Customer Reviews

Lake of the Long Sun (Book of the Long Sun)

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Silk, a young priest enlightened by a god, sets out in the company of thieves and prostitutes to save his temple from destruction.

Like the first book in the series, Lake of the Long Sun covers a period of about two days, giving it a plodding pace in which events and conversations are padded with an abundance of detail. Wolfe's style is not so puzzling here as in some of his other books, but still manages to be less than clear at times; happy news for some, sad for others. I read Wolfe when I want to pay close attention and still not know what just happened. Overall, the story is a political one, dealing with spies, intrigue, and the vile motives of shady leaders. Not my cup of tea, and thankfully kept mostly in the background. What fascinated me were the slowly unraveling secrets of the Whorl, all of its embedded mysteries, and the process of discovery.

Having just finished the first book of the tetralogy, Nightside of Long Sun, I quickly delved into the following book to relish in the exposure of details and telescoping personal relationships. I wasn't apprehensive knowing that a master like Wolfe steaming headfirst into the wonderful scene of the Whorl.

Two aspects of Lake of the Long Sun appealed to the science fiction reader in me. First, the flow of the plot yields intriguing hints to the origins of the nebulous Whorl. Bits of tech rear up occasionally, the mindset of the creators becomes topical and persuasive clues to the layout of the cities and landscape within the enticing chapters. Second, the physical structure of the Whorl is briefly brought to light and makes my spine tingle with anticipation of enlightening details of the grand panorama of the ambitious plot. Combine these two points together and the result is a sci-fi fusion tailored for the keen-eyed reader.

Layered atop this is a continuing dynamic intercourse of personal relationships, each strand of connection as interesting as the next. Through half of the novel, the interrelationships are sturdy, tried and tested and remained true. However, the last half sees a change in location and pace, whereas the associations weaken and warp to the point of questioning if these characters are of the same cast as before. The change is beyond dynamically steady, seemingly to the point of the bonds being forcibly stressed to create the rifts seen in the second half. I felt uncomfortable reading dialogue which should be familiar but comes across as unnatural, strained.

The fleeting glimpses of three-century-old technology of pre-Whorl creates exciting passages and the inclusion of hidden secrets makes for a multi-faceted reading experience, the fast change of pace and place threw me off the greater overview of the epic plot, ultimately ending in a predictable conclusion though through erratic means.

In a world where everything stopped, where technology is avaliable to few self-selected ones, in a world where crime is just another usual happening, Patera Silk tries to find his way. Unaware of the hidden political intrigues, of the corrputed offices of the (we may call it) Holy church, unaware of the mythical creators of the interstellar ship which he calls his home, Patera Silk tries to bring back some kind of balance beetween 'gods' and people. And how and did he succedees in it is yet to be revealed. Nightside the long sun was long and boring book, book that was used as an intro to this 'brave new world'. Lake of the long sun is more quick-paced, and better written than the first book. There are no more endless monologues, just a well designed scheme of thought and conversation. If you read the first book and didn't like it, read this one, you'll be kindly surprised

LAKE OF THE LONG SUN is the second volume of Gene Wolfe's The Book of the Long Sun, an epic story of revolution, political intrigue, and Christian allegory that is linked to his acclaimed work The Book of the New Sun. The first volume, NIGHTSIDE THE LONG SUN, was a slow and simple introduction to the Whorl, the giant starship sent out from Urth, and its inhabitants, including the protagonist young Patera Silk. LAKE OF THE LONG SUN picks up the pace significantly, and much is revealed.LAKE OF THE LONG SUN consists of several plot threads that dance around each other but never quite touch. The morning after another theophany occurs in Viron, Silk goes to a remote shrine at Lake Limna in order to confront Crane and extort money from him to save his manteion. Through a coincidental occurence, Silk is lost in the tunnels beneath the city, tunnels that go to the very outside of the Whorl. There, he meets an enigmatic woman who remembers the creation of the Whorl, and for the attentive reader the story's link to The Book of the New Sun is revealed. Meanwhile, back in Viron, political intrigue continues and everyone but Silk himself is certain that Silk must become Caldé of Viron. Auk and Chenille search for Silk at Limna, and Chenille has a run-in with another goddess.The Christian allegory is slight in LAKE OF THE LONG SUN, and the most touching moment is when Silk speaks to Crane of a scene revealed to him in his enlightenment from the Outsider. The next volume, CALDÉ OF THE LONG SUN, is the most visibly Christian of the work, but LAKE has its moments, too.