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The Book of the New Sun #5
The Urth of the New Sun
The long awaited sequel to Gene Wolfe’s four-volume classic, The Book of the New Sun. We return to the world of Severian, now the Autarch of Urth, as he leaves the planet on one of the huge spaceships of the alien Hierodules to travel across time and space to face his greatest test, to become the legendary New Sun or die. The strange, rich, original spaceship scenes give way to travels in time, wherein Severian revisits times and places which fill in parts of the background of the four-volume work, that will thrill and intrigue particularly all readers of the earlier books. But The Urth of the New Sun is an independent structure all of a piece, an integral masterpiece to shelve beside the classics, one itself.
372 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1987
About the author
Gene Wolfe
513 books3,247 followersGene Wolfe was an American science fiction and fantasy writer. He was noted for his dense, allusive prose as well as the strong influence of his Catholic faith, to which he converted after marrying a Catholic. He was a prolific short story writer and a novelist, and has won many awards in the field.
The Damon Knight Memorial Grand Master Award is given by SFWA for ‘lifetime achievement in science fiction and/or fantasy.’ Wolfe joins the Grand Master ranks alongside such legends as Connie Willis, Michael Moorcock, Anne McCaffrey, Robert Silverberg, Ursula K. Le Guin, Isaac Asimov, Ray Bradbury and Joe Haldeman. The award will be presented at the 48th Annual Nebula Awards Weekend in San Jose, CA, May 16-19, 2013.
While attending Texas A&M University Wolfe published his first speculative fiction in The Commentator, a student literary journal. Wolfe dropped out during his junior year, and was drafted to fight in the Korean War. After returning to the United States he earned a degree from the University of Houston and became an industrial engineer. He edited the journal Plant Engineering for many years before retiring to write full-time, but his most famous professional engineering achievement is a contribution to the machine used to make Pringles potato crisps. He lived in Barrington, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago.
A frequent Hugo nominee without a win, Wolfe has nevertheless picked up several Nebula and Locus Awards, among others, including the World Fantasy Award for Life Achievement and the 2012 Damon Knight Memorial Grand Master Award. He is also a member of the Science Fiction Hall of Fame.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/genewolfe
The Damon Knight Memorial Grand Master Award is given by SFWA for ‘lifetime achievement in science fiction and/or fantasy.’ Wolfe joins the Grand Master ranks alongside such legends as Connie Willis, Michael Moorcock, Anne McCaffrey, Robert Silverberg, Ursula K. Le Guin, Isaac Asimov, Ray Bradbury and Joe Haldeman. The award will be presented at the 48th Annual Nebula Awards Weekend in San Jose, CA, May 16-19, 2013.
While attending Texas A&M University Wolfe published his first speculative fiction in The Commentator, a student literary journal. Wolfe dropped out during his junior year, and was drafted to fight in the Korean War. After returning to the United States he earned a degree from the University of Houston and became an industrial engineer. He edited the journal Plant Engineering for many years before retiring to write full-time, but his most famous professional engineering achievement is a contribution to the machine used to make Pringles potato crisps. He lived in Barrington, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago.
A frequent Hugo nominee without a win, Wolfe has nevertheless picked up several Nebula and Locus Awards, among others, including the World Fantasy Award for Life Achievement and the 2012 Damon Knight Memorial Grand Master Award. He is also a member of the Science Fiction Hall of Fame.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/genewolfe
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December 3, 2023
The Urth of the New Sun begins as a space opera – a turbulent journey along the corridors of space and time…
Then the monstrous spaceship arrives at the planet Yesod and there Gene Wolfe takes a stab at cabbala following the formula ‘as above so below’. In the Tree of Life Yesod is the sephirah right above and nearest to Malkuth: the kingdom or our material world. And there Severian is being judged by Zadkiel – the archangel of freedom, benevolence and mercy – and at last found worthy.
On returning to Urth Severian discovers that he arrived somewhat in the past so there is a smart time loop and he starts working miracles not unlike those described in the New Testament and the story becomes unintentional or, maybe, intentional fun.
And eventually the book ends up as a flowery mockery of mythologisation of earthly events and history.
Everything in the universe runs in circles.
There the stars swarmed still, but it seemed to me they formed a great disk in the sky, and when I looked at the edges of that disk, I saw they were streaked and old. Since that time I have often pondered on that sight, here beside the all-devouring sea. It is said that so great a thing is the universe that no one can see it as it is, but only as it was…
Then the monstrous spaceship arrives at the planet Yesod and there Gene Wolfe takes a stab at cabbala following the formula ‘as above so below’. In the Tree of Life Yesod is the sephirah right above and nearest to Malkuth: the kingdom or our material world. And there Severian is being judged by Zadkiel – the archangel of freedom, benevolence and mercy – and at last found worthy.
What you call time is made up of such waves, and as the waves you saw existed in the water, so time exists in matter. The waves march toward the beach, but if you were to cast a pebble into the water, new waves, a hundredth or a thousandth the strength of the old, would run out to sea, and the waves there would feel them.
On returning to Urth Severian discovers that he arrived somewhat in the past so there is a smart time loop and he starts working miracles not unlike those described in the New Testament and the story becomes unintentional or, maybe, intentional fun.
And eventually the book ends up as a flowery mockery of mythologisation of earthly events and history.
Everything in the universe runs in circles.
September 4, 2022
Mind bending.
Fantasy within fantasy within fantasy.
Not a sequel or coda, this is by some sorcery Gene Wolfe has created, another part of his great tetralogy The Book of the New Sun. Because this has time travel aspects, Wolfe is somehow able to revisit scenes of the earlier books and make this is a seamless addition to his earlier masterpiece.
And in doing so, by becoming a part of an earlier work, not just a linear continuation in the form of a sequel, this book, The Urth of the New Sun is an amazing accomplishment in its own right. It is a standalone novel but also an integral addendum to the earlier books.
I know, right? How’d he DO THAT???
Really, really very cool. Makes me think of Gabriel García Márquez, like he’s crafting new literary forms and theatrical devices for use by later equally cultivated artists.
Ursula K. LeGuin said of Wolfe, that he was our “Melville” but I’d add Faulkner and McCormac as well. As this book integrates elements of theology and celestial saga, I also thought of Philip K. Dick. And Norman Mailer. Hell, I could just go on and on.
So what’s Lyn gushing about?
Severian, our protagonist from the first four books, has left Earth and travels from the dying sun to champion a quest to renew our life in the universe.
Then it’s just Wolfe guiding us Lewis Carroll like and we are all Alices and Dorothys and we are not in Kansas anymore, and we play like Miles Davis in Bitches Brew, a wild cacophony of FANTASY writing.
Yet, like Davis’ experimental jazz arrangements, there is a structure, the raw bones of Wolfe’s great epic fantasy gives this a weird cadence that is unlike anything else in speculative writing.
This is a rich, rich, rich tapestry of layers of myth and legend and with obscure references to a myriad of sources, Wolfe demonstrates a swaggering virtuosity.
Amazing.
A MUST read for SF fans.
Fantasy within fantasy within fantasy.
Not a sequel or coda, this is by some sorcery Gene Wolfe has created, another part of his great tetralogy The Book of the New Sun. Because this has time travel aspects, Wolfe is somehow able to revisit scenes of the earlier books and make this is a seamless addition to his earlier masterpiece.
And in doing so, by becoming a part of an earlier work, not just a linear continuation in the form of a sequel, this book, The Urth of the New Sun is an amazing accomplishment in its own right. It is a standalone novel but also an integral addendum to the earlier books.
I know, right? How’d he DO THAT???
Really, really very cool. Makes me think of Gabriel García Márquez, like he’s crafting new literary forms and theatrical devices for use by later equally cultivated artists.
Ursula K. LeGuin said of Wolfe, that he was our “Melville” but I’d add Faulkner and McCormac as well. As this book integrates elements of theology and celestial saga, I also thought of Philip K. Dick. And Norman Mailer. Hell, I could just go on and on.
So what’s Lyn gushing about?
Severian, our protagonist from the first four books, has left Earth and travels from the dying sun to champion a quest to renew our life in the universe.
Then it’s just Wolfe guiding us Lewis Carroll like and we are all Alices and Dorothys and we are not in Kansas anymore, and we play like Miles Davis in Bitches Brew, a wild cacophony of FANTASY writing.
Yet, like Davis’ experimental jazz arrangements, there is a structure, the raw bones of Wolfe’s great epic fantasy gives this a weird cadence that is unlike anything else in speculative writing.
This is a rich, rich, rich tapestry of layers of myth and legend and with obscure references to a myriad of sources, Wolfe demonstrates a swaggering virtuosity.
Amazing.
A MUST read for SF fans.
February 9, 2017
I knew things were going to get interesting the moment we started the book on the spaceship "Yesod", the ninth branch on the tree of life directly above the root, the kingdom, in the Kabbalah. Yesod is the ship that is outside of time and Maya, and the source of the Sun's renewal and the place where Sevarian must make or break his new covenant, the place of the new foundation for humanity.
Nuts? Hell yeah. There's plenty of crazy going on in the whole series, but the fact we start moving up through the branches to Hod, witnessing the splendor of Tzabaoth, kinda sealed the idea for me, and it didn't really matter if these were aliens outside of time who were once on the same road as humanity until we spread throughout the galaxy and did horrendous things and broke the covenant. The underlying shape of the story is clear even if it isn't actually Severian dealing with angels. ;)
Things are also a bit more complicated when we move from the flaming swords of Gabriel and return to earth to deal with the personal issue of fractured times and places making Severian deal with the qualities of Glory, Victory, Beauty, Severity, Mercy, Wisdom, and finally the Crown.
Unfortunately for me, I was reading purely for entertainment value, so I didn't actually sit down and track every scene to a branch on the tree, but I picked up on at least 4 or 5 of them, easy. :)
Impressive? Yeah, I think so too, and we've even got the whole feel of Slaughterhouse Five, the coming resurrection, the return of the king, and a lot of other hints, too, but let's face it... the story is very odd. Scenes feel all right by themselves, but they often take very odd directions from one another, and I can't quite tell if it's because it's following the Tree regardless of the natural progression of story, or whether the story is just odd for its own sake.
Having read the previous four, I'd soooo love to say, outright, that it's fundamentally incomprehensible, but no, I think I've actually found a pretty decent roadmap.
I'm impressed, but, not quite engrossed in the tale enough to put in the extra work of truly deciphering it. :) Still! Props.
:)
Nuts? Hell yeah. There's plenty of crazy going on in the whole series, but the fact we start moving up through the branches to Hod, witnessing the splendor of Tzabaoth, kinda sealed the idea for me, and it didn't really matter if these were aliens outside of time who were once on the same road as humanity until we spread throughout the galaxy and did horrendous things and broke the covenant. The underlying shape of the story is clear even if it isn't actually Severian dealing with angels. ;)
Things are also a bit more complicated when we move from the flaming swords of Gabriel and return to earth to deal with the personal issue of fractured times and places making Severian deal with the qualities of Glory, Victory, Beauty, Severity, Mercy, Wisdom, and finally the Crown.
Unfortunately for me, I was reading purely for entertainment value, so I didn't actually sit down and track every scene to a branch on the tree, but I picked up on at least 4 or 5 of them, easy. :)
Impressive? Yeah, I think so too, and we've even got the whole feel of Slaughterhouse Five, the coming resurrection, the return of the king, and a lot of other hints, too, but let's face it... the story is very odd. Scenes feel all right by themselves, but they often take very odd directions from one another, and I can't quite tell if it's because it's following the Tree regardless of the natural progression of story, or whether the story is just odd for its own sake.
Having read the previous four, I'd soooo love to say, outright, that it's fundamentally incomprehensible, but no, I think I've actually found a pretty decent roadmap.
I'm impressed, but, not quite engrossed in the tale enough to put in the extra work of truly deciphering it. :) Still! Props.
:)
November 26, 2018
This review is for all five books in the “New Sun” tetralogy.
What a peculiar series. Bizarre and compelling yet also distant and alien. The language is poetic while the tone tends toward melancholy. As if, perhaps, Edgar Allen Poe had written long-form science fiction novels.
The New Sun series, is not for those who demand their fantasy or science fiction served on a platter, spoon fed. Wolfe has written a story that is ambiguous, mysterious and falls in an undefinable land between myth, fantasy and science fiction. You might find it experimental in style as compared to mainstream fantasy. The main character is often unsympathetic and unrelatable, yet he remains fascinating and intriguing. Plot threads are seemingly abandoned only to turn up as central events in later books. Periodically, inexplicable experiences are explained only to open up new unknowns. The New Sun series manages to be both satisfying and deeply unsatisfying simultaneously.
The story follows a youth named Severian who begins life in the Guild of the Torturers (which applies the government’s “justice” to prisoners) until he eventually breaks away, has many adventures, grows into adulthood, travels through time and the universe, and eventually attempts to save the Earth from its dying sun. Hence the title the “New Sun.”
The setting of the series is itself rather ambiguous. Initially it appears to be a medieval level fantasy with some elements of magic. Over the course of the novels, it becomes more clear that there are aliens and genetic mutants present and aspects of high-level technology. Some of what appears to be magical, may in fact be advanced technology. However, at many points, it is undefinable and may in fact be supernatural.
The story is told in first person at all times, from the perspective of Severian who has an eidetic memory. Our understanding of what goes on around him is restricted by his own limitations and often confused knowledge. He also makes unpredictable decisions and his descriptions of his own motivations is sometimes less than enlightening. “Enigmatic” is a good word for him.
The journey of Severian is thematically in some ways Biblical. I’ve read that some aspects of the series are Kabbalistic, but I’m less familiar with that than the more obvious stories of a religious savior whether that be Christ, Osiris, Vishnu or other mythological characters of rebirth and redemption. Severian while often struggling to be moral and at times achieving a noble perspective, at other times is selfish or restricted by his perspective. As a justifier of torture, he falls short of a being a clear hero, but he does evolve as the story continues. If he is metaphorically a Christ figure, it’s a gnostic figure and a gnostic perspective definitely fits the exotic journey of Severian. The fifth book, the semi-conclusion to the story, is perhaps the most mysterious and gnostic of all the stories wherein Severian in some way arrives at his final destiny. There are numerous thematic threads that can be teased out of the series, but the most obvious central one to me was that of judgement. As a member of the Torturer’s Guild, Severian begins his journey administering the judgement of others. As time goes on, he himself is repeatedly judged for his actions as well as judging others. Yet perhaps the most damning judgement he inflicts is upon himself. Do we excuse our own actions because we see no “choice” in the matter? Are some individuals oblivious to their own selfishness or do they even revel in their greed as President Trump seems to? I was just following orders, said the Nazi guard.
Wolfe’s literary finesse holds the entire work together. His linguistic prowess keeps the story riveting even while it’s confusing. He stays true to a limited first-person perspective, and is consistently true to the conflicted undefinable personality of the main character. In that sense, it’s a true work of art. The New Sun series is not likely to appeal to those who dabble in fantasy or sci fi, nor is it for those who prefer work that is cut and dried. However, if your taste runs to the fantastical with appreciation for an experimental approach, then this is highly recommended.
What a peculiar series. Bizarre and compelling yet also distant and alien. The language is poetic while the tone tends toward melancholy. As if, perhaps, Edgar Allen Poe had written long-form science fiction novels.
The New Sun series, is not for those who demand their fantasy or science fiction served on a platter, spoon fed. Wolfe has written a story that is ambiguous, mysterious and falls in an undefinable land between myth, fantasy and science fiction. You might find it experimental in style as compared to mainstream fantasy. The main character is often unsympathetic and unrelatable, yet he remains fascinating and intriguing. Plot threads are seemingly abandoned only to turn up as central events in later books. Periodically, inexplicable experiences are explained only to open up new unknowns. The New Sun series manages to be both satisfying and deeply unsatisfying simultaneously.
The story follows a youth named Severian who begins life in the Guild of the Torturers (which applies the government’s “justice” to prisoners) until he eventually breaks away, has many adventures, grows into adulthood, travels through time and the universe, and eventually attempts to save the Earth from its dying sun. Hence the title the “New Sun.”
The setting of the series is itself rather ambiguous. Initially it appears to be a medieval level fantasy with some elements of magic. Over the course of the novels, it becomes more clear that there are aliens and genetic mutants present and aspects of high-level technology. Some of what appears to be magical, may in fact be advanced technology. However, at many points, it is undefinable and may in fact be supernatural.
The story is told in first person at all times, from the perspective of Severian who has an eidetic memory. Our understanding of what goes on around him is restricted by his own limitations and often confused knowledge. He also makes unpredictable decisions and his descriptions of his own motivations is sometimes less than enlightening. “Enigmatic” is a good word for him.
The journey of Severian is thematically in some ways Biblical. I’ve read that some aspects of the series are Kabbalistic, but I’m less familiar with that than the more obvious stories of a religious savior whether that be Christ, Osiris, Vishnu or other mythological characters of rebirth and redemption. Severian while often struggling to be moral and at times achieving a noble perspective, at other times is selfish or restricted by his perspective. As a justifier of torture, he falls short of a being a clear hero, but he does evolve as the story continues. If he is metaphorically a Christ figure, it’s a gnostic figure and a gnostic perspective definitely fits the exotic journey of Severian. The fifth book, the semi-conclusion to the story, is perhaps the most mysterious and gnostic of all the stories wherein Severian in some way arrives at his final destiny. There are numerous thematic threads that can be teased out of the series, but the most obvious central one to me was that of judgement. As a member of the Torturer’s Guild, Severian begins his journey administering the judgement of others. As time goes on, he himself is repeatedly judged for his actions as well as judging others. Yet perhaps the most damning judgement he inflicts is upon himself. Do we excuse our own actions because we see no “choice” in the matter? Are some individuals oblivious to their own selfishness or do they even revel in their greed as President Trump seems to? I was just following orders, said the Nazi guard.
Wolfe’s literary finesse holds the entire work together. His linguistic prowess keeps the story riveting even while it’s confusing. He stays true to a limited first-person perspective, and is consistently true to the conflicted undefinable personality of the main character. In that sense, it’s a true work of art. The New Sun series is not likely to appeal to those who dabble in fantasy or sci fi, nor is it for those who prefer work that is cut and dried. However, if your taste runs to the fantastical with appreciation for an experimental approach, then this is highly recommended.
January 6, 2024
Główka paruje, zaś ja sam zozole żuje.
Skądinąd film:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QX_fd...
Skądinąd film:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QX_fd...
November 23, 2016
Well, I've given Gene Wolfe a fair shot.
This is the fifth volume of (and really more of a coda to) his mammoth opus, The Book of the New Sun - the story of Severian; torturer, soldier, ruler, prophet and savior of his planet. While critics and fans alike rave about his experimental brand of narration, I found this particular installment annoyingly hallucinogenic. Here's the guy on the couch in college, 2 AM, stoned out of his mind, Jedi death-grip on your forearm: "Dude, you gotta hear this. Just let me finish. Gonna blow your mind."
Okay. Only tomorrow we both know it's going to be all, "Hey, what did I say?" And you're going to wind up resenting, yet again, the way these psychedelic sages manage to forgive themselves the memory of half the crap they spend so much time forbidding you to forget.
This is the fifth volume of (and really more of a coda to) his mammoth opus, The Book of the New Sun - the story of Severian; torturer, soldier, ruler, prophet and savior of his planet. While critics and fans alike rave about his experimental brand of narration, I found this particular installment annoyingly hallucinogenic. Here's the guy on the couch in college, 2 AM, stoned out of his mind, Jedi death-grip on your forearm: "Dude, you gotta hear this. Just let me finish. Gonna blow your mind."
Okay. Only tomorrow we both know it's going to be all, "Hey, what did I say?" And you're going to wind up resenting, yet again, the way these psychedelic sages manage to forgive themselves the memory of half the crap they spend so much time forbidding you to forget.
August 4, 2015
This is my second read of this, often referred to as a coda to Wolfe's Book of the New Sun rather than a true fifth volume, and I enjoyed it far more this time. I still think that it isn't quite up to the same level of magnificence as those books, but it is a different creature and great in its own right.
This tale follows Severian - again through his own journals - after he has become the Autarch, the ruler of the empire and (possibly) the rightful although not actual ruler of a fractured planet Urth, with a fractious humanity dwindling under a dying sun, as he travels to the world of Ysod to stand trial for humanity and, if he passes, gain the ability to bring the New Sun to return full life to Urth.
This does contain similarities to the previous books - advanced technology, the working of which having been long forgotten, appears as magic, although some still seem to understand it and it is sometimes explained in curious (arguable unnecessarily expositionary) metaphor. It is a picaresque narrative, Severian traveling across space (and time)before returning to journey in his own world, at different times. However, the myth-making aspect that was a lesser part of the earlier books is here far more dominant; this reads often like some future gita or mythic tale explaining how the world came to be what it is, with all the strange metaphor and lack of clarity and occasional confusion you would expect in such a work. It is novel to allow to wash over you like the waters of Ocean, to absorb rather than fully understand.
This tale follows Severian - again through his own journals - after he has become the Autarch, the ruler of the empire and (possibly) the rightful although not actual ruler of a fractured planet Urth, with a fractious humanity dwindling under a dying sun, as he travels to the world of Ysod to stand trial for humanity and, if he passes, gain the ability to bring the New Sun to return full life to Urth.
This does contain similarities to the previous books - advanced technology, the working of which having been long forgotten, appears as magic, although some still seem to understand it and it is sometimes explained in curious (arguable unnecessarily expositionary) metaphor. It is a picaresque narrative, Severian traveling across space (and time)before returning to journey in his own world, at different times. However, the myth-making aspect that was a lesser part of the earlier books is here far more dominant; this reads often like some future gita or mythic tale explaining how the world came to be what it is, with all the strange metaphor and lack of clarity and occasional confusion you would expect in such a work. It is novel to allow to wash over you like the waters of Ocean, to absorb rather than fully understand.
August 12, 2022
Ursula K. Le Guin is frequently quoted on the jackets of Wolfe's books as having said "Wolfe is our Melville."
Critic and science fiction writer Harlan Ellison, reviewing this book, wrote: "Gene Wolfe is engaged in the holy chore of writing every other author under the table."
It's impossible to talk about Gene Wolfe's cycle of the New Sun (5 books in total, of which this is the 5th and last one) without spoiling the plot. This is not because the story is based on concepts that are given away early in the book - quite the contrary, in fact, is true: Wolfe's style is so peculiar that a first superficial read will send you in a dazed stupor, and if you go too fast, you're going to miss everything and come out believing that the book is a jumbled mess. The fact is, you can only fully understand the plot if you go backward.
If this confuses you, you're not the only one!
How does Wolfe achieve this? Well, first of all, consider that his background was not a literary one: he used to work at P&G as a mechanical engineer, and he was THE mechanical engineer who came up with the mechanism to prepare, cut and sort the famous "Pringles" potato chips.
This helps me, at least, understand where the unique beauty of this series comes from: having read the 5 books, if I look back in a metaphoric sense (with my eyes closed) what I see is not a straight line, or a clear painting, or even a chain made of a ring after another after another. What I see is more similar to the inside of a very sophisticated clockwork mechanism, with many levers, springs, bolts... and the absolute miracle is that everything clicks together perfectly well.
Wolfe is revered (seriously revered) by many SF authors and Fantasy authors as well. From Neil Gaiman, who wrote the preface to my edition, to George RR Martin and Ursula Le Guin, both of whom have called The Book of the New Sun a "masterpiece".
1. Protagonist
TBoTNS follows the story of Severian, a torturer in the decaying Citadel who, in the first few chapters, shows mercy to a prisoner he's fallen in love with. Rather than being killed for his crime, he's exiled, given an ancient sword (Terminus Est) and sent to the distant city of Thrax. On his way out of the vast urban sprawl of Nessus, his adventures include fighting a duel with a flower (more deadly than it sounds), accidentally stealing the Claw of the Conciliator (a glowing jewel) from a temple and fishing a girl, Dorcas, out of a lake where the dead are sunk.
The story is recounted by Severian himself from a position in the future. He is unreliable to a certain extent.
2. Language
Wolfe decided to use a lot of odd words – "fuligin" for black, "carnifex" for torturer, "destriers", which are sort of super-horses. This all adds to the otherness of the world Wolfe has created... a world that is our own Earth but millions of years in the future, in an age when our sun is dying and therefore it shines with a purplish color in a dark-blue sky. The Moon has been terraformed and therefore it shines GREEN at night. I didn't understand some words until I looked them up, but I knew what he meant by them, and I loved his "note on translation" at the end of the first book, when he tells us how he went about "rendering this book - originally composed in a tongue that has not yet achieved existence – into English".
3. World-building
Some say that the world-building is the best element of this series. I disagree, I think the best element of the series is the stunning brain behind it, which is the brain of a top engineer mixed with the imagination of a great poet.
This is a world which Wolfe never explains directly – the reader has to piece its realities together, which is hugely satisfying, because everything DOES click together, it's not just a couple of things here and there.
By the way, in my opinion this series falls squarely in the category "Science-Fiction", even if I've seen discordant opinions on this point.
4. Mood
The mood is pretty dark throughout, although it gets more and more positive and bright towards the end. Here we need to go back to Gene Wolfe's biography: he fought in Korea, saw unspeakable horrors there, and came back to the US with a bad case of PTSD. He would fall on the ground for any loud noise.
So, Wolfe was a soldier, and the fact that his protagonist is someone who has been trained to kill (a torturer) is not a coincidence. There is a realism in how Wolfe describes a man going about killing as a profession, with the hair-splitting and mental compartmentalization that it entails, that gives me the chills. Just like it's not a coincidence that, despite the huge cast of characters, a deep sense of loneliness pervades the whole series. This comes with reflections about one's sense of duty, loyalty to a cause or to a "guild", and, of course, about killing. But very rarely these reflections are expressed by the author or by Severian. They are mostly for the reader to wonder about.
But aside from this base chord in a minor key, let's not forget that this is also, at its core, an adventure story, and a very fun one: the action scenes are masterfully executed.
I would also add that, unless you are a genius (I'm certainly not), you're probably going to miss at least some of the clues that Wolfe peppered his book with. Therefore, if you ever decide to read this magnificent work, do it as a read-along or read it while listening to the EXCELLENT and very detailed chapter-by-chapter analysis done by the "Alzabo Soup" Podcast.
Another great resource is the YouTube channel "Media Death Cult", where the guys from the Alzabo Soup joined a book-by-book conversation with the channel's creator.
Yes, it might feel confusing the first time you read it. Yes, Wolfe makes you do some work. And yes, this is not a book like any other that you've ever read.
But it's SO rewarding, SO clever, SO imaginative, SO much fun, SO original ... and it has probably the broadest scope that I've ever found in Sci-Fi, with the only exception of Arthur C. Clarke. It will stretch your imagination to the utmost limits.
Critic and science fiction writer Harlan Ellison, reviewing this book, wrote: "Gene Wolfe is engaged in the holy chore of writing every other author under the table."
It's impossible to talk about Gene Wolfe's cycle of the New Sun (5 books in total, of which this is the 5th and last one) without spoiling the plot. This is not because the story is based on concepts that are given away early in the book - quite the contrary, in fact, is true: Wolfe's style is so peculiar that a first superficial read will send you in a dazed stupor, and if you go too fast, you're going to miss everything and come out believing that the book is a jumbled mess. The fact is, you can only fully understand the plot if you go backward.
If this confuses you, you're not the only one!
How does Wolfe achieve this? Well, first of all, consider that his background was not a literary one: he used to work at P&G as a mechanical engineer, and he was THE mechanical engineer who came up with the mechanism to prepare, cut and sort the famous "Pringles" potato chips.
This helps me, at least, understand where the unique beauty of this series comes from: having read the 5 books, if I look back in a metaphoric sense (with my eyes closed) what I see is not a straight line, or a clear painting, or even a chain made of a ring after another after another. What I see is more similar to the inside of a very sophisticated clockwork mechanism, with many levers, springs, bolts... and the absolute miracle is that everything clicks together perfectly well.
Wolfe is revered (seriously revered) by many SF authors and Fantasy authors as well. From Neil Gaiman, who wrote the preface to my edition, to George RR Martin and Ursula Le Guin, both of whom have called The Book of the New Sun a "masterpiece".
1. Protagonist
TBoTNS follows the story of Severian, a torturer in the decaying Citadel who, in the first few chapters, shows mercy to a prisoner he's fallen in love with. Rather than being killed for his crime, he's exiled, given an ancient sword (Terminus Est) and sent to the distant city of Thrax. On his way out of the vast urban sprawl of Nessus, his adventures include fighting a duel with a flower (more deadly than it sounds), accidentally stealing the Claw of the Conciliator (a glowing jewel) from a temple and fishing a girl, Dorcas, out of a lake where the dead are sunk.
The story is recounted by Severian himself from a position in the future. He is unreliable to a certain extent.
2. Language
Wolfe decided to use a lot of odd words – "fuligin" for black, "carnifex" for torturer, "destriers", which are sort of super-horses. This all adds to the otherness of the world Wolfe has created... a world that is our own Earth but millions of years in the future, in an age when our sun is dying and therefore it shines with a purplish color in a dark-blue sky. The Moon has been terraformed and therefore it shines GREEN at night. I didn't understand some words until I looked them up, but I knew what he meant by them, and I loved his "note on translation" at the end of the first book, when he tells us how he went about "rendering this book - originally composed in a tongue that has not yet achieved existence – into English".
3. World-building
Some say that the world-building is the best element of this series. I disagree, I think the best element of the series is the stunning brain behind it, which is the brain of a top engineer mixed with the imagination of a great poet.
This is a world which Wolfe never explains directly – the reader has to piece its realities together, which is hugely satisfying, because everything DOES click together, it's not just a couple of things here and there.
By the way, in my opinion this series falls squarely in the category "Science-Fiction", even if I've seen discordant opinions on this point.
4. Mood
The mood is pretty dark throughout, although it gets more and more positive and bright towards the end. Here we need to go back to Gene Wolfe's biography: he fought in Korea, saw unspeakable horrors there, and came back to the US with a bad case of PTSD. He would fall on the ground for any loud noise.
So, Wolfe was a soldier, and the fact that his protagonist is someone who has been trained to kill (a torturer) is not a coincidence. There is a realism in how Wolfe describes a man going about killing as a profession, with the hair-splitting and mental compartmentalization that it entails, that gives me the chills. Just like it's not a coincidence that, despite the huge cast of characters, a deep sense of loneliness pervades the whole series. This comes with reflections about one's sense of duty, loyalty to a cause or to a "guild", and, of course, about killing. But very rarely these reflections are expressed by the author or by Severian. They are mostly for the reader to wonder about.
But aside from this base chord in a minor key, let's not forget that this is also, at its core, an adventure story, and a very fun one: the action scenes are masterfully executed.
I would also add that, unless you are a genius (I'm certainly not), you're probably going to miss at least some of the clues that Wolfe peppered his book with. Therefore, if you ever decide to read this magnificent work, do it as a read-along or read it while listening to the EXCELLENT and very detailed chapter-by-chapter analysis done by the "Alzabo Soup" Podcast.
Another great resource is the YouTube channel "Media Death Cult", where the guys from the Alzabo Soup joined a book-by-book conversation with the channel's creator.
Yes, it might feel confusing the first time you read it. Yes, Wolfe makes you do some work. And yes, this is not a book like any other that you've ever read.
But it's SO rewarding, SO clever, SO imaginative, SO much fun, SO original ... and it has probably the broadest scope that I've ever found in Sci-Fi, with the only exception of Arthur C. Clarke. It will stretch your imagination to the utmost limits.
August 28, 2023
So this had a lot of stuff that was really good.
Incredible settings, fantastic scenes, great stuff for Severian's character.
But also, even more so than most of BotNS there were so many scenes were I was completely lost, and not in a I can get what is going on on the surface but am obviously missing a lot way, but in a. I have no damn clue what just happened way. But also from a character perspective I feel this novel did an amazing job with Severian himself, and made me like that character more. And also Wolfe made this novel feel like it was always planned.
Score is IDK/10, like...8.6? maybe. Probably just a placeholder score for the future when I reread both and get a better handle on my thoughts.
Incredible settings, fantastic scenes, great stuff for Severian's character.
But also, even more so than most of BotNS there were so many scenes were I was completely lost, and not in a I can get what is going on on the surface but am obviously missing a lot way, but in a. I have no damn clue what just happened way. But also from a character perspective I feel this novel did an amazing job with Severian himself, and made me like that character more. And also Wolfe made this novel feel like it was always planned.
Score is IDK/10, like...8.6? maybe. Probably just a placeholder score for the future when I reread both and get a better handle on my thoughts.
Read
December 2, 2023Ehhh, pa nažalost nemam već šta da kažem, pročitala sam ovo samo jednom a bez bar dva prolaza se ne treba izjašnjavati ni o jednoj Vulfovoj knjizi :|
February 7, 2019
4 – 4.5 stars
The final segment of the New Sun series, whether you consider it a somewhat separate coda to the main four books or simply volume five of Severian’s story, is a satisfying conclusion to all that has led up to it and trust me when I say that for Wolfe that is a surprising turn of events. Don’t get me wrong, plenty of mysteries and unanswered questions remain, but there is a sense of completion and clarity that is often not apparent in Wolfe’s work. I actually found, on this re-read at least, that nearly all of the big mysteries were resolved to my satisfaction as the story progressed, though I was perhaps reading the text more closely than I had done before.
We last left Severian on the edge of taking up the mantle of Autarch with his journey of discovery and growth coming to an end just as the greater quest to bring about the New Sun was literally rising upon the horizon. In ‘Urth’ we see Severian take up that quest in earnest as we skip over the years of his rulership of the Commonwealth and join him as he embarks upon a solar sail ship to be judged as “the epitome of Urth” by the angelic extraterrestrials that have been overseeing the growth and development of humanity. The first main segment of the story takes place on this ship, a gigantic vessel that plys the spaceways not only between planets, but also between realities, as Severian is ferried from the dying universe of Briah to the higher one of Yesod (terms taken from kabbalistic mysticism and which show some of the ideas that Wolfe is playing with in his conception of Severian’s universe).
I found the ship fascinating in itself as we witness the strange nature of its composition and inhabitants as the story unfolds. I also have to admit to being partial to the whole concept of solar sail starships, and so I was obviously taken by this star-faring vessel with masts that dwarf towers and sails that could seemingly cover a continent. The complexities and ambiguities of space travel (and its intersection with time travel) are played with to great effect and we see how the multitudinous crew of this cavernous vessel ply the star ways in and out of time, perhaps arriving on their homeworld at a point generations after (or before) they initially signed on. We also see the ‘magical’ implications of the solar sails and their connection to the mirrors of Father Inire from the earlier books: sailors on this ship need to be wary of dangerous people or creatures their own ship inadvertently brings aboard, nevermind any dangers they may face on one of their extra-solar ports of call.
The next section of the story covers Severian’s ‘trial’ on the paradaisaical world of Yesod. It is also where Severian begins to truly understand the implications of his role as possible bringer of the New Sun for the world of Urth; should he succeed he will not simply be a saviour as he might have liked to believe, but a destroyer as well. If there wasn’t enough timey-wimey stuff for you before hold onto your seats because we’re in for a whackload of strange adventures throughout time and relative dimensions in space as we enter the final section of the book in which Severian returns to his homeworld. It is here that Severian truly comes into his power and we learn the secrets that lay behind the abilities previously attributed to the relic known as the Claw of the Conciliator. As we see time wrapped into an escherian knot around the torturer’s life many mysteries are resolved, or at least clarified, and we have the chance to revisit some familiar people and places and see them with new eyes. Ultimately we witness the birth of the Conciliator and begin to more fully appreciate the cyclical nature of Severian’s life.
For my money this is definitely one of Wolfe's best series (only matched in my eyes by the Latro books and the Wizard Knight duology). Perseverence can really pay off with these ones, and who wouldn't want a sword and sorcery adventure melded with a star-faring space opera with the fate of the earth (oops, I mean urth) in the hands of an erstwhile torturer?
The final segment of the New Sun series, whether you consider it a somewhat separate coda to the main four books or simply volume five of Severian’s story, is a satisfying conclusion to all that has led up to it and trust me when I say that for Wolfe that is a surprising turn of events. Don’t get me wrong, plenty of mysteries and unanswered questions remain, but there is a sense of completion and clarity that is often not apparent in Wolfe’s work. I actually found, on this re-read at least, that nearly all of the big mysteries were resolved to my satisfaction as the story progressed, though I was perhaps reading the text more closely than I had done before.
We last left Severian on the edge of taking up the mantle of Autarch with his journey of discovery and growth coming to an end just as the greater quest to bring about the New Sun was literally rising upon the horizon. In ‘Urth’ we see Severian take up that quest in earnest as we skip over the years of his rulership of the Commonwealth and join him as he embarks upon a solar sail ship to be judged as “the epitome of Urth” by the angelic extraterrestrials that have been overseeing the growth and development of humanity. The first main segment of the story takes place on this ship, a gigantic vessel that plys the spaceways not only between planets, but also between realities, as Severian is ferried from the dying universe of Briah to the higher one of Yesod (terms taken from kabbalistic mysticism and which show some of the ideas that Wolfe is playing with in his conception of Severian’s universe).
I found the ship fascinating in itself as we witness the strange nature of its composition and inhabitants as the story unfolds. I also have to admit to being partial to the whole concept of solar sail starships, and so I was obviously taken by this star-faring vessel with masts that dwarf towers and sails that could seemingly cover a continent. The complexities and ambiguities of space travel (and its intersection with time travel) are played with to great effect and we see how the multitudinous crew of this cavernous vessel ply the star ways in and out of time, perhaps arriving on their homeworld at a point generations after (or before) they initially signed on. We also see the ‘magical’ implications of the solar sails and their connection to the mirrors of Father Inire from the earlier books: sailors on this ship need to be wary of dangerous people or creatures their own ship inadvertently brings aboard, nevermind any dangers they may face on one of their extra-solar ports of call.
The next section of the story covers Severian’s ‘trial’ on the paradaisaical world of Yesod. It is also where Severian begins to truly understand the implications of his role as possible bringer of the New Sun for the world of Urth; should he succeed he will not simply be a saviour as he might have liked to believe, but a destroyer as well. If there wasn’t enough timey-wimey stuff for you before hold onto your seats because we’re in for a whackload of strange adventures throughout time and relative dimensions in space as we enter the final section of the book in which Severian returns to his homeworld. It is here that Severian truly comes into his power and we learn the secrets that lay behind the abilities previously attributed to the relic known as the Claw of the Conciliator. As we see time wrapped into an escherian knot around the torturer’s life many mysteries are resolved, or at least clarified, and we have the chance to revisit some familiar people and places and see them with new eyes. Ultimately we witness the birth of the Conciliator and begin to more fully appreciate the cyclical nature of Severian’s life.
For my money this is definitely one of Wolfe's best series (only matched in my eyes by the Latro books and the Wizard Knight duology). Perseverence can really pay off with these ones, and who wouldn't want a sword and sorcery adventure melded with a star-faring space opera with the fate of the earth (oops, I mean urth) in the hands of an erstwhile torturer?
March 8, 2017
If you felt that many things were left unexplained in the previous 4 books "Urth Of The New Sun" will definitely explain them all but on the other hand it will introduce many more puzzles. Anyway if you reached this far by reading and loving the first four books perhaps you already knew it as a possibility.
Here, Gene Wolfe tells the tale of now autarch Severian who takes the travel to undergo his ultimate test on Yesod, and while it is a not fictional mythology book as is Tolkien's "The Silmarillion", "Urth Of The New Sun" explains the universe and its cosmology in which Severian lives by delving into the nature of reality and time and space.
This is not all that this book is about I am certain you get this, but I would like to comment this aspect because I have been reading about quantum mechanics, cosmology and the nature of conscience and I find it tremendously interesting that Wolfe addresses these topics here not as just words to make us fear but to tie a complete striking theological and cosmological background to the the multi layered story of Severian the saviour and destroyer.
On the other hand if you thought that the whole story Severian has been telling us is merely a means to the author convey literary experiments and lucubrate post modern phrases and that the story was a secondary element, you will have it proved here that the story Wolfe told us was more important than how he wrote it so as you can see I am still here, 3 days after reading it all, and I cannot stop thinking about it still uncertain of what to say about it not because ideas lack in my mind but because so many of them outcrop at once that I hardly can comment them all.
Here, Gene Wolfe tells the tale of now autarch Severian who takes the travel to undergo his ultimate test on Yesod, and while it is a not fictional mythology book as is Tolkien's "The Silmarillion", "Urth Of The New Sun" explains the universe and its cosmology in which Severian lives by delving into the nature of reality and time and space.
This is not all that this book is about I am certain you get this, but I would like to comment this aspect because I have been reading about quantum mechanics, cosmology and the nature of conscience and I find it tremendously interesting that Wolfe addresses these topics here not as just words to make us fear but to tie a complete striking theological and cosmological background to the the multi layered story of Severian the saviour and destroyer.
On the other hand if you thought that the whole story Severian has been telling us is merely a means to the author convey literary experiments and lucubrate post modern phrases and that the story was a secondary element, you will have it proved here that the story Wolfe told us was more important than how he wrote it so as you can see I am still here, 3 days after reading it all, and I cannot stop thinking about it still uncertain of what to say about it not because ideas lack in my mind but because so many of them outcrop at once that I hardly can comment them all.
June 2, 2013
Nutshell: liar writes shruggable intergalactic/transtemporal there-and-back-again.
Beyond proficient at the sentence level, with many slick turns of phrase and cool observations. At the level of discourse, though, it's kinda hard to see the point. Might benefit from a reading of The Book of the New Sun immediately prior, though.
Love how Severian at one point addresses the reader: "I will leave it to you to explain these things" (167). Okay then!
Seems that this new sun business destroyed the world. Am I yawning?
Beyond proficient at the sentence level, with many slick turns of phrase and cool observations. At the level of discourse, though, it's kinda hard to see the point. Might benefit from a reading of The Book of the New Sun immediately prior, though.
Love how Severian at one point addresses the reader: "I will leave it to you to explain these things" (167). Okay then!
Seems that this new sun business destroyed the world. Am I yawning?
October 5, 2019
Kakvo putovanje. I mada ova knjiga nije bila neophodna za serijal "Novog Sunca" obogatila ga je i zaokruzila vizijom svog pisca. Dzin Volf je pisac koji pise, kako se to citaocu moze uciniti, od sjaja do ocaja. Ali to je potpuno nebitno jer one "lose stvari" samo su most koji povezuje njegove velike i inteligentne misli u celinu, gradeci sustinu ovih romana. Nikada necete procitati nista poput ovoga. Nikada necete gledati zvezde na isti nacin nakon ovih pet romana.
July 22, 2017
Why even read anymore.
March 26, 2011
"Declan wished to know how Urth would fare when the New Sun came; and I, understanding little more than he did himself, drew upon Dr. Talos's play, never thinking that in a time yet to come Dr. Talos's play would be drawn from my words."
A hall of mirrors, a recognition over immense gulfs of time and space, a hero's journey that's perpetually refreshes and corrects itself and encounters its own traces. "I am not the first Severian," our hero said in The Citadel of the Autarch; it takes Wolfe fully another novel to begin to answer the questions that occur once the chills fade and you say, "cool, but... how that could actually, like, HAPPEN?"
Answer: parallel universes, timeloops, spaceships, miracles, memories, supernatural powers, "Eschatology and Genesis". Wolfe definitely tries his damndest to explain, and you WILL finally get some answers in this book. But more questions always appear and in the end the waters are so muddy it's impossible to come to final answers about the complicated continuity revolving around Severian's multiple deaths and mysterious transfigurations.
We usually ask fiction to answer all our questions by the end. Ambiguity is failure. Reading Wolfe teaches you what it would be like if this wasn't the case, if events were ultimately unexplainable because they were always mysterious and overdetermined and distorted by ignorance and illusion. In short, if literature actually managed to make itself resemble life.
(In a fucking awesome science fantasy setting, let's not forget.)
The capstone to the greatest SF series of the century.
"It's beyond review" - Max Bane.
A hall of mirrors, a recognition over immense gulfs of time and space, a hero's journey that's perpetually refreshes and corrects itself and encounters its own traces. "I am not the first Severian," our hero said in The Citadel of the Autarch; it takes Wolfe fully another novel to begin to answer the questions that occur once the chills fade and you say, "cool, but... how that could actually, like, HAPPEN?"
Answer: parallel universes, timeloops, spaceships, miracles, memories, supernatural powers, "Eschatology and Genesis". Wolfe definitely tries his damndest to explain, and you WILL finally get some answers in this book. But more questions always appear and in the end the waters are so muddy it's impossible to come to final answers about the complicated continuity revolving around Severian's multiple deaths and mysterious transfigurations.
We usually ask fiction to answer all our questions by the end. Ambiguity is failure. Reading Wolfe teaches you what it would be like if this wasn't the case, if events were ultimately unexplainable because they were always mysterious and overdetermined and distorted by ignorance and illusion. In short, if literature actually managed to make itself resemble life.
(In a fucking awesome science fantasy setting, let's not forget.)
The capstone to the greatest SF series of the century.
"It's beyond review" - Max Bane.
November 22, 2021
A companion piece to The Book of the New Sun, set first in a giant generation-spanning spaceship, then a mysterious planet where Severian is to be judged if he is worthy to bring back the New Sun to Urth and finally his return to that place but with much twists of time, this book is equally strange, oblique, and fascinating. Even more difficult to understand and absorb as The Book of the New Sun, it tantilizes and revisits the earlier work, revealing much but adding just as many new questions. The writing quality remains quintessential Wolfe, and it's certainly something worth reading to gain more insight on his creation, but don't think it works as a stand-alone novel.
January 16, 2018
OK, there is a TON that I still do not understand (not that Wolfe did not try to explain it, but it would take me some time studying it to figure it all out), but I loved the ending . I was also happy to revisit people from Severian's past and get caught up on what happened between the time he was Autarch and the time he left on his journey.
May 29, 2022
Did I understand everything? Certainly not. Is it my favorite book of all time now? Maybe. That may be recency bias, but suffice it to say that I absolutely loved this and think those who read BotNS should read this too.
November 23, 2023
Šai grāmatai bija jābūt tai, kura saliek visu pa plauktiņiem un atbild uz iepriekšējās tetraloģijas jautājumiem. Manā gadījumā te vairāk ir par to vai es gribēju saņemt tieši šādas atbildes. No vienas puses tiešas atbildes nedaudz noēno to atbilžu spožumu, ko biju pats izfunktierējis izlasot pirmās četras grāmatas. No otras, tagad man šķiet ka zinu, kā ir patiesībā. Severians arī tagad zin kā viss ir patiesībā.
Autors šeit ir ieguldījis iespaidīgu izskaidrojošu darbu, bet lasīšanai vienkārši tāpat stāsta dēļ šī grāmata laikam nederēs.
Autors šeit ir ieguldījis iespaidīgu izskaidrojošu darbu, bet lasīšanai vienkārši tāpat stāsta dēļ šī grāmata laikam nederēs.
August 7, 2024
Jedyna w swoim rodzaju, wielowymiarowa i wielowarstwowa powieść. Tłumaczy wiele wydarzeń z pierwszych części serii, zostawia nas z dziesiątką nowych pytań.
Moja ulubiona seria!
Moja ulubiona seria!
July 2, 2021
Il cammino della divinità verso i territori dell'uomo
"Fu allora che mi parve di capire cosa provasse l'Increato verso la sua creazione, e seppi quale dovesse essere la sua tristezza nel vedere come si consumavano e perivano le cose da lui create. Credo che forse c'è una legge da cui è legato perfino lui, o meglio una necessità logica: niente può essere eterno nel futuro se non è radicato nell'eternità del passato, come lo è lui stesso."
"Tu sei il Nuovo Sole. Tu sarai rimandato sulla tua Urth, e la Fontana Bianca verrà con te. L'agonia mortale del mondo da te conosciuto sarà offerta all'Increato. E tale agonia sarà indescrivibile...i continenti cadranno nel profondo, com'è stato detto. La maggior parte di ciò che è bello perirà, e perirà la maggior parte della tua razza; ma la vostra casa sarà ricostruita."
"Nel sentire il suo ansito la guardai, e vidi il guasto che il tempo aveva fatto al suo volto bagnato di lacrime. Noi amiamo di più una persona quando sappiamo che non ha niente fuorché il nostro amore, e io non credo di aver amato Valeria più di quanto l'amai in quel momento. Le poggiai una mano sulla spalla, e benché non fosse l'occasione adatta a una scena intima fui lieto di quel gesto..."
Cos'è Il Libro del Nuovo Sole se non una testimonianza, direttamente dal futuro, dell'uomo che diventa Dio attraverso i Sentieri del Tempo?
Anche il quinto atto di questo ciclo, pur dando qualche risposta in più rispetto ai misteri che trainavano la storia della tetralogia originale, resta piuttosto impenetrabile e non tradisce lo spirito di partenza. La grande idea di fondo - raccontare il percorso di formazione di un Dio, messaggero messianico della fine del mondo per la sua definitiva rinascita - rende l'opera un unicum a cavallo tra i generi; un viaggio surreale che nella discontinuità dello spazio-tempo e la sconfinatezza dell'universo trova la sua massima realizzazione (idee come la nave di Tdzakiel, per esempio, sono da altissima letteratura).
Purtroppo l'opera dilapida da sola il suo patrimonio, tra passaggi narrativi incomprensibili e dialoghi micidiali nella loro costruzione: non è dato, purtroppo, sapere quanto giochi l'ignoranza culturale del lettore e quanto invece vada ascritto all'anarchia del caro Wolfe.
In conclusione? Esperienza unica nel suo genere, ma da suggerire con moltissime riserve.
"Fu allora che mi parve di capire cosa provasse l'Increato verso la sua creazione, e seppi quale dovesse essere la sua tristezza nel vedere come si consumavano e perivano le cose da lui create. Credo che forse c'è una legge da cui è legato perfino lui, o meglio una necessità logica: niente può essere eterno nel futuro se non è radicato nell'eternità del passato, come lo è lui stesso."
"Tu sei il Nuovo Sole. Tu sarai rimandato sulla tua Urth, e la Fontana Bianca verrà con te. L'agonia mortale del mondo da te conosciuto sarà offerta all'Increato. E tale agonia sarà indescrivibile...i continenti cadranno nel profondo, com'è stato detto. La maggior parte di ciò che è bello perirà, e perirà la maggior parte della tua razza; ma la vostra casa sarà ricostruita."
"Nel sentire il suo ansito la guardai, e vidi il guasto che il tempo aveva fatto al suo volto bagnato di lacrime. Noi amiamo di più una persona quando sappiamo che non ha niente fuorché il nostro amore, e io non credo di aver amato Valeria più di quanto l'amai in quel momento. Le poggiai una mano sulla spalla, e benché non fosse l'occasione adatta a una scena intima fui lieto di quel gesto..."
Cos'è Il Libro del Nuovo Sole se non una testimonianza, direttamente dal futuro, dell'uomo che diventa Dio attraverso i Sentieri del Tempo?
Anche il quinto atto di questo ciclo, pur dando qualche risposta in più rispetto ai misteri che trainavano la storia della tetralogia originale, resta piuttosto impenetrabile e non tradisce lo spirito di partenza. La grande idea di fondo - raccontare il percorso di formazione di un Dio, messaggero messianico della fine del mondo per la sua definitiva rinascita - rende l'opera un unicum a cavallo tra i generi; un viaggio surreale che nella discontinuità dello spazio-tempo e la sconfinatezza dell'universo trova la sua massima realizzazione (idee come la nave di Tdzakiel, per esempio, sono da altissima letteratura).
Purtroppo l'opera dilapida da sola il suo patrimonio, tra passaggi narrativi incomprensibili e dialoghi micidiali nella loro costruzione: non è dato, purtroppo, sapere quanto giochi l'ignoranza culturale del lettore e quanto invece vada ascritto all'anarchia del caro Wolfe.
In conclusione? Esperienza unica nel suo genere, ma da suggerire con moltissime riserve.
January 30, 2020
This is a fine ending to this most wonderful series, but it does lack some of the gritty polish and bemusing weirdness of its four predecessors. Perhaps it is just familiarity with the world of Severian the Torturer that makes this one a little less insane, and a good portion of the book is taken up by crazy battles on a time-bending spaceship, a literal galleon with a thousand sails whisking our "hero" to the universe Yesod to find the New Sun. None of that will mean anything to you if you haven't read the other books, but you really should. They are the most wonderfully written, strange, and mystifying works of science fiction or fantasy you are likely ever to read.
This one, for all its weird wonder, is often hard to follow since time and physics are bent out of recognition at times in the story and nothing ever stays as it should be, in a natural sense. But, still, it's way better than most shit in this genre you'll read, so, there's that.
This one, for all its weird wonder, is often hard to follow since time and physics are bent out of recognition at times in the story and nothing ever stays as it should be, in a natural sense. But, still, it's way better than most shit in this genre you'll read, so, there's that.
November 6, 2023
If all the other New Sun books were weird, this one was way out there. I could compare it to Dante's Paradisio (although honestly that would be a disservice to Dante) in that it is really hard to follow and becomes almost abstract. The return to Urth felt like a bit of a hack at the end. I just did not fully appreciate where Wolfe wanted to go with this whole narrative and as I never felt much affinity or sympathy for Severian, it was hard for me to care after a while. As I said on the review of volume 4, maybe this needs a re-read in two or three years.
Read
May 13, 2024Wolfe really crafted the greatest science fiction story ever…
February 6, 2022
- and the others who had come to aid us backed away, their faces filled with fear and wonder; and I thought then (as I think now) how strange it was that they should have been so brave when they faced a horror, but such cowards when confronted by the palinode of fate.
Perhaps it is only that when we contend with evil, we are engaged against our brothers.
Introduction - Background
This is a novel, that I am still in the middle of processing and somewhat speechless for what Book of the New Sun accomplishes. The release of Urth is an oddity because people can’t makeup, they mind upon this entry. Some people think it’s the 5th book in the series, a lot of people (myself) view BOTNS as one novel split into 4 parts, so people think this is a duology. Then they are other people who see it as just an extension of BOTNS and views it as a coda. It’s literally a mess, and the worst thing is that I can’t make up my mind about it. I’ve compromised thinking this is a coda to BOTNS, because it doesn’t work as a proper sequel, plus it’s so different from the prior 4 volumes it's hard to say it’s the 5th book. I think is a masterfully crafted novel, but I don’t think it’s essential to read to enjoy BOTNS at its fullest. I am still stand by that perspective because Wolfe initially plan to publish the 4 volumes and that is it. Even drafting all the novels before publishing. The existence of this novel is even an anomaly even for Wolfe standards because it was never intended to be released. But this was a compromise made with his editor “he wished to keep the end of Citadel exactly as he wrote it, but that he would write a “sequel” book that was all about what happened off-screen so to speak.” (paraphrase). So came the existence of this novel.
Thoughts, Questions and Narrative Approach
All that information is very fascinating because its fits so well within the main book. It is that extension that adds a lot of contexts even additional weight. So, to properly begin, Like Gene Wolfe fashion, Urth is the perfect example of giving answers while asking more in the process. Don’t expect to be a ton of answers however he does explicitly tell you certain questions you may have had while reading Book of the New Sun. In particular Hierodule’s motivations, Apu-Punchau and the infamous play “Eschatology and Genesis”. Mind you I will probably be confused when I reread it, however, it provides a lot of clarity for those specifics’ subjects and more than that. Certain answers I honestly didn’t need to know until I got it. Though I will state some answers you can argue that demystifies some of the original book. At the same time, it makes it more interesting, because that answer, can say something profound about the world.
In terms of the narrative approach, this is ironically the most straightforward book in the “series”. Like of course, it's Wolfe so he doesn’t make it easy. But he does give you more of a guiding hand than usual. This could also just be Severian being more experienced, so he has more context compared to when he wrote BOTNS. The usual stuff going over your head is nature, it can be frustrating but it's Wolfe style, he makes you contemplate what’s transpiring and if you don’t know the answer it's fine just keep reading.
Themes
I think the most interesting departure or difference in Urth is how it dealt with themes. Severian being a Christ-like figure is quite an explicit theme in BOTNS, however, they others you have to dig deep. Wolfe often does allusion and trickery Wolfe which does reward the observant reader. Here I think it's thematically the most overt entry in the series like it's quite clear the Christian connotations. Though yes, they others that are quite subtle. However, I don’t think you need to be Christian to enjoy it, I know very little about Christianity in general and I loved it. I would state isn’t influenced just by one source, but yes, the Christian connotations are more prominent here than any other title.
Writing
The writing style is odd because it's similar to botns but it feels different. It’s a similar storytelling device, a first-person retrospective but I can’t put my finger to it, why does it feel different. It might be due to real-life factors like Gene Wolfe writing has evolved or any in-universe explanation, this is written after the events of the book of the new sun, so Severian is older and has more context of the world. Regardless of the case, the prose is bloody stunning, the amount of highlighting I did was unbelievable. It really shouldn’t shock you its beautifully written but how certain sequences are written catches you off guard, like holy crap, that’s amazing. I didn’t want to read too many reviews, but I got a general idea of some people thoughts, one aspect most fascinating is this novel being too weird. That is arguably true, but this was a key component of the original so it’s interesting why now this is seen as a major criticism. My guess is that the voice of Severian is changed so, how the weird is portrayed differently, that can be perceived less seriously? It's interesting seeing people remarks upon this aspect.
Setting
One aspect I can genuinely see bothering people is that that beloved setting is different. One of the key strengths of why the series is so beloved is that dying earth setting, where its reads like fantasy but is Sci-Fi in disguise. The first 3rd of the novel is set on a ship, it's arguably the less interesting aspect compared to the wild ride that is the rest of the novel. It’s the most overtly sci-fiction in the series. I love that aspect, but I understand that illusion is why people loved the original.
Characters:
Severian character is arguably the most interesting in the entry. They a famous quote in Urth that sums up Severian quite well:
“I am a bad man trying to be a good one.”
I loved his character Sword onwards, which is hard to say because in Claw he did an inexcusable act against Jolenta, which I can’t forgive. But regardless during that period, it's where I became sympathetic towards his cause. From the offset, it’s been 10 years since book 4 and they are alot growing Severian did in that period and even journey itself. The best example would be chapter examination where he is facing his past and his actions. He critically thinks about the horrible shit he caused people. Severian He forced to be the saviour of humanity because it’s the right thing to do. I won’t state they have no free will because that’s a fundamental theme of the series. But his choice and wanting to do best. Severian wants to keep certain memories shut down for good because it haunts him. Throughout his journey, Serverian reflects, one of the most interesting times is when he referred to the volunteer from BOTNS chapter 1. In that novel, Severian tried to justify to himself that killing this volunteer was a duty. But just the change of words to " poor volunteer" showcases a sign of respect for the past. Subtle aspects like that are sprinkled throughout.
Overall Severian arc is such an interesting case study, and he is that glue that makes this whole situation work.
Side Characters
In general, I don’t many negatives, I love this book but if were to nit-pick, that would be the side cast. BOTNS in general, the side cast is superior by almost every stretch, though arguably an unfair comparison because it’s a coda to that book. However, they have a lot of new characters that it feels somewhat warranted to comment upon. I would preface some of the reoccurring cast is fantastic but the new cast can be hit and miss. They aren’t like Dorcas’s type character where that type of nuance and complexity makes me emotionally so invested. The most intriguing of the new cast would be Tzadkiel. The execution of this type of character is fascinating. Another interesting character was Apheta besides that they didn’t stand out too much though was a nice addition. The main reason I am talking about the side characters is mainly due to Gunnie. I don’t like this character that much nor find her that fascinating. The concept surrounding the character is pretty nice, but as a person is less intriguing. So overall the new cast is weaker, but some old reoccurring is brilliant though wish we had more of
Plot
Conclusion
Honestly, they are more things I wanted to discuss, but I couldn’t as it’s that type of that series. With so much depth that you talk endlessly. Book of the New Sun is a special “series” it’s so unconventional I am surprised it was published. It's one of those few series where it just rewards the reader for being observant. Midway through I just wanted to reread BOTNS, even if you don’t reread stuff, Wolfe almost dares you not to reread it. One of the best science fiction experiences I’ve had, even more talking about it with friends it's immensely satisfying. It's somewhat sad writing this review, as it's saying goodbye to a friend. Of course, I can reread the series, but that first experience is something you can’t take away it’s something special. It took a year for me to start Urth and I don’t regret it. It’s tough saying goodbye but thank you Gene Wolfe for writing this masterpiece! Though Urth of New Sun never intended to exist, it's a part of the cog that is BOTNS, a brilliant book.
9.5/10
November 22, 2022
41st book of 2022.
This is the sequel to the first four books of Gene Wolfe's New Sun quadrilogy. It's far more philosophical and religious than its predecessors. It's really a matter of taste whether you like this or not. Personally I was fine with the change of pace, but got completely lost and somewhat bored near the end and so a star or two off.
Otherwise and interesting read, if unnecessary completion Severin's saga.
3-stars.
This is the sequel to the first four books of Gene Wolfe's New Sun quadrilogy. It's far more philosophical and religious than its predecessors. It's really a matter of taste whether you like this or not. Personally I was fine with the change of pace, but got completely lost and somewhat bored near the end and so a star or two off.
Otherwise and interesting read, if unnecessary completion Severin's saga.
3-stars.
July 1, 2021
I have a problem with all Wolfe's books I have read so far: they make me feel dumb. This can be attributed to two, maybe three things.
(1) Wolfe meticulously crafts his stories so that they tread beyond normal "...and then this happened, then this and then this!" narratives. That is to say, this is exactly what he does in the Book of the New Sun, but in such a fashion that I rarely have a moment to breathe in between passages. Everything flows to and fro, which makes this a very exhausting and challenging read.
(2) What is true? Wolfe's use of unreliable narration has been discussed to much extent, so I dare not even try to begin to describe it here. Suffice it to say that the Urth of the New Sun gives (unreliable?) answers to questions raised in the previous novels, but that it also raises just as many if not more.
(3) I am stupid and not worthy of understanding.
So, what do we actually have here? This so-called coda to the Book of the New Sun fluently continues Severian's quest, be it with a switch from the fantasy with subtle sci-fi nuances here and there in its predecessors to the inverse of this. Abandoned civilisations? Check, but these happen to live on a spaceship. Weird creatures? Check, but they are not what they seem. Weird people? Check, but they are also not who they seem. A really weird finale? Check. Well, actually, double-check, because I could not quite wrap my head around it at first. This is something typical of this series, I now finally understand, having read all five novels: your internal gears should remain active long after having finished one of them. There is much to be discovered as not all is disclosed—which is exactly what this kind of fiction is about. At least, to me it is.
(1) Wolfe meticulously crafts his stories so that they tread beyond normal "...and then this happened, then this and then this!" narratives. That is to say, this is exactly what he does in the Book of the New Sun, but in such a fashion that I rarely have a moment to breathe in between passages. Everything flows to and fro, which makes this a very exhausting and challenging read.
(2) What is true? Wolfe's use of unreliable narration has been discussed to much extent, so I dare not even try to begin to describe it here. Suffice it to say that the Urth of the New Sun gives (unreliable?) answers to questions raised in the previous novels, but that it also raises just as many if not more.
(3) I am stupid and not worthy of understanding.
So, what do we actually have here? This so-called coda to the Book of the New Sun fluently continues Severian's quest, be it with a switch from the fantasy with subtle sci-fi nuances here and there in its predecessors to the inverse of this. Abandoned civilisations? Check, but these happen to live on a spaceship. Weird creatures? Check, but they are not what they seem. Weird people? Check, but they are also not who they seem. A really weird finale? Check. Well, actually, double-check, because I could not quite wrap my head around it at first. This is something typical of this series, I now finally understand, having read all five novels: your internal gears should remain active long after having finished one of them. There is much to be discovered as not all is disclosed—which is exactly what this kind of fiction is about. At least, to me it is.
June 11, 2022
The Urth of the New Sun is the quasi-sequel to Gene Wolfe’s The Book of the New Sun, functioning as a coda to the previous four volumes. Having really enjoyed Book of the New Sun, I was slightly wary going into this, since it seems to garner more mixed reactions compared to the central story. But taking each volume as an individual book, Urth is currently my favourite of the five.
It begins with a much older Severian as the Autarch, setting off on a quest to plead his case for a New Sun for Urth. The first section of the book is spent on a spaceship and his encounters with some of the crew he meets. This is, I think, the weakest part of the book in that it has a lot of random scenes that only make sense much later in the story. Hence, the first ten chapters or so weren’t my favourite while reading them, but I appreciated what they set up after completing the book. It was great to see the science fiction aspects becoming more overt and explicit: the descriptions of the massive proportions and ever-changing dimensions of the spaceship, the interuniversal travel through wormholes, it was all fantastic and the writing lent it a sort of mystical quality that enhanced its effect.
The prose is excellent, as expected. It feels different somehow, compared to The Book of the New Sun, but I can’t put my finger on why it feels that way, being the same first person retrospective narration. Or maybe I’m just surprised at how much more free Wolfe is with explanations in this book. What Urth of the New Sun does very well is provide answers — not directly, of course, but through a series of revelations and scenes that lend more context to previous events and hence, provide a fuller understanding of why certain things played out the way they did. In the process, it produces more questions — it wouldn’t be Gene Wolfe if it didn’t. The sequences involving the Corridors of Time were some of my favourite sections, especially the twist at the end and the explanation for the Claw of the Conciliator and Apu-Punchau.
Severian’s characterization is the best aspect of this book, however, and it is what drives the majority of events. His slow and subtle change from Shadow of the Torturer to the person he is here is astounding. Urth is much more transparent with its information than in the previous four volumes, so it becomes easier to pinpoint and grasp how he has changed, such as with his test on Yesod. His introspection and self-reflection lead to him acknowledging that the reality of situations did not always line up with what he thought them to be. His proclamations of and belief in the fact that certain people loved him, for example, while in truth they were just what he wanted to believe. He recognizes his flaws and former inhumanity and his travels almost seem like a penance. The biblical allusions, with Severian as a Christ-like figure, are also more overtly presented in the narrative. The crux of his characterization can be encapsulated in how he introduces himself to people unaware of his identity, in the quote below.
There is a sense of completion, a kind of cyclicality, to the ending of this volume. The culmination of Severian’s journey at the start of The Book of the New Sun as well as of the world of Urth, under its sun’s dying throes, of its death and rebirth. Layered over that are fascinating incorporations of science fiction elements including time dilation, dimensional travel, the almost divine nature of vastly powerful aliens, the entire setting itself as a backdrop for the story. While stopping after The Citadel of the Autarch is a perfectly viable option, it would be a disservice to not read The Urth of the New Sun and get the complete picture.
It begins with a much older Severian as the Autarch, setting off on a quest to plead his case for a New Sun for Urth. The first section of the book is spent on a spaceship and his encounters with some of the crew he meets. This is, I think, the weakest part of the book in that it has a lot of random scenes that only make sense much later in the story. Hence, the first ten chapters or so weren’t my favourite while reading them, but I appreciated what they set up after completing the book. It was great to see the science fiction aspects becoming more overt and explicit: the descriptions of the massive proportions and ever-changing dimensions of the spaceship, the interuniversal travel through wormholes, it was all fantastic and the writing lent it a sort of mystical quality that enhanced its effect.
The prose is excellent, as expected. It feels different somehow, compared to The Book of the New Sun, but I can’t put my finger on why it feels that way, being the same first person retrospective narration. Or maybe I’m just surprised at how much more free Wolfe is with explanations in this book. What Urth of the New Sun does very well is provide answers — not directly, of course, but through a series of revelations and scenes that lend more context to previous events and hence, provide a fuller understanding of why certain things played out the way they did. In the process, it produces more questions — it wouldn’t be Gene Wolfe if it didn’t. The sequences involving the Corridors of Time were some of my favourite sections, especially the twist at the end and the explanation for the Claw of the Conciliator and Apu-Punchau.
Severian’s characterization is the best aspect of this book, however, and it is what drives the majority of events. His slow and subtle change from Shadow of the Torturer to the person he is here is astounding. Urth is much more transparent with its information than in the previous four volumes, so it becomes easier to pinpoint and grasp how he has changed, such as with his test on Yesod. His introspection and self-reflection lead to him acknowledging that the reality of situations did not always line up with what he thought them to be. His proclamations of and belief in the fact that certain people loved him, for example, while in truth they were just what he wanted to believe. He recognizes his flaws and former inhumanity and his travels almost seem like a penance. The biblical allusions, with Severian as a Christ-like figure, are also more overtly presented in the narrative. The crux of his characterization can be encapsulated in how he introduces himself to people unaware of his identity, in the quote below.
"My name is Severian. I am a bad man trying to be a good one."
There is a sense of completion, a kind of cyclicality, to the ending of this volume. The culmination of Severian’s journey at the start of The Book of the New Sun as well as of the world of Urth, under its sun’s dying throes, of its death and rebirth. Layered over that are fascinating incorporations of science fiction elements including time dilation, dimensional travel, the almost divine nature of vastly powerful aliens, the entire setting itself as a backdrop for the story. While stopping after The Citadel of the Autarch is a perfectly viable option, it would be a disservice to not read The Urth of the New Sun and get the complete picture.
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