⇒ Read Free The Citadel of The Autarch Gene Wolfe 9780671496661 Books

The Citadel of The Autarch Gene Wolfe 9780671496661 Books

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The Citadel of The Autarch Gene Wolfe 9780671496661 Books

In terms of tying up the various plot threads, it's not really satisfactory. We're finally shown events that were mentioned right at the start, but honestly, if I hadn't read the other books, I wouldn't have bothered finishing this one. As a series that pivots on character arcs, it doesn't satisfy terribly well. It's not as if it's bad, or unreadable, but it feels like the author just wants to get this all over with.

While some supporting characters are revisited, there's lack of catharsis, or real resolution. It doesn't evoke much emotion, instead it ticks off the plot points and brings us to the inevitable end. It does this without illuminating much that is new, until the very end, at which point we're left dangling.

Not so much the end of a series, as bridge to another one.


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The Citadel of The Autarch Gene Wolfe 9780671496661 Books Reviews

I started the Citadel of the Autarch with high expectations given the awards the series got and the reputation of Gene Wolfe. Sadly I got very disappointed at the end of the book. Gene Wolfe states the obvious I sort of figured out and leaves so many open unresolved questions.

The style of Gene Wolfe is the biggest asset of the book. It is excellently written literature. The story itself leaves a lot to be desired. I feel that the story or the style aged very poorly. The mix or fantasy and science fiction does not simply work. We have people fighting with swords and arrows and aliens and space ship and time travel. In the end it makes little sense and adds no answer.

Severian the torturer did not really evolve as a character over the 4 books. His journey feels totally fabricated. One positive was that for this book, the women he meets don't automatically become his lover contrary to the prior books.

This was a truly disappointing read given how much hype the fanboys have created about the series.
A good wrap up to the series. There was a much heavier focus on the war than the other books. It was about what I expected.
A fitting ending to a long and involved story. Wolfe took me by the hand as a reader and asked me to trust him way back at The Shadow of the Torturer. He did the same with the sequels. Trust him I did, and as a reader I've had a remarkable experience.

If you enjoy well written novels that have heart, compelling characters, an involving story, and a world that is spectacular and new, then the Book of the New Sun series is for you.
The Citadel of the Autarch is a satisfying conclusion to Gene Wolfe's The Book of the New Sun. (A fifth book, The Urth of the New Sun, is a coda to the original four books.) We've known all along that Severian the torturer would be the autarch by the end of his story, but his fascinating journey to the throne is what this saga is all about... on the surface, at least.

What it's really about, for those who want to see it, is the juxtaposition of future and past, the nature of time and space, perception and reality, religion and science, and the Earth's and humanity's need for redemption. All of this is explored in the context of the strange characters, situations, and places that Severian meets on his way.

The Book of the New Sun is not an easy read, but it's what speculative fiction is all about -- it's brain-bending, it makes the reader consider and question, it stretches the intellect and opens the mind to new ideas and experiences. In The Book of the New Sun, Gene Wolfe accomplishes all this and does it in a beautiful way. This is my measuring rod for excellent fantasy literature.

For readers who don't want to be bothered by allegory and symbolism, or don't want to risk scorching their synapses, there's still much to admire in The Book of the New Sun, for though it wallows in weirdness, all of it is tied loosely together by Wolfe's lovely language, detailed world-building, smart ideas, and astounding imagination.

I look forward to reading on in Gene Wolfe's Solar Cycle (there are two sequel series The Book of the Long Sun and The Book of the Short Sun.)
Second time I read these books. I enjoyed them again and appreciated the fantastic world, their characteres, and the plot. A classic that you need to read if you like fantasy.
The narrator is lying... But you knew that.
Not as good as "The Sword of the Licto
Favorite Book Series to Date.

The writing is almost of the level of Shakespeare. The story, setting, plot and characters break standards and expectations of creativity and complexity and charm.

The only thing that makes this an adult read is its immense (and fun!) vocabulary.

Amazing. Long live Gene Wolfe! This book series deserves a place next to Emily Dickinson and Shakespeare in my opinion. Cheers.

And if you're a fan of Tolkien, Game of Thrones, Sword of Truth, Chronicles of Narnia, etc. these books are highly recommended.

The best are always underground.
In terms of tying up the various plot threads, it's not really satisfactory. We're finally shown events that were mentioned right at the start, but honestly, if I hadn't read the other books, I wouldn't have bothered finishing this one. As a series that pivots on character arcs, it doesn't satisfy terribly well. It's not as if it's bad, or unreadable, but it feels like the author just wants to get this all over with.

While some supporting characters are revisited, there's lack of catharsis, or real resolution. It doesn't evoke much emotion, instead it ticks off the plot points and brings us to the inevitable end. It does this without illuminating much that is new, until the very end, at which point we're left dangling.

Not so much the end of a series, as bridge to another one.