Call number
Genres
Publication
Pages
Description
Originally published in 1975, "Peace "is a spellbinding, brilliant tour de force of the imagination. The melancholy memoir of Alden Dennis Weer, an embittered old man living out his last days in a small midwestern town, the novel reveals a miraculous dimension as the narrative unfolds. For Weer's imagination has the power to obliterate time and reshape reality, transcending even death itself. Powerfully moving and uncompromisingly honest, "Peace "ranks alongside the finest literary works of our time. Hailed as "one of the literary giants of SF" by the "Denver Post," Gene Wolfe has repeatedly won the field's highest honors, including the Nebula, the Hugo, and the World Fantasy awards. "Peace "is Gene Wolfe's first full-length novel, a work that shows the genius that later flourished in such acclaimed works as "The Fifth Head of Cerberus "and "The Book of The New Sun."… (more)
Awards
Language
Original language
Original publication date
Physical description
ISBN
Similar in this library
User reviews
And yet, as Weer weaves his stories, something sinister begins to take shape underneath the main narrative, hinting at some horrific secret underlying Weer's tale. Is this simply an old man recording his life story? Or is Weer somehow projecting his consciousness back through time to revisit (or revise) these memories? Or (even worse) is he somehow recreating events as he describes them—conjuring up the dead to reenact his tale for him? There's a sense of unease and dread that mounts as the pages fly by, an anticipation that builds, waiting for the terrible revelation that will totally alter the context of all that has come before. And then, once that final page has turned...
The book just kind of ends. Or doesn't. Depending how you look at it.
And I confess that I don't get it. I found it captivating and entertaining and beautifully written, but it comes as no surprise (I guess) that Wolfe has outsmarted me. From the little I had read about it (to keep from spoiling myself) I expected this big reveal at the end that would turn the entire book on its head. Didn't happen. In fact, I found the fifth and final chapter to be the least interesting—and the least relevant—by far. Wolfe is a man whose work demands to be read very closely and carefully, and this book might be Exhibit A. I've looked at a couple of interpretations online, and, okay, I guess that makes some sense, but if that's true then man! is this stuff obtuse.
I'm trying not to let it bother me though. I still loved every minute that I spent reading it. And if I was rather disappointed by the outcome, I consider myself at least as much to blame as Wolfe. Someday I'll reread it for the tenth time, and it will all make sense. Until then, I give Peace 4 out of 5 stars.
Like any Gene Wolfe there is hidden depth here, as if you pay attention to characters and dates you can piece together a timeline that reveals more of what is going on than is ever explicitly stated. Wolfe is the master at writing books that have extra depths to explore if you so choose, but which don't have to be delved into to have a good reading experience. Personally I always like trying to solve the riddles Wolfe strews about, and if such a thing sounds appealing to you there's no author I would recommend to you more highly than Gene Wolfe.
Edit: Just read some cliff notes on the novel, and yes, there's quite a bit I didn't fully get. Time to read Goethe's FAUST.
In Wolfe's first full-length
Now, I love me some first-person story-telling because I always expect the narrator to be unreliable. And this one certainly is. Alden Dennis Weer is a strange old guy and the way he reminisces about people, places and events from his past (and present?) soon makes it abundantly clear that there is more here than meets the eye at first glance. And Peace is definitely that rare type of book that will reveal more of itself with each re-read. I almost want to start over from the beginning right away to see what I missed in the early going that might help clarify where we ended up. Which was where again? Ah yes. The ending, (if one can call it that). Frustratingly incomplete and yet... Oh well, there are too many other books clamoring for their fair share at the moment - but I will be tempted to re-read this one sooner rather than later while it's still relatively fresh. Anyway, I pretty much loved this book - even though I am grinding my teeth a bit at the swooshing sound I keep hearing above my head...
A footnote: Gene Wolfe has never been an easy read for me. He places a heavy demand on his audience. When you pick up one of his books, do not expect to be spoon-fed a plot. That doesn't mean there isn't a plot, only that there will be deeper meanings in his stories than you might at first realize. There are always layers of meaning and hidden events in Wolfe's narratives. This book is perhaps his most confounding that I have read to date - although Castleview is comparably dense with meaning.
The ending... Just kind of happens, and I almost want to knock of a star for that,
Note: while there are some dark elements to some of the stories, and ghosts are prominent, it is not graphic. More dread than terror.