Gene Wolfe
Paperback | Pages: 313 pages Rating: 3.63 | 1007 Users | 63 Reviews
Particularize Books In Favor Of There Are Doors
| Original Title: | There Are Doors |
| ISBN: | 0312872305 (ISBN13: 9780312872304) |
| Edition Language: | English |
Narrative Concering Books There Are Doors
What are behind all of the doors we have never opened? Every day we take for granted the unknown world beyond the boundaries of our perception. How can you be sure there is not a monster in the closet unless you've checked? This childish doubt of realities we cannot see is not too different from the paranoia experienced by the mentally insane. In Gene Wolfe's standalone adventure s-f novel, There Are Doors, we are treated to another romp through modern America, full of the variety and charm to be found in almost any work by this author. Unlike his more epic books, this one looks at the travails of one man, in a world we can readily comprehend, as he passes through various doors, whether they be physical, metaphysical or metaphorical. He makes for a likable, if bumbling, main character. As anyone who attempts to read Wolfe should know, there are more mysteries beneath the surface narrative than the average reader can perceive in one go. There are usually multiple interpretations to the events described, and by linking together your own interpretations, you are left with a very personal and wacky vision. What I found most enjoyable about this book was the slippage of Time. The nostalgic brand of American paraphernalia intruding at the edges of the scenery, those atmospheric qualities to be found in the work of Philip K. Dick, really added layers to the carefully constructed set pieces. I found the flow of the prose to be simple but gorgeous. The concepts at work challenged my intellect, even if the sentences were straightforward and lacked great depth. Unlike a few of Wolfe's more challenging novels, this one is not opaque to casual perusal. It presents much food for thought without making you grind your teeth to the gums. The plot devices waver with the protagonist's untrustworthy impressions of juxtaposed worlds. Whether he's chilling in an Italian restaurant with a sentient doll or selling antique furniture to old ladies, this Dickian narrator is an unwilling participant in a cosmic conspiracy against his own consciousness. The trivial pursuit of his own obsession with a potentially imaginary girlfriend is both sad and heartwarming. While there are fewer chilling moments of startling majesty and haunting dislocation than in his more esoteric fiction, this book is still an evocative, beginner's hors d'oeuvre of Wolfian elegance.Itemize Out Of Books There Are Doors
| Title | : | There Are Doors |
| Author | : | Gene Wolfe |
| Book Format | : | Paperback |
| Book Edition | : | Deluxe Edition |
| Pages | : | Pages: 313 pages |
| Published | : | October 9th 2001 by Orb Books (first published 1988) |
| Categories | : | Fantasy. Science Fiction. Fiction |
Rating Out Of Books There Are Doors
Ratings: 3.63 From 1007 Users | 63 ReviewsAssess Out Of Books There Are Doors
Weeeiird. But good. Thankfully it's a short book, because I had close to no idea what was going on until halfway through. But after that, I couldn't put it down. Gene Wolfe has a singular talent for making you go "Wait. What?" and start flipping pages back to find that one phrase or passage that you can't quite remember but suddenly realize was incredibly significant.I had a bad experience with Gene Wolfe. I read his Book of the New Sun a long time ago, and found it both confused and confusing; I didn't like it.I can enjoy complexity in a novel, but I like there to be a point to the whole thing. I like there to be some sort of fundamentally coherent plot. Too many books lack that. I hate books in which the protagonist (if there is one) is insane, or reality changes in arbitrary and unexplained ways...much as I love the 60's, I don't care for a lot of the
It is generally considered one of Gene Wolfe's lesser novels, but I actually found this to be one of his strongest stand-alone novels. While it's not the most compelling of reads, it is very thematically rich with symbolism, a deep and impressive work. The narrative is even more ambiguous than usual for Wolfe, and it works well on several levels. I give it a strong recommendation to Gene Wolfe fans.
A somewhat unexceptional alternate worlds story made far more exceptional by the storytelling powers of the man writing it. The ultimate shape of the tale isn't amazing but the journey was fun and characteristically Wolfe. Don't start here, but don't end here either.
THERE ARE DOORS was the first of Gene Wolfe's late-1980's fantastical fiction works, the others being CASTLEVIEW and PANDORA. After his acclaimed four-volume work The Book of the New Sun and its coda, THE URTH OF THE NEW SUN, and two fantasy novels set in ancient Greece (the "Soldier" series), these fantastical fiction works were a very different offering from an author known for his science fiction.THERE ARE DOORS is the story of an appliance salesman who has a week-long relationship with, so
As heartbreaking as the recent death of its author. RIP, Gene. Enjoy eternity with Rosemary, and whatever feminine spirit within your heart was Lara, and Thecla, and many other great fictional women besides.
Not my favorite Wolfe book, for the simple fact that the confusion I endured did not really lead to any greater epiphanies or discoveries down the line like all the others have. I'm still very confused, still not entirely sure what was going on or what the greater point was. However, it was beautifully written and gripped me the entire time and I'm sure there's depth and meaning to find here that just went way over my head. I've read that Kafka's The Castle is an important touchstone for
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