I wish there was a Gene Wolfe story I could come away from, feeling completely satisfied. It never happens. It didn't with this one either. But that's not to say it was not worth it.
A Gene Wolfe story will typically consist of conversations which you need to parse in order to make sense of what's actually going on in the background. It ignores, apart from a few exceptions, a traditional story structure. Large chunks of it might feel unnecessary. You might find yourself accusing it of not adding up to much of anything substantial. There will always be an ending, however, which will pretend to wrap up the mystery underlying all of the talk. But since Wolfe's characters reveal themselves via dialogue and action, rather than the narrator telling you that he or she is this or that way, you'll find yourself revisiting portions of the story which had felt enigmatic in how casual they were.
It's the same with this story. It involves a sentient Island run by an A.I, and three people who find themselves in it: a boy, a girl and a man. All three of them are there because mentally, all three are unstable, or not well. The island is there to cure them. Or at least, that's what is suggested. Before long, something more sinister is unearthed.
Wolfe's language and his fresh treatment of SF tropes are why I read him. I can forgive the occasional ambiguity, something I can't do with other authors. Also suspect is Wolfe's treatment of women, something I still haven't been able to put my finger on. This story is no different.
But all things considered, it was worth a read. Reminded me in its best moments of The Book of the New Sun, that flawed masterwork.
Up Next: Surface Tension by James Blish
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