Sign in with Facebook
Loading...
150th out of 1,013 books
—
3,194 voters
The Knight (The Wizard Knight #1)
by
Gene Wolfe
A young man in his teens is transported from our world to a magical realm that contains seven levels of reality. Very quickly transformed by magic into a grown man of heroic proportions, he takes the name Able and sets out on a quest to find the sword that has been promised to him, a sword he will get from a dragon, the one very special blade that will help him fulfill his...more
Paperback, 544 pages
Published
August 1st 2005
by Tor Fantasy
(first published January 3rd 2004)
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
Community Reviews
(showing
1-30
of
3,000)
This review covers both volumes of the Wizard Knight duology.
Gene Wolfe and I have an interesting relationship. Of course we have no actual relationship at all aside that which belongs to any reader/writer pair, but since I'm reviewing a book that's fair enough. Here's the thing: I really want to be one of those people who can sing Gene Wolfe's praises to the sky and knowingly wink about all of those complex and enigmatic stories that I totally got the first time I read them. But I can't. Don't...more
Gene Wolfe and I have an interesting relationship. Of course we have no actual relationship at all aside that which belongs to any reader/writer pair, but since I'm reviewing a book that's fair enough. Here's the thing: I really want to be one of those people who can sing Gene Wolfe's praises to the sky and knowingly wink about all of those complex and enigmatic stories that I totally got the first time I read them. But I can't. Don't...more
When a novel starts off with a glossary, my eyes roll. When an author tells you in the second paragraph of the book that I am wasting my time reading the preface, I get annoyed. And when the author tells me this as a first person narrator, I get nauseous. And when the writing of the first three chapters fails to draw me in, I give up and toss the book into a pile to be returned to the library. Guess I won't be reading any more Gene Wolfe.
I TRIED.
This was my first Gene Wolfe book I have read. I know this book was not considered his masterpiece, but what a fantastic adventure.
I am trying to find the words to describe Gene Wolfe's style of writing. Someone once explained to me that reading Gene Wolfe was like drinking wine. For those who develop a taste for his writing are very well rewarded. I have to agree. I read every page with anticipation.
Gene Wolfe plays with your mind by giving you biased and unpredictible narration. His understan...more
I am trying to find the words to describe Gene Wolfe's style of writing. Someone once explained to me that reading Gene Wolfe was like drinking wine. For those who develop a taste for his writing are very well rewarded. I have to agree. I read every page with anticipation.
Gene Wolfe plays with your mind by giving you biased and unpredictible narration. His understan...more
What a great book! A faerie tale in the truest sense. But if you like your fantasy plot straight forward and spoonfed (Robert Jordan?), than you might have some trouble with Gene Wolfe's writing style. Wolfe writes in a unique and mysterious fashion that took hold of me after the first 10 pages. This story is so much more intriguing than the usual fantasy novel. Many layers make up this story, similar to the world that Able, the main character, finds himself in. Mysterious passages are inserted...more
In The Knight Gene Wolfe has created another complete world, familiar to us (and thus easier to enter than with some of his other books) but also foreign. It begins in medieval history and folklore, heavy with Norse mythology, but expands in Wolfe's hands. The main character Able is a knight, who will become a great hero. In his ambling journey he makes many friends who aid him in his quest to find the sword Eterne and earn a place with his love Disiri. The first story is self-contained and is...more
Fundamental problem, I don't like the Mai character. At all. I wanted to at first. And I kinda did. But that was before I knew him. They're he shared, the more petty and selfish he looked. He bullies everyone--threatens to kill (and actually does kill) anytime he wants something. Negotiate? Never. Demand they call him air? Always. And he's supposed to be the innocent hero.
Add to that the other major problem. He recounts (it's first person narrative) what he did and said--what others did and sai...more
Add to that the other major problem. He recounts (it's first person narrative) what he did and said--what others did and sai...more
Back in '04, this was the first Wolfe book I read. It's a good introduction since it displays the elements of great fantasy as well as Wolfe's incredibly challenging and innovative style of writing. The Knight tells the story of a young boy who inexplicably is transported from Minnesota to a fantasy world that's rooted in familiar mythology, but shows completely novel changes. The world is split into 7 levels, roughly corresponding to their proximity to the "Creator", and it's possible for certa...more
Gene Wolfe is a master at offering something that seems familiar and giving it an amazing freshness. I never would have thought that I would have liked reading about a torturer in an Inquisitorial environment before Wolfe gave it his spin and my first glances at the covers of The Wizard Knight series failed to give me any clue as to how different this book could be from standard fantasy fare. The Knight seemed to start off with a familiar psychological trope. When I began reading this account al...more
Gene Wolfe's 2 part series is utterly captivating which is also subtly brilliant and just a wonderful adition to the fantasy genre. The Knight delves beneath the surface of fantasy whilst incorperating myths, that bring the work to life in so becoming a masterful sucsess. I loved the concept of having a character from modern day being transported to a magical relm containing several levels of reality, in which he sets out on a quest containing perilous danger and adventure, that helps him to ful...more
Fool that I am, I tried reading this after giving up on Pirate Freedom by the same author. Still didn't work. Something about the beginning of Gene Wolfe's novels always captures me, but about halfway through, I realize how much I hate reading them and give up. This has happened both times. I'm really not a fan of his writing (possibly because I've not yet attained the level of intelligence required for it).
I found the novel a load of gibberish, and I barely had a clue what was going on. The ma...more
I found the novel a load of gibberish, and I barely had a clue what was going on. The ma...more
Wolfe is a flawed genius. I read this book and it's prequel in 48 hours while I with laid up with a cold. It is easily one of the best fantasy books I have ever read. I would put it an a shelf next to Lord of the Rings and Alice in Wonderland. While it's achievements are incredible it's shortcomings are equally enourmous. Wolfe as usual has created an enormous and breath takingly realized world. One that is vivid and recognizable as well as wondrous and strange as fantasy should be.
His prose, di...more
His prose, di...more
This book disappointed me. The world was complex, with lots of different mythologies layered into it, but the characters and prose style couldn't hold my interest, and I put the book down after about 100 pages.
I'd read Shadow of the Torturer, one of Wolfe's earlier books, and enjoyed its strange setting and interesting, detached voice. Unfortunately, it seems that Wolfe's writing style has evolved (devolved?) into something much more sparse. Typically, I'm not a fan of incredibly detailed descri...more
I'd read Shadow of the Torturer, one of Wolfe's earlier books, and enjoyed its strange setting and interesting, detached voice. Unfortunately, it seems that Wolfe's writing style has evolved (devolved?) into something much more sparse. Typically, I'm not a fan of incredibly detailed descri...more
Gene Wolfe's THE KNIGHT is the first half of a fantasy diptych called "The Wizard Knight". Abel, an American boy in his early teens, finds himself transported to another world with similarities to Norse mythology, divided into seven tiers of reality. Abel lands in Mythgarthr, a plane similar to medieval Earth, and dreams of becoming a knight. He has intriguing interactions with the Aelf, a race of elemental spirits and tricksters, and the dragons who inhabit the worlds below, and he has his sigh...more
This is a good read. Though, like most serial novels, it cuts off at an arbitrary point, at least the sequel “The Wizard” is already published and I can go and get that now.
I found the style and substance different from many other fantasy novels I have read. The first difference is the way the story is told, from the viewpoint of a relatively young boy who is transported into the world of the novel from 20th century America. I’ve seen this before, but this book takes the form of a letter to his...more
I found the style and substance different from many other fantasy novels I have read. The first difference is the way the story is told, from the viewpoint of a relatively young boy who is transported into the world of the novel from 20th century America. I’ve seen this before, but this book takes the form of a letter to his...more
I could not stand this author's writing style. The only reason I kept reading was to figure out what just happened and any hope that the plot might go somewhere. It felt very disconnected between chapters and jumping from one thing to another. The main character is doing X then he turns around and he is in Y place. But the book never goes back to the people/situation he just left. By the last few chapters I was thinking there might be some kind of conclusion, no matter how small, nope. The chara...more
The Knight is the first in a two-book series called “The Wizard-Knight”, the second being The Wizard. The narrator is a teenage boy who stumbles into another world and is transformed by an elf queen into a man. Although not officially knighted, Able claims he is one because he has a knight’s sense of honor and duty. Out of love for the elf queen Disiri, he pledges to find the sword Eterne and kill the dragon protecting it. During his quest he picks up a motley band of followers and performs feat...more
I picked this book up because it was a great deal ($18 for both The Knight and The Wizard actually, which usually sell for $19 each) and I've read some Gene Wolfe befor and liked it. I got home, opened the book, and it started with the Lord Dunsany quote at the beginning... I looked around and found myself lost in a strange and wonderful place.
Wonder. Maybe that's it, that's what I can say about it. Here's some of the main “components” of the book: heros, honor, dragons, magic, humanity, stra...more
Wonder. Maybe that's it, that's what I can say about it. Here's some of the main “components” of the book: heros, honor, dragons, magic, humanity, stra...more
Critics can't wait for The Wizard, the promised sequel to The Knight. The award-winning Wolfe has written many fantasy books, but this one, full of imagination and panache, is among his best. The story starts with a convincing if unreliable narrator--after all, the protagonist is a boy in a man's body, and can't, to humorous ends, discern motives. At times, Wolfe's foreshadowing may confuse the reader, and the form--a long letter penned to Ben--might not please traditional fantasy fans. Luckily,
...more
What a bizarre journey. One moment I was enthralled, mystified, anxious to turn the page, the next I was glazing over, bored, ready to quit.
I love how passive the protagonist is about all the fantastic situations he finds himself in. But that also contributes to the mundane feel of it all. I wavered back and forth between wanting him to have a bit more personality and happy he was so hollow so I could step into his skin and enjoy the ride.
Wolfe is a master of atmosphere, but the story reads li...more
I love how passive the protagonist is about all the fantastic situations he finds himself in. But that also contributes to the mundane feel of it all. I wavered back and forth between wanting him to have a bit more personality and happy he was so hollow so I could step into his skin and enjoy the ride.
Wolfe is a master of atmosphere, but the story reads li...more
I loved this book from start to finish. The writing is done in such a way as to create a completely different feel for the book: It's written as a letter from a younger brother to his older brother. That being said the writing can be difficult to follow, because he leaves out any unimportant fact (like traveling through the forest when nothing actually happens), and I do suggest reading or at least referring to the character guide in the beginning as that will help cut down on any confusion.
The...more
The...more
What to say? This was a very interesting and invigorating reading experience.
The world(s) Gene Wolfe created in this book was so unnatural, and at the same time great that it left me breathless. Everything is connected, and yet you can't see those connections in advance, you need to wait for it and live it through just like the Able (read it translated so I don't know how to spell names on English). The many adventures he goes through, the many twists and turns in his fate, in the fate of the pe...more
The world(s) Gene Wolfe created in this book was so unnatural, and at the same time great that it left me breathless. Everything is connected, and yet you can't see those connections in advance, you need to wait for it and live it through just like the Able (read it translated so I don't know how to spell names on English). The many adventures he goes through, the many twists and turns in his fate, in the fate of the pe...more
I always find the good in novels, even poorly-written slop. This book is the lowest of the low. It's a shame, because I had such high hopes. The moment I opened the book and saw that it started with a motherfucking glossary of names that flat-out said 'skip this shit, dawg' I knew I was in for a rough time.
I hate everything about this book: the lousy plot, the wafer-thin, infantile characters, the atrocious dialogue, the fragmented letter-like writing style. Everything about this book makes me w...more
Mar 30, 2008
Jeffrey
rated it
1 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Young fantasy readers who are willing to wait for the payoff
Shelves:
fantasy
Its hard for me to read 275 pages in a book and not read the remaining 155, but I did not care about the main character, the plot did not move along, the action was tepid at best and the dialogue did not crackle. I do not have time to waste reading this kind of book.
I suppose I can see why so many people dislike this book—Wolfe's writing is certainly confusing (obviously intentionally so, but still), and the spare prose is definitely a change from the highly descriptive style most fantasy novels are written in. Still, I found these supposed 'problems' to be assets more than anything; I think Wolfe does a good job of portraying the changes that coming into contact with full-blown magick faerie nonsense would have on someone, and the way that they would perce...more
Aug 04, 2010
Track_eye
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Perry
Recommended to Track_eye by:
G_Riv
Of course the amazing Gene Wolfe dazzled me again with his beautifully clever wordplay, except this time he didn't throw the entirety of Webster's at me so I had less looking-up to do.
Honestly, the thing that stands out most about The Knight is that I identified with the narrator so much that I began to speak of the storyline to others in terms of 'we' --as in WE do not yet understand the dog Gylf. I also began referring to Wolfe (the author) and Able (the fictional narrator) as 'they', like th...more
Honestly, the thing that stands out most about The Knight is that I identified with the narrator so much that I began to speak of the storyline to others in terms of 'we' --as in WE do not yet understand the dog Gylf. I also began referring to Wolfe (the author) and Able (the fictional narrator) as 'they', like th...more
SFRG book, and one of the most roundly hated in a long time! I found it easy enough to read, but also incoherent and often boring. Female characters were handled poorly (hint: if you can add "sexy sexy" into the one-line description of every female character appearing on more than one page without changing them at all, you're doing something wrong), the plot leapt about from place to place and time to time, the protagonist was a bully, everything was about HONOUR and KEEPING ONE'S WORD except wh...more
This is a hard one to judge. I have noticed that this seems to be one of those love it or hate it kind of books. Some readers toss it aside in disgust after reading some or even all of it; others rave about it as one of the best books ever. One way that I could sympathize with the naysayers is in the confusion that Wolfe creates in his presentation. The story jumps forward sometimes without any warning, taking the reader a page or two to get their bearings back and figure out how we have moved a...more
Another book that may be better than I'm rating it. Admittedly I've had a bad few months (read couple of years). This is the second time I've tried this book and it just doesn't hold my interest. I've read better Wolfe.
The attempt here is to tell a story from the point of view of a boy "yanked" into "manhood" (apparently body only) by a queen of the Aelf (I'd call her a Fairy Queen), who is apparently guilty of statutory rape. The boy/man continues with an obsesive love for "Disiri" from then on...more
The attempt here is to tell a story from the point of view of a boy "yanked" into "manhood" (apparently body only) by a queen of the Aelf (I'd call her a Fairy Queen), who is apparently guilty of statutory rape. The boy/man continues with an obsesive love for "Disiri" from then on...more
I do not know how long ago I read this book (and surely re-read it several times since then). But anyway I just re-read it again.
The main element of the story are very familiar (for example Odin and walkiries are more or less in there) but it is the way the story is told, and written. In fact it is probably impossible to read this book and understand it completely the first time. There are too many holes, and explanations that can only be fully understood by re-reading.
But I enjoy this style of...more
The main element of the story are very familiar (for example Odin and walkiries are more or less in there) but it is the way the story is told, and written. In fact it is probably impossible to read this book and understand it completely the first time. There are too many holes, and explanations that can only be fully understood by re-reading.
But I enjoy this style of...more
There are no discussion topics on this book yet.
Be the first to start one »
Gene Wolfe is an American science fiction and fantasy writer. He is noted for his dense, allusive prose as well as the strong influence of his Catholic faith, to which he converted after marrying a Catholic. He is a prolific short story writer and a novelist, and has won many awards in the field.
The Damon Knight Memorial Grand Master Award is given by SFWA for ‘lifetime achievement in science fict...more
More about Gene Wolfe...
The Damon Knight Memorial Grand Master Award is given by SFWA for ‘lifetime achievement in science fict...more
Share This Book
No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »
Wi...more
Jul 09, 2012 12:05pm
Jul 09, 2012 01:51pm