Soldier of Arete [Paperback]

Gene Wolfe (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Wolfe's forgetful protagonist Latro continues the odyssey through classical Greece begun in Soldier of the Mist . Serving in King Xerxes's army during the Persian attempt to conquer Greece, in the fifth century B.C., Latro received an injury that makes him forget each day's events. In compensation, he records his experiences on a scroll, the ostensible text of this book. Now a Greek slave in the service of the shipmaster Hypereides, he travels from Sestos, after its fall, to Thrace, where he fights alongside Amazons, and onto the cities of Thought (Athens) and Rope (Sparta). Accompanied by the child Io, who calls herself his slave, and by a fellow captive soldier, Latro seeks to regain his friends, his memory and his freedom. One effect of his curse, or illness, is that he can see and speak with gods, mythical creatures and the dead. The shifting perspective provided by Latro's need to relearn his life and his world every day, with incidents and people portrayed in varying terms each time he writes about them, makes for a many-layered and complex narrative. It is virtually mandatory to read the first volume, although a synopsis here might have precluded the necessity. This is a rich book and a rewarding one for the persevering reader.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

Simultaneously cursed with the inability to remember his past and blessed with the ability to speak with gods, a soldier formerly in service to the Great King of Parsa (Persia) seeks answers to his many questions amid the fractured, war-torn landscape of the ancient world. Latro's second-hand view of reality lends a dreamlike quality to a story that mirrors the struggle of human consciousness to explain events beyond its comprehension. In this sequel to Soldier of the Mist, Wolfe achieves a rare blend of history and myth, forming a single shimmering vision of a world unmarked by modern preconceptions. Highly recommended.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: Tor Books (October 1990)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0812511557
• ISBN-13: 978-0812511550
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.1 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,619,681 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

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Sequel to Soldier of the Mist, January 15, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Soldier of Arete (Paperback)

Gene Wolfe is the best there is at what he does. End of discussion. This book (impossible to find nowdays) is the sequel to Soldier of the Mist, the story of Latro. The setting is the immediate aftermath of the battle of Marathon, Latro is a soldier of The Great King (Xerxes) who was wounded while the Persians were losing the battle. Latro had the bad luck to be cursed by a Greek Goddess (Demeter?) for breaking the rules of propriety and actually fighting on the grounds of her temple during the fight (see Herodotus, he was appalled by the bad manners of the soldiers involved in the actual event). Latro's curse is that he completely loses his memory every day, but as compensation, he's able to see the Gods as they wander around among the mortals. In order to know what happened to him yesterday, he writes a daily journal of what he did, who he talked to, and in that journal Wolfe manages to bring us the day to day life of Ancient Greece. Wolfe weaves ghosts, Gods, famous poets and warriors and ordinary cowherds throughout, and after 30 pages, you'll believe. Not just 'suspend disbelief', you'll believe. I'm going to go out on a limb and recommend keeping a copy of Herodotus handy, as well as Bullfinch's mythology. You don't have to have references handy, the story doesn't require it, but I like to KNOW who he's talking about when a general or goddess happens to walk by. Never read 'Arete' without reading 'Soldier of the Mist' first, and frankly, 'Mist' is a better book. The ending of 'Arete' can be interpreted to leave an opening for another sequel. But if GW hasn't released it in 10 years, we can't expect one now. We can only wish. These two are THAT good.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A VERY learned book., December 3, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Soldier of Arete (Paperback)

I saw from the previous reviews of this book that many people found it and it's predecessor, Soldier of the Mists very confusing. What's seems to be at issue with these books is the high degree of learning required to completely understand the story. Gene Wolfe seems to have done a lot of research in writing these books. Without having a pretty thorough knowledge of the Persian Wars of the beginning of the Fifth Century B.C. as well as the Classical Greek tongue, a reader is just not going to get everything out of these books that is in them (Yes, Gene Wolfe is playing with the Classical Greek language in these books). By the end of the book, I feel that it is possible to draw definite conclusions about the identity of Latro. As you read these books, think about the following: Who was Latro revered as in Thrace? In Greek mythology, who are the only figures able to decend to the underworld and come back at will, as Latro does unwittingly? Latro believes that he is a Latin speaking mercenary in the army of the Great King. So who is the patron god of the Latin speaking people? In Greek myth what often is done to the Greek God of War by the other gods when he over steps his bounds? Think on these things, read the book again. I think it will make more sense.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Memories of mist, September 12, 2006

By 

James Davison (Nashville, Tennessee United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Soldier of Arete (Hardcover)

If miracles can flow from a pen, then that pen belongs to Gene Wolfe. Complex characters, gripping narratives and richly-furnished worlds of superabundant creativity -- Wolfe's vital power nevertheless turns to disadvantage when his books lose their way in impenetrable plots, although it hardly matters when the journey is so interesting. The place is ancient Greece -- the battleground of the city-states of Athens ("Thought") and Sparta ("Rope.") Latro is a greek warrior whose head injury makes it impossible to hold a memory for longer than 24 hours. Like ship lost in mist -- Latro is unable to see very far ahead or behind. Every morning he wakes among strangers, and only by writing the days events and then reading the long scroll of this handwritten narrative is he able to piece his life together and make sense of the events. But his injury has also left him with a secret strength -- the ability to speak to the Gods. It takes determination to wade through the tongue-twisting names and places, but it is well worth it to return to the authentic sense of ancient Greece, and unforgettable images of a world that has faded into the mists of the past. Wolfe never completed this trilogy, but if you appetite for greek battles has not been sated, you might turn to The King Must Die, by Mary Renault

--Auralgo