Book of the New Sun (Fantasy Masterworks 02) (Vol 1) [Paperback]

Be careful. The first time I attempted reading this book, on the recommendation of a friend, I read a few chapters and finally stopped. I was expecting something else. A fellowship on a quest? Swords and sorcery in full technicolor? A straightforward, but dark, fantasy tale of the future? I'm not sure. It just didn't do it for me though. It seemed to meander without going anywhere!

MONTHS later, I still found this little snippet of book nagging at me. Something there...something deep, dark, and mysterious. Colors, sounds, tastes. Something beautiful, but overwhelmingly sad.

"The play's the thing"

It dawned on me that I had to drop whatever it was that I was reading at the time, and start again and read it without distractions, without assumptions, without trying to shoehorn it into my idea of what a fantasy novel should be. Just let it flow. I am so glad I did.

My advice is to just read it and open your mind [possible (small) spoilers below].

If you don't get chills when Severian dreams his dog is alive again and is sleeping next to him in the field, and he awakes, and finds that it really might have happened...

If you don't smile when you realize the ancient "painting" (perhaps millions of years old) that he sees of a knight in a desert with a visor of gold and a strange stiff banner is probably of Neil Armstrong...

If you aren't shocked at the real relationship between Dr. Talos and Baldanders...

If you find yourself wondering if Severian is actually telling the truth...or maybe he is completely insane?...

etc. etc. etc.

No, it's not for everyone. Try it though. If it is "for you", you'll be so relieved that you experienced it in your lifetime.

Have you ever read one of those books that you keep thinking about a year after first reading it, until you find yourself cracking it open to read it again? This is one of those books, and on a second read it is every bit as enjoyable as the first. Through the eyes of Severian the torturer, we see a far-future Earth under a dying sun, where we encounter a variety of interesting people and strange creatures. We witness Severian's rise from apprentice to journeyman in the guild of torturers, see him banished from his home, and follow him on his journey to a new life in a distant village. Wolfe's prose and diction are often archaic but always beautiful, and his characterization and story development are brilliant. Don't go into this expecting light reading. Severian is a liar. His world is unfamiliar to us, but familar to him. For this reason, he is not going to waste words telling us a great deal about ancient history, which for us has yet to happen. If we are careful readers, we will understand certain things about Severian's world better than he leads us to believe he understands them himself.

Beware of those reviewers who would have you believe that this book is anything less than great. I have seen some say that the writing is dull; they didn't read the same book that I read. Some say that it is full of events that don't advance the plot; Severian tells us nothing that is unimportant. Many people don't pay attention when they read, which I suspect is the reason that those people don't understand a book such as this one (remember that your narrator is a liar). Wolfe is going to make you work, but he rewards you for it. Wolfe has been called the best writer alive, and after reading this beautiful story, I find it hard to believe that anyone would disagree.

SWORD AND CITADEL is an omnibus containing the second half of Gene Wolfe's four-volume work The Book of the New Sun, the novels THE SWORD OF THE LICTOR and THE CITADEL OF THE AUTARCH. The Book of the New Sun, a work in which science and myth, mystery and enlightment mix, is one of the finest works of speculative fiction in the English language. Anyone who is not familiar with The Book of the New Sun is encouraged to read my review for SHADOW AND CLAW, the first half. Be aware that this Amazon listing describes the UK edition, which is inferior in typesetting and paper to the US edition published by Orb Books.

THE SWORD OF THE LICTOR marks an key point in the wanderings of the exile Severian. The volume begins a few weeks after he has arrived in the provincial town of Thrax, where he performs the duties of a lictor, a sort of double-duty jailer and executioner. Like his exile from the Guild which began the saga, here Severian is soon forced to flee Thrax because he has again shown mercy to a woman set for execution. Over the course of this book, he slowly loses all material comfort as he goes north through the wild and is eventually tempted by a diabolical figure from Urth's past. Obviously meant to symbolize Christ's fasting in the wilderness, SWORD provides through Severian a showing of imitation of Christ. The end of the novel shows Severian as a man who has cast off the role of torturer. THE SWORD OF THE LICTOR contains, as a reading from Severian's brown book, a curious story called "The Tale of the Boy Called Frog," in which the myth of the founding of Rome, the Jungle Book, and the Thanksgiving story have all been combined over the eons into a single tale. Lovers of digging up Wolfe's buried allusions will find a feast in this and other parts of SWORD.

THE CITADEL OF THE AUTARCH is the fourth and final volume of The Book of the New Sun. Severian arrives in the north country of Orythia, where the Commonwealth is waging its endless war against Ascia. Severian joins a group of irregulars who pitch in to the battle and eventually he encounters the Autarch, whose successor he becomes. Thus, Severian's claim that the Book of the New Sun is the long story of how he has "backed into the throne" is unfolded. The last portion of CITADEL tells of Severian's return to Nessus to claim the throne, and includes of four beautiful chapters. "The Corridors of Time" tells of Severian's annointing by the Hierodules that he may bring a New Sun to Urth. In "The Sand Garden" Severian experiences an epiphany besides Ocean that ranks among the most beautiful religious writing in history. In "The Key to the Universe," Severian recounts the secret history of Time given to him by the Hierodules where Wolfe has wonderfully meshed science and religion. Finally, the last chapter "Resurrection" is penned by Severian moments before he is to board the ship of the Hierodules in order to stand trial for Urth. It contains some suprising conclusions about his role in Time and ends with his returning to the first girl whom he loved.

The Book of the New Sun is a masterpiece, a poetic tale in which the reader is dazzled by Wolfe's style and entertained by his literary allusions. Once one has read SHADOW AND CLAW, the ombibus of the first two volumes, the second half SWORD AND CITADEL will continue to delight until the last word of Severian's saga and the "translator's" appendix.