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3.92 AVERAGE
3.92 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book is actually two books in one: The Shadow of the Torturer and The Claw of the Conciliator, but I'll review them as one.
This is a very good book that demands an attentive reading. Gene Wolfe uses an unreliable narrator who may or may not be intentionally omitting or changing certain story elements. The world in which the tale unfolds is Earth in the far future, a surreal world brought to life through the vivid descriptions and use of obscure words such as fuligin and cacogen (bring a good English dictionary and be prepare to Google a lot).
The narrative is not completely linear. The tale is told by Severian and he doesn't always tell us everything or even in the order it happened. Some events and / or people introduced early in the proceedings are only fully explained later. All this makes for a very rewarding reading if that's your thing. If you want a more linear and simple prose, this ain't it. Shadow and Claw demands a lot from the reader and it isn't always willing to provide all the answers. The reader must infer or extrapolate some of it and much is open to interpretation.
This is a very good book that demands an attentive reading. Gene Wolfe uses an unreliable narrator who may or may not be intentionally omitting or changing certain story elements. The world in which the tale unfolds is Earth in the far future, a surreal world brought to life through the vivid descriptions and use of obscure words such as fuligin and cacogen (bring a good English dictionary and be prepare to Google a lot).
The narrative is not completely linear. The tale is told by Severian and he doesn't always tell us everything or even in the order it happened. Some events and / or people introduced early in the proceedings are only fully explained later. All this makes for a very rewarding reading if that's your thing. If you want a more linear and simple prose, this ain't it. Shadow and Claw demands a lot from the reader and it isn't always willing to provide all the answers. The reader must infer or extrapolate some of it and much is open to interpretation.
The most beautifully written sci-fi novel I’ve read in my life. Every single word written constantly hints at something larger than the world itself, every aspect satisfies all of my wants and needs for a book series
challenging
slow-paced
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
My first intro to science fantasy did not disappoint. I found myself trying to understand the puzzle that is Urth, and instead found it better to keep on reading (and re-reading) passages that have no meaning. I can’t wait to continue Severian’s journey with the last half of the BoTNS
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
