The Urth of the New Sun

I wish I knew then what I know now.

To really enjoy Wolfe's genius you need to read The Book of the New Sun at least twice.
It is one book in four / five parts, don't wait between reading the different sections as I usually do with series, you'll forget some of the hints you've actually managed to figure out.

I enjoyed the writing, I loved spending time with Severian, I loved Jonathan Davis's narration. Stretching the concept of sufficiently advanced technology as indistinguishable from magic, miracle and prophecy to biblical proportions was interesting and kept me on my tows for clues.

But I found the ending unsatisfying, so much so that after finishing the Citadel of the Autarch, I immediately bought The Urth of the new Sun, in search of a meaningful resolution. (It was a better book, with a better resolution, but still left me hanging).

I simply don't have time to reread the whole thing, it is long, slow and meandering. Perhaps when I was younger I would have taken the time to unravel this puzzle.

In this follow-up to the Book of the New Sun, Severian, the Autarch of the Commonwealth of Urth, journeys deep into space. His goal is to acquire the New Sun, a star/energy source/person (or perhaps all of these), which is capable of replacing his planet's dying sun. While his success will ensure the survival of his planet, it carries with it a terrible price.

Much like the preceding four volumes that comprise The Book of the New Sun, I enjoyed this book but I do not feel like I entirely comprehended it. The imagery throughout the book is fanciful and layered. The narrative also has a mythic cast that reminded me a bit of Frank Herbert's Dune Messiah. Wolfe was apparently a devout Catholic and allusions are hidden in the text, but the alienness of the characters and events makes the story feel closer to esoteric Eastern mysticism than familiar Christian biblical scripture.

Adding more layers to the puzzle is the fact that Severian has absorbed the memories (and perhaps identities) of previous Autarchs, his interstellar journey appears to involve time dilation, and even after returning to Urth he encounters and reunites with various characters at different non-chronological points in their lives.

Not only is the story dense and cryptic, it is related by a narrator who is both unreliable and somewhat aloof from events. The reader is often told that he wept or contemplated suicide after some bleak or unexpected turn of events, but everything is related with a baffling degree of clinical dispassion. Severian is basically a messiah figure, but one that is not to be entirely trusted.

Whether or not a reader will enjoy this book depends a great deal on their tolerance for confusion. If vaguery and cryptic dialogue aren't turn-offs, there's a lot to enjoy here. And if you like re-reading and puzzle-solving, this series rewards it. But be certain to read this book soon after The Book of the New Sun, when it's fresh in your mind.