Of course you should read Gene Wolfe. Whyever shouldn’t you read Gene Wolfe? Read Gene Wolfe!
The order they were published is the order to red them: New, Long, Short. I reread the New Sun for the second time late last year, and got a bit more out of it.
I’d disagree that the Soldier series is an easier place to start. You have the main character’s memory loss fighting with your own natural, fallible memory as you’re reading. That alone was quite a struggle, and a really interesting experience. Couple that with the translated names for places that now have different names, and it’s a mess to decipher without a good map of the period handy. I actually had to quit a couple hundred pages in, with the intent to re-read at some point in my life where I’m able to really focus on it. Not an easy read.
Wizard and Knight are more readily accessible, although they’re still very strange and meandering. There are Doors is one of his easier reads, and, by that, I mean probably one of the more complicated books you’ll read.
TBOTNS is my favorite work by any author, ever. It responds well to rereadings. On your first reading, just enjoy Severian’s journey to the throne. In subsequent readings, since you now know the story, you will find the pieces clicking into place for the larger story happening around Severian.
A good place to start is with Wolfe’s short stories in his collection The Island of Doctor Death and Other Stories and Other Stories.
For novels, Free Live Free is pretty good. Some took it as mainstream, but Wolfe insists it’s fantasy (the magic is there, but subtle).
I put “Book of the New Sun” up there with the “Lord of the Rings”. I read them both the first time when I was a teenager. They really hit the mark in terms of world building and the use of language.
There was no glossary when I first read New Sun. But the exotic words are not made-up, the author simply draws from a larger word-hoard than most of us. I ended up making mine own glossary. It was a real treat finally figuring out what a strange word meant. I certainly vexed my school’s librarian several times.
It’s been over a decade since I’ve read either one. I need to reread both again. It’s always interesting how my take of a good book changes as I’ve grown older.
The library I got my copy from appears to have a 1st edition copy of The Shadow of the Torturer, which is what I have been reading from. It may not be the very first printing, but it is clearly the first run. No glossary or anything.
Update: He just met up with Dr. Talos and the giant.
FWIW - I’ve not heard of a version of the BOTNS that comes with a glossary. If there is one, could someone provide a link?
Nearing the end of Shadow of the Torturer.
Question, which I will spoiler-box
[spoiler]How did Dorcas join them? They were riding along on a lake, the lake that is used to preserve the dead bodies. She kind of just…surfaced and joined them.
I don’t get it. [/spoiler]
Just started rereading it for the first time since the books were originally published, mostly because of this thread. I had forgotten how compelling the narrative is?
Oh, and there’s no need for a glossary. Everything important is clear through context.
I agree. It would not have occurred to me to need a glossary.
Another fan chiming in. Everything I’ve read by Wolfe has been worth it. He’s an absolute master.
Look up the Biblical Dorcas.
Consider what Severian is in possession of at that time (though he doesn’t realize it); also consider who the boatman is looking for, by the way (that’s why these books are so tricky - it’s never spelled out that Dorcas is the boatman’s long-dead wife, revived by the Claw, which Severian has on his person at the time)
Mahaloth doesn’t know that as it has not yet been revealed in the story. Careful what you spoil.
I’ve reported my post. Sorry about that.
Uh, I think I knew he had the gem called “The Claw”. I don’t quite understand how he came to get it, though. Or…what it does. I thought it was just a super valuable gem, but I did not understand how it came to him.
Doing my best, really trying to understand the story.
I’ve always found the writing very tough to get through too. Never got more than a half-dozen chapters.
Although it was split into four books for publication, The Book of the New Sun is really one long novel. So, a lot of things aren’t explained until a later “book”.
How he gets the gem is explained - I think it gets explained before he leaves Nessus, but don’t recall exactly so I’m not going to spoil it. Just be patient; it’ll be revealed.
There are quite a few weird events in Severian’s travels, not just Dorcas. The reader gradually learns along with Severian what is going on. Some of the really obscure stuff doesn’t get clarified until the coda book, Urth of the New Sun (which isn’t strictly required reading, IMO, although I quite liked it).
It was first mentioned by Agia when they crashed their carriage and destroyed an altar. I have no idea how he got it.
It was explained in the final 5% or so of Shadow of the Torturer. He tells Dorcas that he thinks Agia slipped it down the sheath of Terminus Est after the crash so she would not have it found on her during a search. I guess she had it, which makes me wonder how she got it.
Note: I have now finished book 1 and am going straight on into book 2.