For the last few years, my husband has been trying to get anyone who will listen to him to read Gene Wolfe. I never have, in large part because I like to be contrary. Also, he was never able to make his books seem interesting to me. But a bandwagon? I can be convinced to jump on those.
I’m about halfway through the first book, The Shadow of the Torturer, and am wondering why I felt so intimidated by these for so long. Yes, there are a lot of big (antiquated) words I don’t understand, but I don’t feel as if I need to understand their every nuance. Context is king.
I was also worried for a bit that I’d have to live through lots of women being tortured. Luckily, there were only two. And the episodes were brief and not that explicit.
I don’t have an Opinion about the series yet (there are four books, in two omnibus editions, plus a “sequel” I think?) but I’m neither bored nor overwhelmed. Mordicai likes things about books that I don’t, but there is enough here besides those things for me to enjoy as well.
Disclaimer: My husband works for the company who publishes these books, but I don’t know that anyone there is even aware he’s doing it. It’s really born from an obsessive love of Gene Wolfe.
Biblioteca Trémula 
Yeah, it isn’t like some fest of ruinous torture; just a dialogue on justice, really! Anyhow, I knew that what I like wouldn’t be what you like– making it hard to sell them to you.
& I can’t even remember who the other woman being tortured it?
It was a nameless woman towards the beginning, they talk about taking all the skin off her leg, doing a full boot instead of half.
Oh that is true. I remember now.
Not actually related to the post at hand, but this is an official invitation to join my “Finding the ‘good’ parents in YA Lit” challenge and post your own list of books with “good” parents.
You can find all the information here:
Thanks!