Recently started The Knight...

[Rahl Windsong]

Its finished now I could hardly put it down! My god how did I miss this author all these years? That has to be one of the strangest worlds I have ever had the pleasure to read.

Rahl

 

[GOLLUM]

Nice to see you discover Gene the Genius mate!!!.....

 

[Inkreator]

Read more of his work,you won't regret it.

 

[genisis2]

Its finished now I could hardly put it down! My god how did I miss this author all these years? That has to be one of the strangest worlds I have ever had the pleasure to read.

Rahl

I have 30 pages left. I am sorely disappionted mainly because my expectations were really high. The main character is about 16 years of age and has no problem being whisked away into another world & kind of accepts everything as a matter of fact all is honkey dorey around him.There are other little things that bugged me but its 1130 pm wife wants me off the computer. Now having said this though there are many things that I did like in the book so it wasnt a horrible experience but I really had high expectations and GW didnt deliver, only my opinion.
Ill have to read the rest of the threads and be more selective.

 

[GOLLUM]

That's a shame Genesis. Maybe try his IMO greatest work Book Of The New Sun if you've not already. I agree Knight is by no way his best work. Stuff like his Latro In The Mist series or Fifth Head Of Cerberus are superior to that.

If things are still dissapointing after reading Sun then maybe it's time to give Gene the flick, which would be sad as I personally consider him one of the greatest authors of his generation independent of Genre. Having said that he's probably not everyone's cup of tea.

 

[genisis2]

Hi Gollum.
I actually went to my bookstore to pick up Latro in the Mist or Book of the New Sun. Chapters only had The Knight and only one copy at that sooooo I scooped it.
Many people have told me Gene Wolfe was/is an exceptional writer. Its not that I gave up on him as of yet and believe me this is by far NOT the worst book I have ever read. I cerainly didnt hate the book, I was just expecting so much more from this author.

Quote
I personally consider him one of the greatest authors of his generation independent of Genre. Quote

Yours is not the only voice who echos this statement. In fact for at least 10 years Ive been wanting to read a Wolfe book to see what all the hype was about and finally when I get around to it and pick up The Knight which even you have said is not his best work so you can imagine my disappiontment.
I have to go to another store if I remember correctly they had 1 GW, 1 Bakker title, 3 Erickson books but dedicated 5 rows of shelf space for those Forgotten Realms books thats just bloody silly.

 

[Rahl Windsong]

I thought The Knight was a pretty good book, by no means the best book I have ever read, but good enough to recommend to a friend in hopes that they might like it as well.

I think possibly it was the high expectations you might have had build up over time as you heard more and more sources state that Gene Wolfe is the greatest, etc. Then you pick up The Knight and its not living up to those expectations because really they have become too high? Just my thoughts and I hope you find other books of his more to your liking.

Rahl

 

[genisis2]

I thought The Knight was a pretty good book, by no means the best book I have ever read, but good enough to recommend to a friend in hopes that they might like it as well.

I think possibly it was the high expectations you might have had build up over time as you heard more and more sources state that Gene Wolfe is the greatest, etc. Then you pick up The Knight and its not living up to those expectations because really they have become too high? Just my thoughts and I hope you find other books of his more to your liking.

Rahl

Thats exactly it!!!
Very well put Rahl. As I stated in an earlier post there are portions of the book I liked and GW writing the protaginist with a 16 year olds mentality which is in conflict with his adult body was brilliant.

 

[GOLLUM]

...In fact for at least 10 years Ive been wanting to read a Wolfe book to see what all the hype was about and finally when I get around to it and pick up The Knight which even you have said is not his best work so you can imagine my disappiontment.
I have to go to another store if I remember correctly they had 1 GW, 1 Bakker title, 3 Erickson books but dedicated 5 rows of shelf space for those Forgotten Realms books thats just bloody silly.

Actually that's probably commercial reality.

Don't forget that although you've heard good reports about Wolfe from others this may not mean it's necessarily your cup of tea. A case in point is Sephen Donaldson, an author whose work I like very much but many others I know dislike. I think once you've got hold of a copy of New Sun, Latro and an earlier work The Fifth Head Of Cerberus you'll have a good idea whether this author is one for you.

If you find you really enjoy these books you'll probably want to hunt down more of Wolfe's books including a collection of short stories called Storeys Form The Old Hotel. These focus on lesser known works that olfe believes deserve better recognition.

Let us know how you go tracking down those other books, I assume you are able to order them in if necessary? New Sun is also a Masterwork title if that helps, coming in 2 volumes.

 

[Rahl Windsong]

Even still if I saw The Wizard or any others in that same series I would buy it and consider it a good addition to my books.

Also, Gollum I was wondering if you could tell me anything about Poul Anderson and specifically Mother of Kings? I have it on my shelf and I have not had the time to read it yet.

Rahl

 

[GOLLUM]

Even still if I saw The Wizard or any others in that same series I would buy it and consider it a good addition to my books.

Also, Gollum I was wondering if you could tell me anything about Poul Anderson and specifically Mother of Kings? I have it on my shelf and I have not had the time to read it yet.

Rahl

Well Poul Anderson is probably an underrated master of speculative fiction in my humble view and defnitely one of the heavyweights in SFF history.

Having said that I've not read many of his books but Mother of Kings is a merticulously researched historical novel thaty focuses on the story of real life Gunnhild, Queen of Norway and England during the decline of the Viking era. The plot and cast is clearly EPIC in scale but for my money the story doesn't flow as well as it should becoming bogged down at times in historical minutae and if you prefer a book that has it's share of sympathetic characters you're unlikely to find them here. Also the magic or fantasy aspect is pretty limited, so if you're taste is a novel with a strong fantasy element this isn't it. Having said that it's still a well written book overall and superior to many other novels in the Genre but not a favourtie Anderson of mine.

If you wish to read a classic work of the Genre in the vein of heroic fantasy come Norse inspired EPIC and one that fits very comfortably within VG's Masterwork series allow me to suggest to you a masterpiece in The Broken Sword first published back in 1954. Make sure you purchase the more recent Gollancz Masterwork edition as it faithfully reproduces the orginal publication unlike the somewhat problematic Balantine edition from the early 70s.

Sorry I must depart for now but that should hopefully answer your question in part.

 

[j d worthington]

Actually, both versions are rather good. Also try Three Hearts and Three Lions and The Merman's Children; these are very worthwhile fantasy pieces. Anderson's depiction is pretty stark and grim (and meticulously researched), but there are moments of humor and warmth that balance that. Agreed; Anderson is sadly underrated these days.

 

[GOLLUM]

Actually, both versions are rather good. Also try Three Hearts and Three Lions and The Merman's Children; these are very worthwhile fantasy pieces. Anderson's depiction is pretty stark and grim (and meticulously researched), but there are moments of humor and warmth that balance that. Agreed; Anderson is sadly underrated these days.

True JD but I'm always one for books printed in their original format versus edited versions even in those cases where the edited version may improve a story's overall readibiity. Call me a purist but that's just me. The VG is also much more recent too and therefore will probably be easier for Rahl to accquire.

Yes I've only recently purchased and now read Three Hearts and Three Lions and I believe it's a beautifully rendered tale. It is also avaiable via Masterworks; another I'd have no hesitation in recommending. I've read about The Merman's Children but never read the actual story so thanks JD for the reminder to add it to that ever growing TBR list.....

 

[Rahl Windsong]

Aye after thinking about this author and talking to my brother last night I realized I have read some of the SF novels by Anderson. I think I have read Guardians of Time and The Annals of the Time Patrol though it was so long ago, and in my highschool dope smoking days, that I can't really remember a thing about it! heh imagine that

Rahl

 

[Fnord_Lord]

I don't know. I bought The Knight a while back and found it insufferable. It meandered around with the character getting thrown in deus-ex-machina manner from one bizarre situation to the next, with no explanation, always able to just accept where he was without question. He's supposed to be a Knight, but he doesn't act very Knight-like, or with much honor (which is continually stressed as being what Knighthood is about) but instead simply does whatever is practical to survive. His motivation for everything, so that he can be with that Dryad-woman that he's in love with, seems rather thing and contrived.

I couldn't keep reading and sold it back to a used-book-store about halfway through. I didn't really regret doing that either, though I do wonder how it is that so many people apparently think this book is the best thing to have come along in the last few decades, when it felt like it had been written by a sixteen-year-old to me.

Are his "Sun" books written this way, too? Or is there actually a reliable narrator, consistent plot, and some train of logic that the events follow?

 

[Kailana]

I just started this book because the bookstore only had this book by him, and so far, I think it is interesting. It is different than what I have read lately, in any case, but I am not far into it yet to say whether I love it or hate it. Only time will tell. I wanted to read his series of sorts, but of course the bookstore didn't have it. If I like this book and the sequel, then I will have to order his other books online.

 

[Kailana]

Okay, tell me that Gene Wolfe has better books then this one? It has an interesting premise, and I think that he pulls a kid stuck in an adult body well, but the kid is driving me crazy. Maybe it will get better, but as it stands right now I am having a very hard time getting into it.

 

[Coolhand]

I don't know. I bought The Knight a while back and found it insufferable. It meandered around with the character getting thrown in deus-ex-machina manner from one bizarre situation to the next, with no explanation,

Are his "Sun" books written this way, too? Or is there actually a reliable narrator, consistent plot, and some train of logic that the events follow?

Well, I read the first two and a half books of the "New Sun" quadroligy (bought all four) and sort of ground to a slithering halt because I just couldn't take it any more, for pretty much the same reasons you described giving up on Knight. I actually found them to be the worst books I've ever read. Like you, I sold them on to a second hand book store.

This isn't to say Gene Wolfe's not a genius. I guess he's like a fine Single Malt whiskey aged to perfection. A rare treat that obviously brings great pleasure to a lot of people but at the end of the day some people are always going to sip it, gag and cough out the words;
"How can you DRINK this stuff?"

Kailana, having said that, it might be worth trying another Wolfe book before you totally give up on him. The "New Sun" books are supposed to be the best, so maybe the first volume and see what you think?