want to figure out everything that’s going on- this distinction is key. I want to figure it out, rather than I have to, and there’s still joy to be had without caring about the deeper levels. Maybe at the time it was written, BotNS could produce that same kind of joy for its average reader, but these days I need a little bit more than romping across a fantasy land seducing all the women.
Ultimately a deeply frustrating book, constantly torturing the reader with the impression of deeper levels whilst refusing to commit to anything coherent. But it can give a lot to think about. And I’m going to read the continuation, in the vague hopes that the payoff could possibly make this slog worth it.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
The Shadow of the Torturer: Apprentice torturer Severian shows mercy for an imprisoned woman and helps her commit suicide rather than endure weeks of torture. For his crimes, Severian is sentenced to travel too the village of Thrax and take up the post of carnifex. Will Severian make it to Thrax alive?
The Shadow of the Torturer isn't your grandmother's fantasy. The tale of Severian isn't the hopeful quest story that's been written and re-written umpteen times in the past fifty years. The setting reminds me of Jack Vance's Dying Earth but much more developed and with the specter of space opera hanging in the background. Gene Wolfe takes the bare bones of the standard quest story and clothes it with literary merit, from the unreliable narrator, Severian, to references to classic works. The scene in the necropolis near the beginning is straight out of Great Expectations. Or straight out of Great Expectations if Pip was an apprentice torturer and helped Magwitch in a fight rather than fetch him a file...
Wolfe's writing is baroque and reminds me of the New Weird authors like China Mieville. The Book of the New Sun definitely isn't a beach read. Be prepared to divine the meaning of words from the context.
Apart from Severian, the cast isn't all that developed, but then, the unreliable narrator should probably be the center of attention. Dr. Talos and Baldanders steal the show with what little screen time they're given.
That's about all I can say without giving too much away. The world Wolfe has built is full of fresh ideas. How many other books do you know that feature two men fighting with flowers with razor sharp leaves?
The Claw of the Conciliator: Severian's journey to Thrax continues and his path brings him into contact with both friend and foe. Will he ever make it to Thrax?
Claw of the Conciliator continues Severian's rise from apprentice torturer to eventual Autarch. Wolfe's inventiveness grows as Severian encounters man-apes, a giantess, witches, an androgyne who might be The Autarch, a giantess, and many other interesting characters, including Dr. Talos and company. More is revealed about the Claw of the Conciliator, though much mystery remains. I get the feeling a lot of secrets are still lurking in the background.
One aspect of The Book of the New Sun I really enjoy is how Gene Wolfe has a lot of sci-fi elements lurking in the background, like aliens, wormholes and the true nature of Jonas, and the casual mention of what might in fact be laser guns. Wolfe's a sly one.
I don't want to spoil too much but I enjoyed Claw more than Shadow, possibly because I was used to Wolfe's style. While I felt like I was still in the dark, Wolfe knows how to reveal just enough to keep you firmly ensnared. Like Severian says, it's a hard road. I can't wait to see where it finally leads.
2012 Note: I went ahead and bumped this up to a 5. I'm not sure if it deserves it but I still catch myself thinking about this book almost a year after I finished it.
The Shadow of the Torturer isn't your grandmother's fantasy. The tale of Severian isn't the hopeful quest story that's been written and re-written umpteen times in the past fifty years. The setting reminds me of Jack Vance's Dying Earth but much more developed and with the specter of space opera hanging in the background. Gene Wolfe takes the bare bones of the standard quest story and clothes it with literary merit, from the unreliable narrator, Severian, to references to classic works. The scene in the necropolis near the beginning is straight out of Great Expectations. Or straight out of Great Expectations if Pip was an apprentice torturer and helped Magwitch in a fight rather than fetch him a file...
Wolfe's writing is baroque and reminds me of the New Weird authors like China Mieville. The Book of the New Sun definitely isn't a beach read. Be prepared to divine the meaning of words from the context.
Apart from Severian, the cast isn't all that developed, but then, the unreliable narrator should probably be the center of attention. Dr. Talos and Baldanders steal the show with what little screen time they're given.
That's about all I can say without giving too much away. The world Wolfe has built is full of fresh ideas. How many other books do you know that feature two men fighting with flowers with razor sharp leaves?
The Claw of the Conciliator: Severian's journey to Thrax continues and his path brings him into contact with both friend and foe. Will he ever make it to Thrax?
Claw of the Conciliator continues Severian's rise from apprentice torturer to eventual Autarch. Wolfe's inventiveness grows as Severian encounters man-apes, a giantess, witches, an androgyne who might be The Autarch, a giantess, and many other interesting characters, including Dr. Talos and company. More is revealed about the Claw of the Conciliator, though much mystery remains. I get the feeling a lot of secrets are still lurking in the background.
One aspect of The Book of the New Sun I really enjoy is how Gene Wolfe has a lot of sci-fi elements lurking in the background, like aliens, wormholes and the true nature of Jonas, and the casual mention of what might in fact be laser guns. Wolfe's a sly one.
Spoiler
My favorite part, by far, is the bit with the alzabo and Severian injesting a piece of Thecla's flesh and experiencing her memories. I suspect this will continue to reverberate through the next two books.I don't want to spoil too much but I enjoyed Claw more than Shadow, possibly because I was used to Wolfe's style. While I felt like I was still in the dark, Wolfe knows how to reveal just enough to keep you firmly ensnared. Like Severian says, it's a hard road. I can't wait to see where it finally leads.
2012 Note: I went ahead and bumped this up to a 5. I'm not sure if it deserves it but I still catch myself thinking about this book almost a year after I finished it.