The Shadow of the Torturer by Gene Wolfe - Spoiler-free Review

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

Severian: "I have a perfect memory." Matt: "I have a garbage memory." Which of these two narrators is unreliable?

[@MattonBooks]

At least I’m telling the truth when I talk about my memory. 😜

[@cryptcke5697]

You explained this very well! The best guide/review of this book.

[@MattonBooks]

Thanks. 🙂

[@MayteraMarble]

In love with The Book of the New Sun. One of my all time faves.

[@MattonBooks]

Indeed, me too. See my video about my new Folio Society edition. 😀

[@Merrick]

was only listening and so had to go back to make sure you put air quotes on perfect memory

[@blacknbluecollarreader]

So Dr. Chase talked me out of jumping into this series this year with his video....and you just talked me back into it!?!? You guys are killing me. lol. I have been reading A LOT of dense series lately. Malazan/Second Apocalypse and wanted some lite reading work. But now my interest has peaked again. I do love the art work on this cover also and ugh!! "you are right" the text could have been better.

[@MattonBooks]

Hah! Philip talked you out of it?! 😆 Well, it’s not exactly “light”, so I could totally understand waiting until you’re done with Bakker & Erikson. 😉

[@jeroenadmiraal8714]

Do it!

[@EricMcLuen]

These are a lot lighter thematically than those. And as mentioned they are comparatively short. All 4 are about 800 pages total.

[@blacknbluecollarreader]

@@MattonBooks He talked it "down" my TBR list.....I don't think anyone can talk me "out" of reading something once my mind is set. lol.

[@blacknbluecollarreader]

@@EricMcLuen I do want something with less of a page count and he did mention that. 🤔OK....this is going in my April TBR. I should have a Kindle by then as well.....ugh but I love this cover!! Ok.....buying in April and hiding purchase from wife.

[@duffypratt]

Read it a few months ago and loved it. Will definitely re-read at some point. The only other warning I would give to prospective readers is that there aren’t any lovable characters who you will live and die with. I imagine I will feel more for various characters on a re-read, but for the most part the characters themselves left me a little cold. It’s first person and the book is well loved, but there aren’t tons of people going on about Sevarian the way a Hobb fan will talk about Fitz. It’s just not how these books work.

[@MattonBooks]

Good point. Yeah, like much of science fiction, most of the characters embody ideas, more than they are deeply developed and fleshed out people.

[@andreabknight]

How funny- I am reading this one at the moment! About 40% of the way through. I found the first few chapters tricky to read but after that it became clearer and easier to understand.

[@MattonBooks]

Yeah, it’s odd, compared to a lot of books we’re used to, but so worth it. 🙂 Enjoy, Andrea!

[@Merrick]

"It's quite a large city" is quite an understatement, considering Nessus is larger than some US states

[@MattonBooks]

Really? 😳 Was that clearly stated somewhere? Hell, there are surely 1000 things in the books that’re stated (not necessarily clearly) that I missed. 😆

[@BaldBookTuber]

Awesome video my friend, and thanks so much for the shoutout!

[@MattonBooks]

Thanks for the great chat with Ruocchio! 😀👌🏻

[@EricMcLuen]

Read these last year or so as they get mentioned so much. Yes, lost for parts but it really didn't matter. And do plan on a reread at some point. In general, these are books I recommend to at least attempt. They are an influence on a lot of more recent authors and even if you don't like them, hopefully one can appreciate them. I wonder if I would like all the books about these. Almost seems like cheating by looking at the end of a textbook for the answers. And completely agree on the artwork. I love the older style. I have different copies where the picture is surrounded by a black border. I does have a discrete blurb by Gaiman in the empty space at the top of the art.

[@MattonBooks]

Yeah these newer covers are a real pity. Feels like whoever did the layout didn’t even see the artwork. 😆

[@tronosphere]

love the st pauli hoody, is it for the football club??

[@MattonBooks]

Indeed it is, and I used to live in St. Pauli, in Hamburg. 🙂

[@jeroenadmiraal8714]

Excellent review Matt!

[@MattonBooks]

Thanks Jeroen. 🙂

[@sw3dge]

St. Pauli! One of the best crests in football. Wolfe sure does occupy a unique space playing around with the mind and memory. Wizard/Knight also sounds really interesting. This is quickly moving up my list. The mix of fantasy and future tech reminds me of Caves of Qud.

[@MattonBooks]

Yeah Trevor, I’m no big fan of football, but I used to live in St. Pauli and could see their stadium out my kitchen window, so it’s more about the place than the team for me. 🙂 I tried reading Wizard/Knight years ago, and didn’t get far, but maybe after this BotNS reread it’s worth another try.

[@sw3dge]

Just finished last night. This video really helped me to start and I’m excited to keep going. The text really does have an easy surface level and infinite depth. Wolfe is playing a different game from basically any other author as far as I can tell.

[@MattonBooks]

You have obviously understood Wolfe. At least his surface level. 😜

[@zan8152]

The Tor Essentials line is a really weird thing, some of the best underground classics, some fairly inessential newer stuff, all done up with some of the most low effort covers they have.... Do you want people to be drawn to it or no? Great review of this beast. I can't say that I got much out of the 4 my first time through, beyond that I'm still very much looking forward to reading it again in the future, perhaps with some companion readers. It's an odd thing that you can understand everything going on, but still be thoroughly, utterly baffled.

[@zan8152]

oh, also throwing on the comment I gave Phillip, that this is of course one that's forever fascinating to listen to smart people listen to: Check out Marc Aramini, as well as Greg Sadler's videos on it, very deeply thoughtful

[@MattonBooks]

Exactly! I know what’s going on, but WTF is going on? 😆

[@personmcpersonperson2893]

Great video 👍🏻

[@MattonBooks]

Thanks 👍

[@gori_maheswari8994]

Very very very nice video😍

[@MattonBooks]

Thanks Gori. 🙂

[@Thecatladybooknook_PennyD]

It's on my list

[@MattonBooks]

Yay! 😀👌🏻

[@LiamsLyceum]

Good job preparing readers. I think it kinda works as an adventure romp, but you will be a little lost, but you’ll be lost regardless of how you read the book.

[@MattonBooks]

Thanks Liam. 🙂 Yeah, you can read it as just a surreal adventure, but it’s soooo much more, so you’d be missing out on some good stuff.

[@ingerasulffs]

English is not my first language, so I didn't read the great English classics or whatever, what I did read in English is some Sci-Fi and fantasy. This book for me has the most beautiful writing that I ever encountered in a book. At times I felt like every sentence is metaphor, yet it flowed like molten gold in a diamond chalice. I read somewhere that they called him "a writer's writer", and I think I can see why. Edit: I don't completely like the cover because it's not perfectly accurate.

[@MattonBooks]

You could have fooled me that English is your second language. 😲

[@louieBlaster]

One of my favorite series ever. ❤

[@MattonBooks]

It’s up there on my list too Louie. 😍

[@thefantasythinker]

I once had a friend who didn't read a great book just because he didn't like the cover. Ha, you're so right about those ugly black boxes. Nevertheless, this is on my TBR.

[@MattonBooks]

Yeah Jarrod, get a used older edition, or ignore the modern cover. Either way, The Book of the New Sun is well worth reading. 😀👌🏻

[@tasosalexiadis7748]

Best series ever

[@MattonBooks]

Not sure I’d say that myself, but it’s definitely very good. 🙂

[@tasosalexiadis7748]

@@MattonBooks You need to complete your third read :)

[@MattonBooks]

😆

[@tasosalexiadis7748]

@@MattonBooks By the way I watched your discussion with Philip. There is one other point in the series where the writing of the rats is mentioned. At the last chapter of the the fourth book.

[@MattonBooks]

Hah! Of course. 😆

[@cpttom9851]

Spoilers in my reply

[@cpttom9851]

Is it really just one POV ? Been a long time since I read this and I'm sure there are two characters speaking as one

[@MattonBooks]

Well, it’s one actually person, who sort of has another person inside of him. 😉