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The Shadow of the Torturer

The Book of the New Sun, Book 1

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The Shadow of the Torturer

By: Gene Wolfe
Narrated by: Jonathan Davis
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About this listen

 The Shadow of the Torturer is the first volume in the four-volume epic, the tale of a 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 towards his victim.©1980 Gene Wolfe (P)2009 Audible, Inc. Epic Epic Fantasy Fantasy Fiction Science Fiction

Critic Reviews

"The best science fiction novel of the last century." (Neil Gaiman)
  • World Fantasy Award, Best Novel, 1981
  • Favorite Audiobooks of 2010 (Fantasy Literature)
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Too many different characters and diversions in the story line. It became too hard to follow, too far fetched, even for a fantasy, so unfortunately I just quit listening.

Too complicated

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Brilliant, the way Gene lays out this story is so deceptively simple but rewards the reader so much once they've finished the series and decided to re read them all

The start of something beautiful

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So I really think the world created by Wolfe is interesting. Severian is a good Mary Sue - philosophical, polite, hot bod, deadly fighter. all the mean want to kill him and all the women wanna be him. Great, no problem with that, a lot of series are built on that back.
But for so much of this book there is no goal to anything, I suppose it is the life and times of Severian and whose life has a goal until they've picked it, but like there isn't a villain, the political machinations discussed are two steps removed from our protag so who knows who's pulling what strings, and more importantly it just doesn't matter. There is this vague implication of some great disaster, or apocalypse maybe?? But by the time we get any implication that it's happening bam, book over.
It's not that I don't care about the characters, although I have some issue with how women are all written the same old damsel in distress, it's just that this feels like babies first escapist fantasy and I can only guess that people like this because they want to be Severian, rather than for it's not so vivid and interesting world. That being said Ive never written diddly squat so who am I to criticize.

Good Writing I suppose

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I have never before read (or rather heard) such vivid and intricately imaginative writing. Wolfe builds a phenomenal world without insulting the reader, and in so doing (by the use of the narrator) creates one of the most fully realized characters and intriguing universes I have ever come to know.

Beautifully written

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a lucid and beautiful piece of sci fi fantasy this series is a piece of art that didn't always make sense but it always made me think.

it's Gaiman-esque

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