Shadow and Claw by Gene Wolfe

Shadow & Claw by Gene Wolfe
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I feel that I can’t review this book truly without re-reading it. I can highly recommend it, and I really enjoyed the prose of Severian/Wolfe.

Looking at the work as a whole, I cant be sure that I actually like it. The divide between how men and women behave in this story is jarring. There is an argument to be made that this is just how Severian interprets the world (and he is not exactly the pinnacle of morality). I can’t help but feel this aspect of the book is largely contamination from the time it was written, and Wolfes own background and viewpoints, rather than a deliberate storytelling device.

I suspect that a lot of the themes underlying the book were lost on me as I do not have a religious background. I found myself confused on several occasions at what the meaning of certain imagery was, but I suspect it would add much more depth to more educated people.

Regardless, I look forward to reading the rest of the series.

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