Vous voulez voir cette page en fran�ais ? Cliquez ici.

12 used & new from CDN$ 5.50

Have one to sell? Sell yours here

Search inside another edition of this book

Litany of the Long Sun (Hardcover)

by Gene Wolfe (Author) "Enlightenment came to Patera Silk on the ball court; nothing could ever be the same after that ..." (more)

4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (12 customer reviews)

Available from these sellers.

3 new from CDN$ 29.95 9 used from CDN$ 5.50

Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

Epiphany of the Long Sun: The Second Half of 'The Book of the Long Sun'

by Gene Wolfe

4.0 out of 5 stars (10) CDN$ 16.07

The Urth of the New Sun

by Gene Wolfe

4.1 out of 5 stars (14) CDN$ 13.10

On Blue's Waters

by Gene Wolfe

4.8 out of 5 stars (26) CDN$ 13.64

Return to the Whorl: The Final Volume of 'The Book of the Short Sun'

by Gene Wolfe

4.6 out of 5 stars (16) CDN$ 16.78

In Green's Jungles: The Second Volume of 'The Book of the Short Sun'

by Gene Wolfe

4.4 out of 5 stars (14) CDN$ 16.05

› Explore similar items

Product Details

Hardcover: 496 pages
Publisher: Doubleday Books (January 1994)
ISBN-10: 1568650965
ISBN-13: 978-1568650968
Product Dimensions: 21.1 x 14 x 3.6 cm
Shipping Weight: 636 g

Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (12 customer reviews)

Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?

Product Description

From Amazon.com

Gene Wolfe's Book of the Long Sun tetralogy ranks as one of the greatest literary achievements of 20th-century science fiction. Litany of the Long Sun, comprising the first two books in the series, is suffused with looming transcendence and theophany. Wolfe takes familiar speculative fiction tropes and embeds them in a tale so complex and wonderful that readers may find themselves wondering whether what they're reading is science fiction, fantasy, or something different altogether. Or whether it matters.

The story of Patera Silk, a devout priest whose destiny is wrapped up with the gods he serves, takes place within the Whorl, a vast, cylindrical starship that has traveled for generations and is crumbling into disrepair. Through a strange and amazing series of events, Silk finds himself descending to base thievery, running afoul of a notorious crime lord, befriending a cyborg soldier, and encountering at least one of the gods of Mainframe.

She shook her head almost imperceptibly. "All that abstinence! And now you've seen a goddess. Me. Was it worth it?"
"Yes, Loving Kypris."
She laughed again, delighted. "Why?"
The question hung in the silence of the baking sellaria while Silk tried to kick his intellect awake. At last he said haltingly, "We are so much like beasts, Kypris. We eat and we breed; then we spawn and die. The most humble share in a higher existence is worth any sacrifice."

But when Silk encounters the Outsider, who may be a God of a very different sort, all his beliefs are shaken to the core, and his life swiftly takes a messianic turn. In a rousing climax, Silk becomes the reluctant leader of a political rebellion against the corrupt Ayuntamiento, who rule the city-state of Viron.

It is not necessary to have read Wolfe's Book of the New Sun series, which takes place many centuries earlier, to enjoy the Long Sun novels, but keen-eyed readers will find many clues as to the origin of the Whorl and its gods in those stories. Further, although Wolfe's reputation for literary precision and trickery is well deserved, the Long Sun series (which continues in Epiphany of the Long Sun) is one of the more accessible places to start appreciating the author's treasures. --Therese Littleton --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Inside This Book (Learn More)
Browse and search another edition of this book.

First Sentence
Enlightenment came to Patera Silk on the ball court; nothing could ever be the same after that. Read the first page

Explore More
Concordance

Browse Sample Pages
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover

Tag this product

(What's this?)

Think of a tag as a keyword or label you consider is strongly related to this product.
Tags will help all customers organize and find favorite items.

What do customers ultimately buy after viewing this item?

	36% buy Sword & Citadel: The Second Half of 'The Book of the New Sun' 4.4 out of 5 stars (27) CDN$ 13.83
	22% buy the item featured on this page: Litany of the Long Sun 4.0 out of 5 stars (12)
	22% buy Shadow & Claw: The First Half of 'The Book of the New Sun' 4.2 out of 5 stars (134) CDN$ 13.10
	21% buy The Urth of the New Sun 4.1 out of 5 stars (14) CDN$ 13.10

Explore similar items

Customer Reviews

12 Reviews

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

Average Customer Review

4.0 out of 5 stars (12 customer reviews)

Share your thoughts with other customers:

Create your own review

Most helpful customer reviews

3.0 out of 5 stars A Little Bit Long - A Lot Interesting, May 7 2004

By	Silas Traitor (The South, United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Litany Of The Long Sun: The First Half of The Book of the Long Sun (Paperback)

A young priest enlightened (or was it just a burst vessel?) by a being known only as the Outsider, sets out in the company of thieves and prostitutes (or are they?) to save his temple from demolition. Along the way he bumps shoulders with strange gods (but are they really?), tangles himself in political movements, and learns some deep mysteries about the place they call the Whorl. Just remember, nothing is exactly as it seems in a Gene Wolfe book.

All seven-hundred pages of the first half of this work take place in approximately four days. Wolfe doesn't write action adventures, so gird up your patience and be ready for some less than brisk, albeit highly interesting reading. Overall, the story is a quest: hero is burdened with a weighty task, goes off to fulfill objective, and gets tangled up with all sorts of crazy characters and strange adventures along the way. But with Wolfe, nothing is ever pat, easy to explain, or simple to understand. Be ready to take notes and still not know what just happened.

All in all, very interesting; very different. My largest gripe is that when I look back over what we learned in those seven-hundred pages, I think 'It didn't have to be so long.' I think maybe those silly editors fear using the big red pen on the Mighty Wolfe.

Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)

1.0 out of 5 stars Very disappointing for Sci Fi fans, Jul 17 2003

By	Wolfe Fan "craigtice" (Seattle, WA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Litany Of The Long Sun: The First Half of The Book of the Long Sun (Paperback)

After intensely enjoying the New Sun books and Wolfe's short stories I eagerly looked forward to these books only to see that (IMHO) Wolfe has gone completely over to the literary side. Hey, if you want to read beautiful prose then by all means buy this book. If you want to read some pseudo-philosophy then buy this book. If you want to read enjoyable Sci-Fi then look elsewhere.
What I enjoy about the New Sun books is Wolfe's ability to develop a wondrous universe filled with complex well developed characters with differing world views and some of the most beautiful and fascinating places ever described. What gets just a little tedious near the end is the author's desire to put forth his philosophy and morality. However, in the books of the Long Sun the Author has apparently gone from wanting to tell a story to wanting to tell us all about proper morality and it's consequenses and opportunities. Hey Gene, you're a terrific writer, there's no need for the morality plays.

Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)

5.0 out of 5 stars Liberating!, April 8 2002

By	RC "The Barbarian" (New York, New York United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Litany Of The Long Sun: The First Half of The Book of the Long Sun (Paperback)

The story is of Patera Silk, a devout priest whose future is enmeshed with the gods he serves, takes place within the Whorl, a giant, cylindrical starship that has traveled for generations and is faced with political rebellion and war. Through a series of strange events, Silk finds himself caught up in intrigue and espionage, running against a major crime lord, befriending a cyborg soldier, and encountering at least one of the gods of Mainframe. All of the characters are rich in detail and truly engaging. Oreb the talking bird is my favorite! The books of the Long Sun stand on their own but is also part of the universe of the books of the Short Sun.

The mysteries in the Book of the Long Sun are clear (though abstract at times, rewards the reader with repeated reading). THE LONG SUN gradually introduces a plot that will later shakeup the city of its setting and by the end of the four-volume work totally change the Whorl in which the characters live. The transformation of Silk from naive dogmatic priest to a secular authority of sophisitication is interesting and enlightening. These stories are a part of me and will stay with you too long after you've read them. HIGHLY RECOMMEND.

Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)

Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review

› See all 12 customer reviews...

Most recent customer reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars The first half of the superb Book of the Long Sun
LITANY OF THE LONG SUN contains the first two volumes of Gene Wolfe's four-volume The Book of the Long Sun. Read more

Published on Feb 26 2002 by Christopher Culver

5.0 out of 5 stars You'll remember the story long after
These books are just amazing. The author assumes you are intelligent and doesn't spell everything out for you -- sometimes you have to read between the lines to understand what is... Read more

Published on Jan 20 2002 by leeloo_1313

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautifully written, excellent story
About 6 months ago, I purchased the Book of the New Sun, and after plodding through Shadow and Claw, I lost my desire to continue reading it. Read more

Published on Dec 2 2001 by Tiradan

3.0 out of 5 stars So-so, but kind of slow reading
I've read and greatly enjoyed Wolfe's "New Sun" series. In that series, the writing is complex, but a lot of surprises are in store by the end of the series... Read more

Published on Jan 4 2001 by R. Cusolito