"Claw of the Conciliator" Chat - the 2nd book in Gene Wolfe's "The Book of the New Sun"

In our ongoing buddy read of Gene Wolfe's "Book of the New Sun" series, Philip Chase, Paul Williams and I discuss the second book, "Claw of the Conciliator."
Our "Shadow of the Torturer" Chat:
• Discussion of Gene Wol...
Thanks to ‪@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy‬ and Paul for the chat! 😀
+++ SUPPORT THE CHANNEL?
♥️ Support Matt on Patreon / mattonbooks
📚 Send Matt a book www.amazon.de/...
+++ CONNECT WITH MATT...
🗣️ Join the Grimoire Discord / discord
🐦 Matt on Twitter / matt_on_books
📖 Matt on Goodreads / mattonbooks
+++ Theme song "Dust on the Road" by lemonmusicstudio
+++ pixabay.com/mu...
#booktube #fantasybooks #genewolfe

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

Thank you for the awesome discussion, Matt and Paul! It's extremely helpful to hear other people's insights on this series!

[@MattonBooks]

Absolutely. I consider myself lucky to have two such smart guys to go through it all with. 🙂👌🏻

[@OrlandoOrtiz570]

Put simply, Gene Wolfe is the definition of an author that gave his readers credit.

[@MattonBooks]

Exactly. 👌🏻

[@peterinbrat]

I reread this book of the series the most. Jonas is such a cool dude along with the big reveal.

[@MattonBooks]

Yeah, Jonas is one of my favourites. ❤️

[@bryson2662]

Again, thanks for these discussions. BotNS made a huge impact on me when I read it first last year. Happy to have more relevant content

[@MattonBooks]

Thanks Bryson, we also really enjoyed it. 🙂 Keep an eye out, ‘cause we’ll have another book & chat each month.

[@jer2dabear]

This series, and author for that matter, has become my favorite of all time. The audiobooks narrated by Johnathan Davis are masterful. With dense books like these, I find it helpful to listen with the book/ebook in hand. Helps me a ton. I hope you guys are enjoying this series of books as much as i am!!

[@MattonBooks]

Yeah, Wolfe’s up there for me too Jeremy. I can’t claim to always get what he’s doing, but I do enjoy the WTFness of it all. 😆

[@jer2dabear]

@Matt on Books I'm in the same boat. It's like reading a "David Lynch movie" and I'm all about that! Some of it might go over my head or take a few reads to fully get, but the ride is so good!

[@Yungshamgod]

Was looking forward to this! Thank y’all!

[@MattonBooks]

Our pleasure! Glad you enjoyed it. 🙂

[@urbanexcursion]

Just finished Claw and I thought it was just as good as Shadow. Now I’m ready to hear the trio’s thoughts on the book!

[@MattonBooks]

Such good books. Hope you’re enjoying the chats.

[@Kamakazi152.]

These discussions are making me want to take that trip to Thrax again...

[@MattonBooks]

Do it! 😀 Its my third time and I’m still getting more out of it.

[@calvinleeryan]

This is a really excellent discussion! I just finished Claw of the Conciliator a few nights ago and these videos are really helping me click into and appreciate these books. Overall I'm loving the journey with the series, and I'm trying to take it slow so I can somewhat try to piece together what is happening. The Alzabo Soup / Media Death Cult discussions are also an awesome aid. I can't say I love every little thing about the books, but that's a tall order for most people probably. Can't wait to dive into Sword of the Lictor!

[@MattonBooks]

You’re in luck Calvin: we just recorded a chat about the 3rd book on the weekend, and it should be up on Philip’s channel soon. 🙂 Glad you’re enjoying the chats! 👌🏻

[@calvinleeryan]

@@MattonBooks Awesome!! I can't wait. So far I'm breezing through Sword of the Lictor compared to the first two.. breezing through in a good way!

[@MattonBooks]

I don’t think any of us 3 would call the book a “breeze”, but we enjoyed it! 😆 Glad you are too. 🙂👌🏻

[@calvinleeryan]

@@MattonBooks haha very good point. It’s more of a tornado ripping thru my brain

[@jeroenadmiraal8714]

I love these conversations, guys

[@MattonBooks]

Glad to hear it Jeroen. 🙂 So do we. ♥️

[@Jackolantirn]

I've only finished the first two books so far, but an interesting concept these discussions have brought up both times now is this idea that the words we use in our language can mean different things to different people. As individuals, we might have similar definitions for the same word, but they aren't exactly the same. I have found this concept relevant recently as I try to understand transgenderism. Personally, I have a very binary view of gender, but something I have to understand is that most people don't, including most who claim that they do. When people use the words "man" and "women," they are invoking nebulous concepts that go beyond some surface-level attribute; they often include other intangible characteristics in their understandings of those terms.

[@MattonBooks]

Yeah, having any kind of absolute idea of what words means seems kind of naive to me. Yeah, there’s a definition in the dictionary, but personal experience, education, all sorts of things influence each individual’s feeling for language. It’s amazing we manage to communicate at all! 😆

[@paulwilliams6913]

Such a good talk. Formidable though the book is, I think we actually landed on fairly firm ground. By our powers combined! Thanks Matt and Philip. I’m stoked for get to Sword of the Lictor with you guys, even if it means confronting the alzabo once again…

[@MattonBooks]

Can’t wait for the next book and chat! 😀 Thanks for your insight, Paul. 👍🏻

[@arlissbunny]

This discussion is great. I’m reading along so I truly appreciate it. When you speak of Severian being an idiot, I’m here thinking, “have you MET men?” I don’t think it was at all difficult for that particular female character to fool that particular male character. Men, in Wolfe’s world, rely upon the patriarchy, they don’t have to think. (And look where that got the world.) The female characters have to be subtle, resourceful etc.. Wolfe may not have intended it but women recognize it.

[@MattonBooks]

Well, as a man, I’m pretty damned sure I’d suspect something if I got a note from my dead girlfriend. 😆 But yeah, the world, and also Severian’s extreme isolation and ignorance of the world and people, makes him a prime mark.

[@sw3dge]

Loved this book. Continuing the series soon.

[@MattonBooks]

Yay! 🤘🏻😀🤘🏻 I find it’s kind of rare that someone simply loves BotNS, but glad you’re into it Trevor.

[@ayarezk8684]

I can't wait for the future collaborations between the three of you regarding the rest of Wolfe's work, and maybe we can get lucky and you create series for other works and authors as well! I haven't read the books yet. I have to deeply research books before reading them like Paul and I absolutely like your spoilers :)))) A quote about the end of civilization from Atwood's Oryx and Crake came to mind when you talked about the suddenness of events leading to the unwelcoming landing circumstances of the spaceship, all happening while the crew was oblivious because of the time dilation: "All it takes,” said Crake, “is the elimination of one generation. One generation of anything. Beetles, trees, microbes, scientists, speakers of French, whatever. Break the link in time between one generation and the next, and it’s game over forever"

[@MattonBooks]

Don’t have to wait long Aya - we recorded a chat on the 3rd book yesterday. Should be up on Philip’s channel soon. 🙂

[@idastokbaek]

I love this! You’re making me want to re-read 🤯 😆

[@MattonBooks]

Do it Ida! 😀 It’s a deep enough book, it’s super re-readable.

[@bryson2662]

Hell ya. Spear Cuts Though Water! It's so good. I would go one further and say that 1001 Nights has more nested stories

[@MattonBooks]

Took some getting used to at first, but I’m into it now and I’m really enjoying it! 😀

[@safinan8008]

Great video 🎥🎥📺📽

[@MattonBooks]

Thanks Safina! Hope you’re well. ♥️

[@demidrek-heyward]

Delat gives me some New Sun vibes with what like 12 souls within him?

[@MattonBooks]

Hah! Yeah, Ben would fit well. 😜

[@jiujits13]

Make Earth Great Again

[@mikaelmarklund7908]

Only problem with this video is that Paul keeps saying what the other books will be or will talk about... Phillip never read them before. I already read them, but I think it ruins the the experience of reading it. It takes away the discovery of what you actually picked up or did not pick up... Maybe something to think of for further videos... special if some one is reading along with you, and just want to reflect on what they read. Apart from that, great. Happy to hear people talking about it. Ps. I find Wolfes books are about the experience of living, the unknowns that is actually there in a situation. Not the factual or rational censoring we add to life to comprehend or to stay sane. But how we actually read our surrounding and our actions if we are honest to them.

[@MattonBooks]

Thanks Mikael. 🙂 I don’t remember Paul saying anything I’d call spoilery, and I’m pretty sure Philip didn’t have any problem with any of it, but thanks for the feedback. 👌🏻

[@Yungshamgod]

LMAO - “I could tell you all the things I experienced back when I used to take acid, and it wouldn’t ruin your acid trip.” Fucking dead what a quote 😂😂😂😂😂

[@MattonBooks]

Yeah, it’s that kind of book, Bennett. 😜

[@apebitmusic83]

I just finished Claw, but I have to admit I skipped Talos’ play. lol. I couldn’t do it.

[@MattonBooks]

Can’t blame anyone for that. 😆