Still amazed by Wolfe's FIFTH HEAD OF CERBERUS after 20 readings...

Donn Seeley · 06 Jun 1985, 09:59 · from net.sf-lovers.1985.mbox

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From: donn at utah-gr.UUCP (Donn Seeley)
Subject: Still amazed by Wolfe's FIFTH HEAD OF CERBERUS after 20 readings...
Date: Thu, 6-Jun-85 05:59:50 EDT
Message-ID: <1475 at utah-gr.UUCP>
Newsgroups: net.sf-lovers

I give up.  After going through the book for the twentieth time or so,
I still have to admit that Gene Wolfe's THE FIFTH HEAD OF CERBERUS is
my favorite work of sf, and very possibly my favorite book, period.  I
have found something new every single time I've read it, which I think
is the greatest and most difficult gift an author can make to a
reader.  On this pass I finally figured out what Number Five's real
name is.  In retrospect I probably should have guessed it sooner, but
that would have taken some of the fun and suspense out of it!  Has
anyone else had this experience?

Awed,
PS -- If you're a Wolfe fan and haven't figured out who Number Five is,
are desperate to know and happen to be going to the Usenix conference,
buttonhole me when you see me there and I'll give you a hint.  I'm also
open to hypotheses about PEACE, NEW SUN and other Wolfe masterpieces...

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