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113 voters
The Sword of the Lictor (The Book of the New Sun #3)
by
Gene Wolfe
Original paperback edition of ISBN10: 0099295407
A classic in the making - Publishers Weekly
Beneath the dying sun the disgraced torturer, Severian, at last comes to his place of exile - Thrax, the City of Windowless Rooms. But Severian's journeying is not ended, and high in the Earth's ancient mountains he draws closer to his destiny.
Cover Illustration: Bruce Pennington
A classic in the making - Publishers Weekly
Beneath the dying sun the disgraced torturer, Severian, at last comes to his place of exile - Thrax, the City of Windowless Rooms. But Severian's journeying is not ended, and high in the Earth's ancient mountains he draws closer to his destiny.
Cover Illustration: Bruce Pennington
302 pages
Published
1982
by Arrow Books Limited
(first published 1981)
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By the beginning of The Sword of the Lictor (1982), the third novel in Gene Wolfe's unique science fiction masterpiece The Urth of the New Sun, Dorcas and Severian have finally reached Thrax, City of Windowless Rooms, where Severian has become the "master of chains," the lictor of the Vincula, the prison shaft bored into the side of the mountain, along both sides of which the shackled prisoners await torture or death. By closing off unnecessary tunnels and diligently attending court sessions, Se...more
Not a usual Science Fantasy reader, I approached this The Book of the New Sun tetralogy with no slight hesitation, but it came highly recommended from a friend whose judgement I trust. I loved the first half (Shadow of the Torturer and the Claw of the Conciliator). The third book however just didn't do it for me. It was brilliant at times, but dragged in certain middle sections and occasionally almost seemed phoned-in. I have enough faith in Wolfe and the reputation of this work to finish, but i...more
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funny, I must have read these in order as they were published in paperback, but I find I remember more of the first and second volume than I did of the third. Here Severian looses Dorcas and his job in Thrax and sets off on his travels north again, encounters the alzabo and in a battle against the giant, looses both his sword and the relic called the Claw. What lifts this above any common adventure story is the insight you are given to Severian's thought processes - his speculations about scienc...more
'The Sword of the Lictor' is volume three of Gene Wolfe's 'Book of the New Sun', so you probably don't want to read this one first. We follow the further adventures of Severian as he reaches the city of Thrax to take up his duties as Lictor. However again he shows mercy to a client and if forced to flee the city into the mountainous wilds of the north.
Like the previous two books this is a multi-layered story with many allusions not all (or even most) of which I grasped. Still it was an enjoyable...more
Like the previous two books this is a multi-layered story with many allusions not all (or even most) of which I grasped. Still it was an enjoyable...more
There is some seriously funky unreliable narrator shit going on here. Especially in the beginning, lots of details are missing and filled in afterwards in strange ways.
Perhaps more funky: that's one of the more interesting parts of the story. I'm wondering why the fuck he's doing this. Beyond that, I'm really bored. But I'm going to push onward. This may wind up being one of those series I read just I've got that under my belt. Classics and all that.
Many of the descriptions are vivid and wonderf...more
Of the series, I'd have to say this is my favorite. He tosses in a story competition that, like most of Wolfe's stories-within-the-story, appear simply good-natured fun until you think about what's happening and how it relates to the overall story arc. Somehow the action and dialogues that Severian finds himself in are well matched with the deep introspection that strikes when you least expect it, and it's in this volume of the series that the magic of what Wolfe has been weaving starts to gain...more
Continuing my read through Gene Wolfe's critically acclaimed Book of the New Sun quartet. My reviews of the first two novels were mixed, and I'd say I continue the trend with the third installment.
The Sword of the Lictor, like the previous novel, seems to start with a bit of a jarring discontinuity from the end of the last narrative. It's a bit easier to follow than Book 2, though, which was a welcome change. I felt, though, that little actually happened in this novel. There was the usual sharp...more
The Sword of the Lictor, like the previous novel, seems to start with a bit of a jarring discontinuity from the end of the last narrative. It's a bit easier to follow than Book 2, though, which was a welcome change. I felt, though, that little actually happened in this novel. There was the usual sharp...more
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ORIGINALLY POSTED AT Fantasy Literature.
Gene Wolfe’s The Sword of the Lictor essentially contains no plot, but it’s the best plotless book I’ve ever read. It’s one of the best books I’ve ever read, period. I loved every moment of it! (I read this on audio; Audible Frontiers' audio version, read by Jonathan Davis, is exceptional.)
This third installment of The Book of the New Sun continues Severian’s journey from apprentice in the torturers’ guild to Autarch. He doesn’t seem to be getting any clos...more
Gene Wolfe’s The Sword of the Lictor essentially contains no plot, but it’s the best plotless book I’ve ever read. It’s one of the best books I’ve ever read, period. I loved every moment of it! (I read this on audio; Audible Frontiers' audio version, read by Jonathan Davis, is exceptional.)
This third installment of The Book of the New Sun continues Severian’s journey from apprentice in the torturers’ guild to Autarch. He doesn’t seem to be getting any clos...more
Aunque por momento me sentia algo perdido en el libro, no puedo negar que me gusta como esta escrito y la historia que se va moviendo a lo largo de toda la serie.
Ahora Severian ya llegó a Thrax, a cumplir sus obligaciones como torturador y ejecutor. Junto con la garra escapa de Thrax nuevas aventuras, nuevos y viejos amigos, nuevos enemigos y viejos rivales serán parte de su camino.
Como dije anteriormente, creo que son libros muy bien escritos, con diferentes apreciacioes desde diferentes tipos...more
Ahora Severian ya llegó a Thrax, a cumplir sus obligaciones como torturador y ejecutor. Junto con la garra escapa de Thrax nuevas aventuras, nuevos y viejos amigos, nuevos enemigos y viejos rivales serán parte de su camino.
Como dije anteriormente, creo que son libros muy bien escritos, con diferentes apreciacioes desde diferentes tipos...more
Severian pulls away from loyalty to any particular organization and decides to take himself in the direction which he finds morally motivating though he does not necessarily explain to the reader why. Solid writing, crisp description, Wolfe's use of Severian's picture-perfect memory to allude to moments in the story thought long forgotten weave together a world that is interesting, unique, and complete. More action than in the first two Book of the New Sun series and a more pressing speed in the...more
4.5 stars. Part three of one of the best Science Fiction/Fantasy series ever (after The Shadow of the Torturer and The Claw of the Conciliator). The Book of the New Sun Tetralogy is a superior achievement. Highly Recommended!!
Winner British Fantasy Award for Best Novel (1983)
Winner: Locus Award for Best Fantasy Novel (1983)
Nominee: World Fantasy Award for Best Novel (1983)
Nominee: British Science Fiction Award for Best Novel (1983)
Nominee: Hugo Award for Best Science Fiction Novel (1983)
Nominee...more
Winner British Fantasy Award for Best Novel (1983)
Winner: Locus Award for Best Fantasy Novel (1983)
Nominee: World Fantasy Award for Best Novel (1983)
Nominee: British Science Fiction Award for Best Novel (1983)
Nominee: Hugo Award for Best Science Fiction Novel (1983)
Nominee...more
Oct 08, 2012
Sluggish Neko
rated it
2 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
sci-fi-and-fantasy
Various characters from the previous two books reveal their true selves and it was underwhelming. Severian continues to have a weakness for women that's becoming very tiresome and some episodes of his journey seem very pointless. Although I'm don't feel inclined to, I'm going to read the last book. Might as well see how it ends.
Rich, haunting, and lyrical, Gene Wolfe's The Book of the New Sun tetralogy is truly genius. Severian's poetic and melancholy narration is beautifully rendered, and his character, though not always likeable, is robust and memorable. The world itself is astonishing, believable, and every footfall echoes with anxiety -- one never know what terrible wonders await at the next bend of the road.
I highly recommend it for most readers, but be warned: Book of the New Sun can be demanding, as Wolfe's com...more
I highly recommend it for most readers, but be warned: Book of the New Sun can be demanding, as Wolfe's com...more
My words cannot describe the artistry of this book.Don't expect genre conventions. But reading it, one has the impression of sipping the finest and subtlest of wines. English has never sounded as suave as in the prose of Gene Wolfe. And Severian, along with Karsa Orlong, is my favourite fantasy character.
I enjoyed this, especially the unclear, yet terrifying, descriptions of the beasts our hero faces as well as the non-science-fiction way in which the author lets us know that this world is our own in the future and the things encountered are actually high-tech gadgets, especially with the encounters at the space port.
My favorite volume of the New Sun cycle. Severian abandons his position as Lictor of Thrax in order to chase a destiny he doesn't suspect. Every scene in this book seemed emotionally pitch-perfect. Full of astonishing beauty and dying-earth-meets-imperial-rome style squalor.
a definite improvement upon the 1st two books. This one gives a brief respite from the exhaustive inner musings of the protagonist and mixes it up with a change of scenery. A serious journey ensues, a breath of fresh air.
Continuing on with the "Book of the New Sun" quartet with this, the third part, we once again are following Severian on his adventures, getting ever closer to the time from which he is relating his story. Familiar characters from the previous two volumes come in and out of the story and the style of the narrative continues, dream like, in much the same vein.
It doesn't make much sense to review this part on it's own because it doesn't stand alone and needs to be read as part of the full quartet....more
It doesn't make much sense to review this part on it's own because it doesn't stand alone and needs to be read as part of the full quartet....more
This series is our current Read Aloud series. I'm really liking them all so far, and I expect to go back and reread them solo once we're done reading these four out loud.
Sep 09, 2007
Tracey
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
fantasy readers looking for something more erudite than the average
Shelves:
no-longer-owned
Volume 3 of The Book of the New Sun, The Sword of the Lictor opens with Severian taking on his professional duties in Thrax. His adventures continue, taking him further across the face of Urth, meeting old friends and foes, facing several great losses, and finally taking on a leadership role. Some of the puzzle pieces are starting to fall into place.
I continue to be a bit frustrated by Severian, but the ideas and language are still the driving force behind my continued reading. I can understand...more
I continue to be a bit frustrated by Severian, but the ideas and language are still the driving force behind my continued reading. I can understand...more
Things are shaping up. Our protagonist, and we the readers, are all caught up on the world and some of the entities within it. Treads are coming together nicely.
In this, the full ambit of Gene Wolfe's New Sun series comes into clarity.
I read only halfway through this. After the first two books, that was enough.
I found this series fascinating at first but unsatisfying in the end
Severian escapes some close calls... Reads a lot quicker then the first book as I had a much better idea of where things were going.
Start: December 5, 2008
Finish: December 24, 2008
True rating: 9.5/10
Finish: December 24, 2008
True rating: 9.5/10
Wolfe has a scary imagination.
Sep 14, 2011
Luke Burrage
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
audio-book,
recommended-by-sfbrp-listeners
Full review on my podcast, SFBRP #138.
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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
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“I have never had much need for companionship, unless it was the companionship of someone I could call a friend. Certainly I have seldom wished the conversation of strangers or the sight of strange faces. I believe rather that when I was alone I felt I had in some fashion lost my individuality; to the thrush and the rabbit I had been not Severian, but Man. The many people who like to be utterly alone, and particularly to be utterly alone in a wilderness, do so, I believe, because they enjoy playing that part. But I wanted to be a particular person again, and so I sought the mirror of other persons, which would show me that I was not as they were.”
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“You must know the story of how the race of ancient days reached the stars, and how they bargained away all the wild half of themselves to do so, so that they no longer cared for the taste of the pale wind, no for love or lust, nor to make new songs nor to sing old ones, nor for any of the other animal things they believed they had brought with them out of the rain forests al the bottom of time--though in fact, so my uncle told me, those things brought them”
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