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The Shadow of the Torturer

Book 1 in the series:The Book of the New Sun

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"The Shadow of the Torturer" by Gene Wolfe follows Severian, a young apprentice torturer with the burden of total recall, as he navigates a vivid and haunting alternative world. The book immerses readers in a masterfully crafted setting with detailed descriptions, but some find the plot dour and the pacing meandering, leading to mixed feelings about the protagonist and the overall story.

Severian's journey is filled with mysterious encounters, cryptic dream sequences, and a slow revelation of the world's setting. The narrative explores themes of memory, identity, and the blurred lines between reality and dreams, creating a challenging yet rewarding reading experience for those who appreciate intricate storytelling and thought-provoking allegories.

Characters:

Characters, including the complex protagonist Severian, are morally ambiguous, with motivations that are often obscured.

Writing/Prose:

The writing style is baroque, intricate, and demands careful reading, with deep literary and philosophical undertones.

Plot/Storyline:

The plot centers around Severian, an apprentice torturer navigating a morally complex world filled with fantastical and science fiction elements.

Setting:

The setting features a dying Earth characterized by a blend of medieval and futuristic elements, creating a rich and immersive world.

Pacing:

Pacing is slow and contemplative, often requiring patience from readers as the narrative unfolds.
It is possible I already had some presentiment of my future. The locked and rusted gate that stood before us, with wisps of river fog threading its spikes like the mountain paths, remains in my mind n...

Notes:

The Shadow of the Torturer is narrated in the first person by Severian, a young apprentice torturer.
It's the first book in Gene Wolfe's tetralogy, The Book of the New Sun.
Severian's journey takes him to the distant city of Thrax after he is exiled from his guild.
He possesses a fuligin cloak, described as blacker than black, which terrifies others.
Severian wields a massive and sharp sword called Terminus Est, meaning "this is the end".
The story is set in a far future where the sun is dying, creating a mix of post-apocalyptic and medieval elements.
Wolfe uses archaic and real words instead of invented terms, which adds to the narrative's depth.
The society features a rigid class system and guilds similar to medieval England.
In the book, torturers are viewed with a mix of fear and respect, and they approach their tasks with professionalism instead of sadism.
Severian is a morally complex character who struggles with his role in a society that demands harshness.

Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings

Content warnings include themes of violence and torture, institutionalized suffering, as well as the moral implications of Severian's occupation and the societal structures surrounding it.

Has Romance?

There are elements of romance, particularly concerning Severian's interactions with women, though these relationships are often complicated and entwined with themes of desire and power.

From The Publisher:

"A major work of twentieth-century American literature...Wolfe creates a truly alien social order that the reader comes to experience from within...once into it, there is no stopping." --The New York Times on The Book of the New Sun

Gene Wolfe has been called "the finest writer the science fiction world has yet produced" by the Washington Post.

THE BOOK OF THE NEW SUN is unanimously acclaimed as Wolfe's most remarkable work, hailed as "a masterpiece of science fantasy comparable in importance to the major works of Tolkien and Lewis" by Publishers Weekly and "one of the most ambitious works of speculative fiction in the twentieth century" by the Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction.

The Shadow of the Torturer is the first volume in this four-volume epic, the tale of young Severian, an apprentice to the Guild of Torturers on the world called Urth, exiled for committing the ultimate sin of his profession- showing mercy toward his victim.

The Claw of the Conciliator continues the saga of Severian, banished from his home, as he undertakes a mythic quest to discover the awesome power of an ancient relic and learn the truth about his hidden destiny.

"A masterpiece...the best science fiction I've read in years!" -Ursula K. Le Guin

Ratings (40)

Incredible (10)
Loved It (12)
Liked It (5)
It Was OK (6)
Did Not Like (4)
Hated It (3)

Reader Stats (110):

Read It (39)
Currently Reading (1)
Want To Read (60)
Did Not Finish (1)
Not Interested (9)

2 comment(s)

Hated It
1 month

Un libro que de primeras parece tener buena pinta, pero que al final me ha costado horrores terminar.

Espero que haya sido por falta de nivel al leer inglés o algo, pero la historia me parecía inconexa, una acumulación de situaciones sin sentido ni nexo definido, con personajes que no llegué a conocer en ningún momento y de los que por tanto no he podido preocuparme mientras los leía. Historias secundarias que pasaban por ahí, huecos en la narración del tamaño de capítulos enteros y demás obstáculos a la hora de entender lo que pasaba.

En resumen, si no eres nativo, no te acerques, aunque lo mismo, si el traductor es capaz, de aquí puede salir algo bueno.

 
Hated It
1 month

Meh - this failed the 25% test as well.

The issue is that, though the concept is there, the style of writing is that which I cannot stomach.

Classics such as Verne, Wells, Burroughs, while great stories have lackluster story TELLING. This thing happened, of which I am telling you, though it is non-consequential, as this person is now dead. So, why are you telling anyone? I did this thing, and I doubt I will again I said, and as it turns out, I was correct. Well, friggin good for you. Again, why did you waste the space telling me these things. I felt as though I was reading a reading of a journal written by a man dictating to another, so I am at the fifth generation of the story, and it is slow, and boring, and very uninteresting.

No disrespect to Gene Wolfe, who at his time, was one of the masters of the craft, but this does not hold up well in the passing years, in my opinion.

 

About the Author:

Gene Wolfe (1931-2019) was the Nebula Award-winning author of The Book of the New Sun tetralogy in the Solar Cycle, as well as the World Fantasy Award winners The Shadow of the Torturer and Soldier of Sidon. He was also a prolific writer of distinguished short fiction, which has been collected in such award-winning volumes as Storeys from the Old Hotel and The Best of Gene Wolfe.

A recipient of the World Fantasy Award for Life Achievement, the Edward E. Smith Memorial Award, and six Locus Awards, among many other honors, Wolfe was inducted into the Science Fiction Hall of Fame in 2007, and named Grand Master by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America in 2012.

 
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