{
  "export": {
    "source": "https://urth.darkrealm.vip/thread/urth/5549",
    "note": "Exported from an unofficial mirror of a public mailing list. Copyright in each message remains with the person who wrote it.  Email addresses are obscured as `user at host`, the form the original archive published. This file was rebuilt from parsed fields rather than retained headers, so it is faithful in content but not byte-exact.",
    "addresses": "obscured as 'user at host'"
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  "archive": "urth",
  "thread": {
    "id": 5549,
    "subject": "Early _Sorcerer's House_ review",
    "messages": 1,
    "voices": 1,
    "first": "2010-03-01T23:44:40+00:00",
    "last": "2010-03-01T23:44:40+00:00"
  },
  "messages": [
    {
      "message_id": "<cbf55b101003011544o7ffc7ce8n58e652aca0d40f5e@mail.gmail.com>",
      "from": {
        "name": "Gwern Branwen",
        "address": "gwern0 at gmail.com"
      },
      "date": "2010-03-01T23:44:40+00:00",
      "subject": "(urth) Early _Sorcerer's House_ review",
      "in_reply_to": null,
      "reply_link": null,
      "blocks": [
        {
          "kind": "text",
          "depth": 0,
          "text": "http://www.fantasyliterature.com/wolfegene.html#house\n\"The Sorceror's House is a beautifully subtle new novel by master\nfantasy and SF author Gene Wolfe. The novel's protagonist is a\nrecently released convict who, seemingly by complete coincidence,\ncomes into possession of an abandoned house. As he moves in, he\ndiscovers that the house already has a few odd inhabitants...\n\nA large part of the enjoyment of this novel is the process of\ndiscovery, as the protagonist slowly finds out more and more about the\nodd nature of the house and its inhabitants, as well as the relations\nbetween the other people living in his new town. Because I don't want\nto spoil this process of discovery, I won't say much more about the\nplot of the novel, aside from the fact that it will slowly suck you\ninto its own twisted reality, and that it's perfectly suited to be\nread and re-read, because everything, from the very first page on,\nwill have acquired a new meaning by the time you're done reading The\nSorceror's House for the first time.\n\nFans of Gene Wolfe know that this author likes to play games with\nunreliable narrators, such as the protagonist of the SOLDIER books,\nwhose memory is wiped out at the end of every day, or Severian from\nThe Book of the New Sun, who claims to have a perfect memory. In the\ncase of The Sorceror's House, the novel actually consists of a series\nof letters. The vast majority are written by the erudite and\nintriguing main character, and addressed to his twin brother, his\nformer cell mate, or his brother's wife. It's the epistolary format of\nThe Sorceror's House that sets up lots of opportunities to twist the\nreader's perspective, because it allows the writer of the letters to\ntailor the content (not to mention tone) to the addressees. The very\nlast letter of the novel is a perfect example — and I guarantee you’ll\nhave a smile on your face when you read it.\n\nI wouldn't call The Sorceror's House a major novel in Gene Wolfe's\nimpressive oeuvre, at least when compared to masterpieces like The\nBook of the New Sun or THE WIZARD KNIGHT, but that doesn't mean that\nit isn't a supremely elegant fantasy novel, with a memorable narrator\nand a Twin Peaks-like atmosphere of \"everyone in this small town has a\nsecret\". If you're already a fan of the Wolfe, definitely pick up a\ncopy of The Sorceror's House... and if you're not, maybe this quote\nfrom Neil Gaiman (about THE WIZARD KNIGHT) will convince you: \"Gene\nWolfe is the smartest, subtlest, most dangerous writer alive today, in\ngenre or out of it. If you don't read this book, you'll have missed\nout on something important and wonderful and all the cool people will\nlaugh at you.\"\n?Stefan   Comments \""
        },
        {
          "kind": "sig",
          "depth": 0,
          "text": "gwern"
        }
      ]
    }
  ]
}