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A review by joshsharp
The Shadow of the Torturer by Gene Wolfe
3.0
I don't really get the appeal. Although I have read and enjoyed some fantasy lately, after this one I'm thinking I should go back to sci-fi.
This is a book that takes itself very seriously. It even has an appendix where the author claims he didn't write it himself, but translated this account from the future into English, hence needing to use some very archaic words that matched best, and some made up ones. I mean, come on. I think taking yourself so seriously only works if the reader can suspend disbelief and "buy in" to the conceit, and I couldn't.
It is written in a very wordy style overall, and the mix of many archaic words and many made up ones meant I spent a lot of time highlighting for definitions, with only maybe a 30% success rate. It was annoying not knowing which words I was supposed to know and which weren't real.
My main issue, though, was the so-called plot. It's really just a string of scenarios in chronological order. The protagonist seems to lack any motivation (except maybe "hot chicks"), and almost without fail he merely reacts to one event after another. He does not seem to be striving for any goal, merely going along with things and choosing a response. This is frustrating to read! It wasn't until late in the story that I could put name to this issue; I spent most of the book just being vaguely dissatisfied.
Finally, every woman in the book must have her appearance remarked upon, and must be judged by it, and must be either an object of desire or someone who desires the protagonist. I'm not kidding. Literally every female character. And of course he has his way with maybe half of them. Every mention of "high, perfect breasts" or "voluptuous beauty" made me roll my eyes so hard I think I broke something. Sure, it's old, maybe he didn't know any better, but the end result is ridiculous.
You might think this is too negative a review for a 3-star rating, and that's true. These points are balanced by some interesting situations and fairly decent writing. It's not terrible, just not without some huge flaws.
I won't be continuing the series.
This is a book that takes itself very seriously. It even has an appendix where the author claims he didn't write it himself, but translated this account from the future into English, hence needing to use some very archaic words that matched best, and some made up ones. I mean, come on. I think taking yourself so seriously only works if the reader can suspend disbelief and "buy in" to the conceit, and I couldn't.
It is written in a very wordy style overall, and the mix of many archaic words and many made up ones meant I spent a lot of time highlighting for definitions, with only maybe a 30% success rate. It was annoying not knowing which words I was supposed to know and which weren't real.
My main issue, though, was the so-called plot. It's really just a string of scenarios in chronological order. The protagonist seems to lack any motivation (except maybe "hot chicks"), and almost without fail he merely reacts to one event after another. He does not seem to be striving for any goal, merely going along with things and choosing a response. This is frustrating to read! It wasn't until late in the story that I could put name to this issue; I spent most of the book just being vaguely dissatisfied.
Finally, every woman in the book must have her appearance remarked upon, and must be judged by it, and must be either an object of desire or someone who desires the protagonist. I'm not kidding. Literally every female character. And of course he has his way with maybe half of them. Every mention of "high, perfect breasts" or "voluptuous beauty" made me roll my eyes so hard I think I broke something. Sure, it's old, maybe he didn't know any better, but the end result is ridiculous.
You might think this is too negative a review for a 3-star rating, and that's true. These points are balanced by some interesting situations and fairly decent writing. It's not terrible, just not without some huge flaws.
I won't be continuing the series.