Reading The Knight (some spoilers)

[Shingetsu]

I was trying to decide what High Fantasy series to read next, and since I had both books in The Wizard Knight I decided I'd read that since most books I only have the first book in many series.

Am I somehow reading The Knight wrong or is it very confusing in the beginning? I'm at page 68 so far. It's not bad, just feel like I'm drunk reading this.

One minute he's in America or at least he mentions America a few times. Then in a new world he meets a crazy old guy who thinks he is his brother and has a similar story to almost be true. Able excepts things about Aelfs and giants and worlds in the sky like it is normal in America.

An Aelf queen turns him into a man apparently for her own pleasure. He's instantly in love with her and would do anything. Is that because she put him under a spell or simply because he is a teenage boy who just had sex?

Next he makes a girl make clothes for him and the family thinks he is going to rape her but she is instantly in love with him after two kisses. Then when he runs down her brother they both find the Aelf queen and Able said he'll gladly kill the kid if she wants him to. Which doesn't sound very knightly. Then the kid wants to go on a quest for a sword with him even though Able said he would kill him.

It just feels like I'm stumbling around drunk and don't know how I got anywhere. Things seem to happen and then we're not informed why or anything. Is this just me?

 

[Shingetsu]

I guess no one is going to reply, not that it matters anymore since I'm almost done with the book. It is a good book though. I'm just not used to this style of first person. It almost seems like it spoils itself when he talks about names and things that haven't happend yet.

 

[T77]

Well, I should start by saying that I am biased, I loved The Knight. I didn't get the stumbling around drunk feeling, but I could see how you would feel that way. In my review, I likened the book to having a dream-like quality to it.

I've only read 6 or 7 Wolfe novels, and they all seem to have a wandering, dream-like, you're not really sure what happened or why quality to them. And you keep reading to try and find out the answers.

I don't recall if Disiri cast a spell to make him love her. I don't think so.

I can't wait to re-read this, but I will skip The Wizard, as I found that sub-par.

 

[Shingetsu]

I finished The Wizard. I thought it was just as good as The Knight. I wish there was another book, but it was a good ending. I bought Shadow and Claw of his other series to read sometime as well.

 

[T77]

Glad you liked The Wizard, it did not click for me. Maybe it will on a re-read.

The New Sun books are considered to be Gene's best. I read Shadow and Claw and loved it. Looking forward to finishing the series, but I'm reading Soldier of Arete at the moment.

 

[GOLLUM]

The New Sun books are considered to be Gene's best. I read Shadow and Claw and loved it. Looking forward to finishing the series, but I'm reading Soldier of Arete at the moment.

Agreed that is the popular consensus but amongst Wolfe die-hards... on an equal footing is probably the Latro in the Mist sequence, Fifth Head Of Cerberus and possibly Peace.

 

[Lamont Cranston]

First person narrative from a child & unreliable narrator.

 

[Stephen Palmer]

Gene Wolfe is my favourite author, but I'm sad to say I really struggled with The Knight. I just couldn't get into it. Alas, I won't be getting the second volume...

 

[GOLLUM]

That's a shame Stephen as I do think it improves...on the other hand Gene also being amongst my favourite writers, I can see where you are comnig form in comparison to his other works. Not amongst his very best for sure but it still has a depth to it as do all of Gene's works.

I presume you've got a copy of his excellent Retrospective?

 

[Stephen Palmer]

That's a shame Stephen as I do think it improves...on the other hand Gene also being amongst my favourite writers, I can see where you are comnig form in comparison to his other works. Not amongst his very best for sure but it still has a depth to it as do all of Gene's works.

I presume you've got a copy of his excellent Retrospective?

Not yet! But I did get some amazon tokens for Xmas...

 

[GOLLUM]

In that case.....don't waste any time....

 

[Rahl Windsong]

Gene Wolfe is my favourite author, but I'm sad to say I really struggled with The Knight. I just couldn't get into it. Alas, I won't be getting the second volume...

I really did enjoy both the Knight and the Wizard, the entire story is like a letter the main character is writing back to his friend in the real world. It is a different approach to writting thats for sure but it is also a Gene Wolfe book and for me that says it all, the man is a master of the craft.

Gene writes books that make you think and that is what I like more then anything about his work. If it makes me think about his stories even when I am not reading, for me thats a really good thing and something that very few authors can achieve at least that is my own humble oppinion.

 

[GOLLUM]

You are definitely not alone on that assessment Rahl although there are many writers like Gene in the wider realm of World Literature. He's also far from the only one in SFF of course. M John Harrison, if you haven't read him, is another I think you would enjoy..or possibly Neal Stephenson from a different angle.

Nice to see you around....

 

[Rahl Windsong]

Howdy Gollum, nice to see you around too! Happy New year to ya and everyone else!

I have not been reading as much lately, I seem to go in spurts and then nothing for quite a while. Lately all I have been doing is playing a really great single player RPG from Bioware called Dragon Age: Origins. Great game, good writing with characters so well written that you find yourself really caring for them and if you do something to upset them you actually feel bad about it...imagine that in a game! heh The player in this game can even have romances with some of the companions you pick up along the way, and the developers even put in some same sex romances if thats your thing....

A very deep and long game but I have played it to death now, time to start in on the books again!

 

[Stephen Palmer]

You are definitely not alone on that assessment Rahl although there are many writers like Gene in the wider realm of World Literature. He's also far from the only one in SFF of course. M John Harrison, if you haven't read him, is another I think you would enjoy..or possibly Neal Stephenson from a different angle.

Jorge Luis Borges!

 

[GOLLUM]

Borges absolutely but when you look at it there are many, many fine authors out there.