Rating: 
Summary: An easy read!
Review: I had absolutely no trouble following this story. I didn't even bother with trying to look up words because its fairly obvious within context what wolfe is trying to say. That fact is I am having difficulty not following. I am on my third reading and I'm addicted. I love it!!. Its perfect in so many ways. I'm glad it was rescued from obscurity. Someday this should be given the Lord OF the Rings big screen treatment. In short, beleive all the hype about this book. It is one of the greats.
Rating:
Summary: Book of the new sun - sheer brilliance
Review: It was twenty two years ago that I first read this book. Over the last twenty years Wolfe has added the Book of the Long Sun and the Book of the Short Sun, which are two related stories in 7 parts. Only at the very end do you realise that these are linked to this first Book. Having finally finished the Short Sun book, I delved again into the magic of the Book of the New Sun. And what magic it is. Like some of the other reviewers, I will warn you: this is not an easy read. Wolfe uses complicated words, non-existent words, and difficult sentences to weave this world, the Urth, as it is a few billion years from now, with the sun growing old and red. It is this distance in time, with what has become of mankind, that turns Wolfe into a philosopher. One of the reviewers claims the book is a non-event. It is. But what a brilliant non-event, that keeps you thinking about that distant age, and the way it reflects on our age. Not all parts of the book are equally good, but having read this Book of the New Sun now for the fourth time, I still am spell bound, finding new things and a better understanding of the later series. This is definitly the very best series I have ever read, and it is a shame that Wolfe finally seems to have ended it.
Rating:
Summary: a masterpiece
Review: There are few books in science fiction written in prose that can stand side by side with what is considered the best in today's mainstream literature. (I'm thinking of prose by writers like William Trevor, Alice Munro, Joyce Carol Oates and John Updike.) Gene Wolfe's book is one of them. Dark, haunting and lovely. As for the use of "archaic verbiage" which seems to have distressed some of his shallower critics below, it doesn't say much for their reading ability that they couldn't figure out what Wolfe was saying in context, nor does it say much for their imaginations or appreciation of ancient languages. The plot is intricate, suspenseful and rich in detail. Congratulations to Tor books and editor Patrick Nielsen Hayden for keeping this work of genius in print.
Rating: 
Summary: High-brow prose with a little something to help you sleep
Review: I did not like this book. Part of it was that every other page required me to run to a dictionary, as Wolfe has a compulsion to use the most obscure words available whenever possible. It really became aggravating to watch this guy flex his vocabulary muscles apparently for the sheer joy of doing so. But that wasn't the only problem, as one can still follow the story even with the "I'm of superior intellect" verbiage. This story is about the biggest non-event I have ever read. Simply put, very little happens. Mr. Wolfe is so enamored of his own prose that he rambles incessantly without purpose. I will admit that he paints a decent picture; his imagery is strong, but that's all it is. All the frosting in the world won't hide the fact that it's a flavorless cake. If you are having trouble sleeping, purchase this book and you will be welcomed into the arms of Morpheus before you know it.
Rating: 
Summary: Overwrought and Under Measure
Review: Years ago - while working in a library in high school - I set about reading all the "classic sf" I shelved. There were a few I could not get through. Gormenghast was one; this was another. I had already read (and reread) Our Mutual Friend, Anna Karenina, Elie Wiesel's Dawn, much of Joseph Conrad and RA Lafferty - so dense prose, ornate vocabulary, and dark themes were no strangers. But I couldn't get farther than Severian's "crime" and even that was an effort. I couldn't figure out if the opaque prose was a sign of an art so rarefied it was still beyond me, or if it was just pretentiousness. And I couldn't make myself stop saying what I later learned are known as the Seven Deadly Words: "I don't care what happens to them." Chanced across it again the other day & decided to try again. The impressions of half a lifetime ago were validated. There are far more deft ways of using archaic and obscure words - at least indicate, in the sentence, by a short epithet, if the word is supposed to indicate an animal, plant, piece of masonry, or citizen! There are less torturous ways of telling an involuted narrative - case in point, Lord Jim. It isn't as bad as Foucault's Pendulum was (imo), and I will probably plod through to the end of the quartet, if for no other reason than to tally up the number of teeth-gnashingly chauvinist dogmatic assertions for my own grumly amusement. But the Iliad it ain't, that's for sure. Now *there's* a story filled with obscure reference, too many names and characters for comfort, comfortless tragedy and a remote style - which *works*, as New Sun does not. (Nor is it the True History: Wolfe could stand a few lessons from that master of sf and mythological mockery, Lucian of Samasota.)
Rating:
Summary: A million years beyond its time....
Review: I've written only one review and of course that would be the one your eyes are looking at now. It's my subtle way of emphasising how wonderfuly scary and amazing this book is. The Book of the New Sun is a novel, or rather, an autobiography that roots itself deep into detail and awe. The journey of Severian is something that only us truly imaginitive thinkers have ever day dreamed of. The setting is so distant it seems to fall off the edge of my wildest thoughts. The world of amazing detail and harsh reality. A character of incredible depth and humanity. I cannot begin to comprehend what this book COMPETELY entails as there is so much to take in and more than I and many others shall ever grasp. If you think you know it all your only fooling yourselves. Gene Wolfe has created something that spreads beyond the letters, words and pages... as if Wolfe himself were Severian. (and in a sense he is). This work of art is not an easy read. Many elements are difficult to follow and you will find yourself going over the same passages many times to grasp the concepts as best as possible. This book also has a deep undertone to religion; Christ is actualy one of the many themes. However, becuase this book works on seemingly infinit layers, it may not be obvious at first glance. The terminology will also require a bit of getting used to. If you are any type of fan of fantasy or SF, I think you owe it to youreslf to open the covers of this book and dive into Severians world. If you have ever day dreamed as I do then this is truly a "dream come true". I am a great fan of The Lord of the Rings; likely do to its powerful, epic themes and simplicity. But I have placed The Book of the New Sun above Tolkiens masterpiece as it is just far more complex and deeper, and it is the top book on my list. I assume it will remain there a while too.
Rating:
Summary: Great art, extraordinary pleasures.
Review: You can read the various details about this book here on-site, but nothing can prepare you for the overwhelming experience of reading it. The imaginary world Severian inhabits is deeper, richer, and more detailed than anything in literature with the possible exception of Tolkien. But Wolfe is a darker, more ironical writer than Tolkien, and shows influences of Swift, Borges and Melville that you'll never find in Middle-Earth. Just go and read it. There are scenes and passages that will stay in your mind the rest of your life. It's pleasures are extraordinary.
Rating:
Summary: Truly the best mix of SF and F.
Review: This is a very difficult book to review. For me at least. I picked them up as _old_ paperbacks. I didn't read many reviews because I was afraid someone would destroy my future reading of it by giving away all plotlines. I started reading and was seriously drawn into this world. All its characters and surroundings {hope that's the good word} came alive. In my mind of course {I would have liked to meet some characters in real-life}.
Why difficult to review? Well, everything in this book connected with me. I do not see any weak spots.
Pay attention: It's strengths are its weaknesses. Starting with the writing or prose. Check out first two chapters. You do not like the style? Skip this book.
One other strength/weakness is the writer. You know, the man who wrote this tome. Some people might label him as indulgent and verbose. He could be obsessed with metaphors and women. If you're like him {in some aspects} you are going to like this very much. I do.
Do you like mythology? Language? Poetry? Read it and you'll soon see why this is maybe on par with ASOIAF and TLOTR. All three series are very much different from each other, so do not compare.
Word of caution: I like disturbing books. This book contains vivid imagery and lightly disturbing scenes. Maybe, you won't like that.
Well, I hope this will make you run to the nearest bookshop. Watch out for the traffic though.
Good reading!!
Rating:
Summary: Unsurpassed In It's Depth and Beauty
Review: I read The Book of the New Sun when it debuted back in the 1980s. Since then I've read it twice more and intend to read it again. Gene Wolfe has been hailed as a modern day Melville, and also as the best sci-fi writer working today. In short, no one but Gene Wolfe could've written The Book of the New Sun. Although it contains elements of mythology as well as technical aspects of sci-fi, The Book of the New Sun is neither; perhaps it is a genre all its own. This tetrology, now combined in two volumes-Shadow and Claw, and Sword and Citadel-mark Wolfe as the most important writer in the sci-fi field today. The Book of the New Sun chronicles, in first person, the travels of young Severian, born into the guild of Torturers and exiled for showing mercy to one of his victims, to eventually become Urth's Autarch, or ruler, in a time so distant in our future that all memory of our history has been long forgotten, despite ancient relics such as the painting described as a gold-visored knight who is really an astronaut standing on the moon. The denizens of that distant future Urth live in perpetual twilight, as the sun itself is dying. Wolfe has created in The Book of the New Sun perhaps the greatest depiction of a future society and history that I've ever read, with glimpses at technology that is otherworldly and alien creatures combined with elements of Dickens, Kafka, and Borges. The language is magical, lyrical, with a touch of ancientness. Wolfe's protagonist Severian is a gentle soul, despite the savage indifference his trade demands from him. Readers will discover that they would willingly follow Severian anywhere across Urth to bear witness to his quest. The Book of the New Sun is an epic masterpiece that Wolfe has yet to equal in the 20 years since its completion, despite eight additional books based on these original four works. Achingly good, The Book of the New Sun is filled with treasures awaiting discovery with each subsequent reading: it beckons to be read sequentially.
Rating:
Summary: Gene Wolfe's Shadow and Claw
Review: Not for the feint of heart, Gene Wolfe's Shadow and Claw,is the first of the two books of the New Sun. His rich discription, unusual characters and plot full of mystery make the tale of a torturer all the more intriguing. His writing is satisfyingly dark and does not avoid the harsh truths of his character's failures. No one writes like Gene Wolfe.
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