Castleview [Hardcover]

Gene Wolfe (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 1990

Arthurian legend collides with Main Street, USA, in Gene Wolfe's classic fantasy adventure. Castleview, Illinois, got its name from occasional sightings of a phantom castle on stormy nights--a place where the barrier between past and present is weak and strange things happen.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

An unexplained murder, a house with many secrets, and a phantom castle that haunts the midwestern town of Castleview lead Will Shields and his family across the borders of reality into a world inhabited by beings out of legend. Wolfe's ( There Are Doors, LJ 11/15/88) deceptively simply prose masks a wealth of complexity in his latest real-world fantasy. Recommended.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 400 pages
• Publisher: Tor Books; First Edition edition (December 1990)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312850085
• ISBN-13: 978-0312850081
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,022,925 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Gene Wolfe is winner of the World Fantasy Award for Life Achievement, and many other awards. In 2007, he was inducted into the Science Fiction Hall of Fame. He lives in Barrington, Illinois.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A fun read just not the author's best., May 26, 2009

By 

Mr. G. Lavin (London) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Castleview (Paperback)

This isn't Wolfe at his best. The story is at times maddeningly confusing. It appears to be a mishmash of Arthurian legends, fairy folklore and vampire stories all set in small town America. The characters often seem to act in a contrived manner and for a short novel is has an extensive cast. But it's still Wolfe. The book has some interesting ideas and wonderful images and his prose is always a pleasure to read.

It moves along at a fair old clip and the second half is practically frenetic. This both serves to draw the reader in and then to leave them even more bemused when they have a moment to cogitate on what just occurred.

Definitely worth a read but would not recommend this to a first time reader of Gene Wolfe. The Book of The New Sun series or Soldier in the Mist would be better starting point.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Confusing but a Great read, May 1, 1999

By 

D. Berdanis "endymion9" (Joliet, IL United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Castleview (Paperback)

That seems to be the byline on this one. I even bought a book of Arthurian legend but it didn't help much. Yet even without understanding exactly what happened this book kept me on the edge of my seat. A very good ride, even if you don't know where you are going.

This book, more than any other, taught me to enjoy the journey with Wolfe and quit rushing to find out what happens in the end.

4.0 out of 5 stars Noir Midwestern Setting, November 29, 2010

By 

Eric Wisdahl (Jacksonville, FL USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Castleview (Paperback)

Castleview was a pretty quick read, but not an easy one. It seemed to be a little darker than most of Wolfe's work with an almost horror element at times. There were plenty of unexplained occurrences during this strange clash of mythologies in the small town of Castleview Illinois. The action appears to have taken place, for the most part, in a short amount of time when characters from, but not limited to, the Arthurian Legends and Norse Mythology appear to invade the town performing all sorts of strange acts upon an unusual cast of characters.

Overall the pacing on this novel felt a little strange. All in all it was an enjoyable read that will almost certainly warrant another look since, as with many Wolfe books, this one had many subtle events, hints, myths and story lines happening which I am sure that I did not catch the first time through.