Severian - unreliable narrator?

Michael Grosberg · 05 Aug 2006, 09:32 · from rec.arts.sf.written.2006.mbox

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From: "Michael Grosberg" <grosberg.michael at gmail.com>
Subject: Re: Severian - unreliable narrator?
Date: 5 Aug 2006 02:32:08 -0700
Message-ID: <1154770328.359501.133730 at m73g2000cwd.googlegroups.com>
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.written
References: <1154702938.622857.74150 at b28g2000cwb.googlegroups.com>

adrianmarley at yahoo.co.uk wrote:
> I'm currently working my way through Gene Wolfe's _Book of the New
> Sun_. I have read quite a bit about this work and know that it is very
> highly regarded among sf critics and fans. A lot of what I've read,
> though, refers to Severian as being an unreliable narrator.
>
> My question is this: In what way is Severian unreliable? Can anybody
> point out specific instances of where is being unreliable or where he
> is telling lies?
>
> Cheers,
> Adrian.

Well, he doesn't lie outright, but from time to time he may hold
information from the reader to maintain suspense.

One specific instance is the one where he is lured into a cave by, as
it turns out, Agia (I don't remember the exact circumstences - it's
been a long time since I read it). As he's going in he already suspects
she is inside, but he doesn't tell the reader.
He also fails to inform the readers about his motives for not telling
dorcas he knows about her past.

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