Latro in the Mist

[Lamont Cranston]

Well I caved in and got the omnibus.

 

[Connavar]

I just got Soldier of the Mist through the library, it will be my first Gene Wolfe because it was more interesting than my only other choice in english language book An Evil Guest, more rated by the Wolfe fans

 

[GOLLUM]

I just got Soldier of the Mist through the library, it will be my first Gene Wolfe because it was more interesting than my only other choice in english language book An Evil Guest, more rated by the Wolfe fans

Well at least you obtained the first in the Soldier Of The Mist series. They're amongst his best, so you've chosen a good starting point, Book of The New Sun and Fifth Head Of Cerberus notwithstanding.

I still haven't read my copy of An Evil Guest . It's supposed to proffer a healthy nod towards Mr. Lovecraft....

As you probably already know, I consider Gene to be one of the great writers of the 20th Century independent of Genre.

 

[Connavar]

I obtained the first book yes its hard to make mistake of getting the wrong book in the series. When there is fantasticfiction listings,Gene Wolfe forums like this

Yeah i have read how highly you rate Wolfe.

I had even forgot i could get this book, inter library loans you can request online and get email weeks later if the book is still available or lost.

 

[Lamont Cranston]

...and now just finished Arete in the Omnibus.
That endings left me with something to chew on.
I'll begin Soldier of Sidon in an hour or two.

 

[Connavar]

I read Soldier of the Mist and i was a little disappointed. Felt like i have read the story before,the story dragged for so long.

I like the fantastical,fictional ancient Greece but the memory thing,the slow story for a 200+ page was not the quality i expected. I have read similar literary fantasy done better.

I didnt finish the book, i think it was a not a good first book of his for someone new to him. I will order the first book of sun instead see if he fits my taste.

 

[donaldtroll]

Soldier of Sildon is better T77.

It won the World Fantasy Award for last year.

I'm very intersted on your take on the Long and Short Sun books. Very few people I know have read those other than myself here, so it would be good to have another member to discuss those with....

I find it very hard to believe that a board of professed Wolfers would shy away from reading the Long and Short... I really liked them, especially the Short.

 

[GOLLUM]

I find it very hard to believe that a board of professed Wolfers would shy away from reading the Long and Short... I really liked them, especially the Short.

HMMM..what's that old adage about not shootnig the messenger?.....

I think you will find that the majority of members here are only recently discovering the vast ouevre that Mr. Wolfe has produced over the years. I'm sure that over time they will get to read more of his work.

Hopefully my own read and reviews planned towards the end of this year focusing on some of Gene's less well known works will also help to engender further interest and contributions from other folk here.

Cheers.

 

[T77]

Gollum has described my situation. I only discovered Gene a few years ago and am working my way through his works. I am focusing on The Sun Series now and I already own the Long and Short Sun books and am looking forward to them. I'm about half way through The Citadel of the Autarch.

 

[GOLLUM]

The "long and short of it" is that the latter books are not quite as good as the orignal New Sun quartet but still of a high level....

 

[donaldtroll]

Very true. The new sun (Urth included) is Wolfes magnum opus (magnificent octopus?). But reading it without reading the others is kind of like watching Star Wars but not seeing the 2 sequels. Reading Long and Short made the new sun books even better in my mind. I especially liked the Short, which seemed very dreamlike and evocative, with a very tangible sense of wanderlust. I just finished all 3 Latros and liked them alot, and am heading on into Fifth Head as we speak.

 

[Woofdog2]

i first read this when it came out and discarded it as incomprehnsible. I returned to it this year and have read it all, and thoroughly enjoyed it, until i reached the last chapter.

i actually shouted NO! at the ending, as it has to be the most confusing resolution of a book ever (LOL). Careful study and hard googling has enlightened me somewhat.

Gene Wolfe - what a teacher.

I cannot imagine having read soldier of arete when it was published, with no online resources to tell me what the ending was. It made sense on reread recently (I could see the setup for what latro eventually did at the end, to some degree), but the way he handled left me befuddled on first rereading.