Author: Gene Wolfe
Publisher: Tor
Binding: Paperback
Publication Date: January 2004
Anyone familiar with any example of Gene Wolfe’s body of work in literature and has been exposed to his writing style, knows he’s more then just a marvelous writer of fantasy novels. He is a fabulous writer period. There are many examples of fantasy works and authors that could not deliver in quality when proceeded by a poem penned by Lord Dunsany, in its preface. Gene Wolfe is one of the exceptions as an author and although I don’t believe The Knight, the first installment of a planned two-book cycle entitled The Wizard Knight, to be an example of Wolfe’s finest work (see the absolutely exceptional The Book of the New Sun), Wolfe’s such a talent as a writer, his lesser works in comparison to his own body of work are in my opinion still examples of the best a fan of speculative fiction can read, and The Knight certainly falls in this category.
The concept and basis of the story Wolfe employs in The Knight is certainly not new to fantasy, regardless if one is new to fantasy reading or a long time fan. The Knight centers around a orphaned boy from “the real world” (our world) who one day when hiking alone in a forest and quite innocently forms a walking stick from a branch of a tree he happens on in his path. This occurrence sends him (as of yet unnamed) to the world of Mythgarthr (Man’s realm), a decidedly medieval setting that makes up only one of seven realms of reality, Mythgarthr being the middle realm. It is upon his arrival to Mythgarthr that a name is given to the reader for the boy. The boy is named by one of his first encounters in his new surroundings, a woman he describes as, “an old lady with too many teeth”. This woman names him Able “of the High Heart”, and rather unceremoniously sends Able on his way. Able find his first companion in the character of Bold Berthold, who on seeing Able claims him as his missing brother. Able, thankful for the company begins residing with Berthold and in doing so learns more of the land he now inhabits. Months later he encounters two men, Ravd and his squire Svon who Able becomes attached to as their local guide on Mythgarthr. It is through this meeting and subsequent association that Able first begins to have aspirations of being a knight himself. Through Ravd, and Svon, Able meets the Aelfs, who inhabit the plane of Aelfrice (just below Mythgarthr), and more importantly Disiri a Aelf queen ( a Mossmaiden to be exact), who becomes Able’s object of affection and love. It is Disiri who gives Able his cause and informs him of his destiny to be the wielder of a legendary sword of Etrene, a blade haunted by the spirits of all its prior bearers, and transforms his body into one of that of man. For his love of Disiri and fulfill both his goal and self worth as a knight he embarks on his journey that will take introduce both Able and the reader to fantastic creatures and other characters, other Aelf’s, knights, Frost Giants, pirates, talking animal companions, and a dragon.
I know what is everyone is thinking. An orphaned boy, turned magically into a man desiring knighthood, on a mission of destiny and love to find a legendary sword in the grasps of a dragon? Isn’t this the type of formulaic, clichéd riddled, storyline that I frequently despise? Isn’t this Terry Brook’s Landover series? The answer to these questions in regards to The Knight are no. Wolfe’s writing ability transcends the typical themes in the book. The Knight is told in first person, with Able as the narrator. The story amounts to being letter Able is dictating to his brother from “the real world”. Wolfe masterfully portrays the narrator as what he is, a mere boy, and what we the reader witness is what he witnesses, described by the mind of a boy sent into a unfamiliar fantastic world. The supporting characters are done with great care, yet purposely may seem lacking at time, due to the fact we are witnessing them as people and their actions through the eyes of a boy. Wolfe intentionally stresses that although Able is a boy in a man’s body, he is still a young boy finding his way not only through the journey and circumstance of his fantastic adventures in Mythgarthr, but his journey into manhood itself. The notion that we are not given a name to the narrator until he arrives to this fantastic realm, reveals the true nature of the brilliance of Wolfe’s writing. The reader is not only “escaping’ into this world, but simultaneously we are reading of the narrator’s own “escape’ from his own world, he has no name, as if he desires and perceives his very own existence only to be associated and birthed with his arrival to Mythgarthr as Able “of the High Heart”. Wolfe’s writing, his great depiction of the narrator both in what he does and how he perceives his surroundings, the smart dialogue, at times amusing, at other times wonderfully insightful, and his prose as always top notch are what separates The Knight from other novels that share similar themes. Everything about this novel seems purposely misleading from the very title of the novel, to the common theme, yet one familiar with Wolfe’s prior work can only assume this is a stroke intentional genius. Gene Wolfe’s The Knight offers fantasy readers a glimpse into traditional, ‘old school” fantasy, paying homage to past masters of the genre like Tolkien, Eddison, and the aforementioned Lord Dunsany, yet not settling for the often seen rehashing of their work.
I come away from The Knight, very impressed, and eager to read the already released sequel The Wizard. As stated earlier, not Wolfe’s best work in my opinion, but still one of the most enjoyable novels I have read in some time. Seemingly implying his awareness and recognition of fantasies traditions and the legacies associated with them, yet offering a original, and delightful read. The Knight can be enjoyed by all ages in my opinion, which cannot be said of the bulk of Wolfe’s work, which I think are better left to more mature readers. The Knight offers a tale of adventure, and familiar ideals for the younger readers, yet the underlying themes and what can only be described as Wolfe’s sheer brilliance in regards to his writing prowess found both in his prose and his implementation of a seemingly basic storyline will appeal to those with more critical natures. Wolfe does nothing to hinder his staggering reputation with The Knight.
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