I had absolutely no idea what was going on: Gene Wolfe's CASTLEVIEW is the second of his turn of the 90's trilogy of fantastical fiction novels. The first, THERE ARE DOORS, was a rather confusing but ultimately comprehendible book, but with CASTLEVIEW the reader has no idea what's going on.CASTLEVIEW is perhaps the most infamous of Gene Wolfe's novels. Wolfe has always like to present puzzles to the reader, and every book he's written is filled with mysteries, allusions, and inside jokes. The answers to these are usually to be found after some diligent reading and research, and in any event the main plot can always be followed. In CASTLEVIEW, even the plot is totally baffling. Apparently it has something to do with magical creatures and characters from folklore, especially King Arthur and company, plaguing a modern town outside of Chicago. That's really all one can say for certain after reading the book. The entire point of the book is an enigma, and it doesn't appear that Wolfe has included the key anywhere in its 200 pages. My personal hypothesis right after reading the book was that 50 pages or so fell out of my copy during the printing process, so that I missed the part where everything comes together. However, I read the same copy everyone else did, and no one's ever shown it was incomplete.Ignoring the fact that the book goes right over the heads of its audience, CASTLEVIEW is not one of Wolfe's stronger works. I was annoyed by the speed in which Wolfe introduced new characters, so that it was difficult to follow who's who. Chapters end abruptly on some mysterious development which may create suspense but which irks the reader. Ironically, the teenagers are the only characters which are portrayed realistically, and the adults are somewhat two-dimensional, which is the opposite of how these sorts of things normally turn out.Gene Wolfe is truly one of the finest writers in the English language. His four-volume work The Book of the New Sun is legendary, and his latest work The Book of the Short Sun is filled with moments of sublime beauty and poignant emotion. I would most certainly recommend that one read Wolfe's "solar" works first (starting with the BotNS), his magisterial novel PEACE, and just about everything else he's every written before coming to CASTLEVIEW. I do recommend CASTLEVIEW, and reading the book sure does explain why so many Wolfe scholars are beating their heads against the wall on this one. Save CASTLEVIEW for last.

Brilliant bit of real-world fantasy from the master. ( )

Weird. Very weird. Lots of suspense, but easy to get lost in. ( )

This book must be Wolfe's idea of a thriller. His methodical prose and dialogs subtly crest above a current of quickly developing events. The characters are colorful and untypical, in their own ways. The writing is concise, playful, evocative, and unpredictable. All those things make Wolfe's work a pleasure to read.

References to Arthurian legend are made throughout the book, not always implicitly. Personally, not being intimately familiar with the legend, I was able to pick out only a few non-obvious references and character identifications. Greater familiarity, I'm sure, would have only increased my enjoyment of the book.

Overall, an excellent novel, and a nice change of pace for those only familiar with Wolfe's Solar Cycle. ( )

Needing a book to take on a trip recently, I grabbed Castleview, remembering that I had enjoyed it long ago. Reading it again, my pleasure was increased. There's a lot more going on here than meets the eye, and some of it really creeps up on you. The relationships among the characters are more interesting than I had remembered, especially Will and Ann's. The mutual intrusions of our world and faerie are wonderfully mysterious. Wolfe avoids the problem that some writers have of explaining too much, hinting at what's going on without beating us over the head with it, allowing us to apply our own knowledge of myths and stories. It's a fun read, with chapter endings that propel the action along. This is my favorite of his non-Sun books. ( )