From: Redhaven1@aol.com
Subject: (urth) Long Sun vs. New Sun
Date: Sat, 1 Apr 2000 21:53:23 EST

Please don't crucify me. . .

    I got started on Wolfe when I was sick in the hospital.  My parents 
offered to pick up some books to help pass the time and I suggested a book I 
had heard of called The Book of the New Sun by Gene Wolfe.  The only Wolfe 
books Border's had were the last two books of the Long Sun series.  Frankly, 
I'm glad it was these two or I wouldn't be posting on this list today.  I 
loved Calde and Exodus and immediately began to try to read all the Wolfe 
books I could find.  I ordered the Book of the New Sun as a single volumn 
from the book club I was in.  Upon reading it I was extremely dissappointed.  
I didn't think it was near as good as the Long Sun.  To me, it seemed like a 
strange, disjointed fairy-tale that kinda wanted to be sci-fi.  I admit, the 
mood of the entire work was beautifully haunting, and when I get arround to 
reading it a second time I'll probably find a hundered things I missed, but 
in my view New Sun was the worst, Urth of the New Sun was little better, and 
Long Sun was best.  Short Sun is shaping up to be the best yet.  Well, that's 
my two bits.  I just felt I had to defend the Long Sun, because it's what got 
me hooked.  If I had started on New Sun, I don't think I'd be a Wolfe fan.

-Steve

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