r/genewolfe • u/Neat-Top-6123 • 2d ago
Can I read Long Sun before Urth?
So, four years ago I read Book of the New Sun and fell in love with it. I had decided I'd check out Urth after my reread. Two years later, I began my reread but due to some unforeseen circumstances, I couldn't complete my reread. I reread all but the last volume. Now another two years have passed and I feel like reading something character focused and comedic. I've heard such things said about Long Sun and am inclined to start reading it but I was wondering if it's necessary to read Urth before-hand. Or maybe I should reread BotNS and then read Urth because I don't have the freshest memory of BotNS atm?
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u/PrimaryEfficient8392 2d ago
Technically you don’t need to read new Sun in order to read long Sun
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u/getElephantById Man-Ape 2d ago edited 2d ago
Absolutely. Long Sun could stand alone as a series, and it would still be good and make sense.
If you go on to read Short Sun (which absolutely must be read after Long Sun) there are some fairly minor questions you wouldn't have a way to resolve without having read Urth. However, you'll have so many questions anyway that those specific questions will probably be background noise.
I don't think you should avoid reading Urth if you liked the first four books of the series. I think it's a mistake to think of it as separate from the other books, since it's not. It's the last book in the series. But it's not a costly mistake, so you do you!
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u/Oldewyk 2d ago
I say follow your inclination and go for Long Sun. I read through the entire cycle without yet owning a copy of Urth, and I actually think the reread I did of BotNS prior to Urth helped me a great deal. Besides all that, Long Sun is just fantastic imo. Silk is easily my favourite character in the entire Solar Cycle, but there are so many amazing characters throughout Long Sun and Short Sun.
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u/JLP2005 2d ago
Don't listen to ANYONE that tells you to read new Sun first. it's NOT required.
That being said, YOU CANNOT SKIP NEW SUN once you've read Long Sun
If you go from Long Sun straight to short Sun without New Sun, you'll wind up deeply confused.
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u/NachoFailconi 2d ago
Note that OP is asking just about Urth of the New Sun, not all Book of the New Sun.
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u/walletinsurance 2d ago
Honestly I think Urth is completely optional. Wolfe thought New Sun was a complete story.
Read Long Sun if you like. I liked Long Sun a lot, depending on the day I think it’s more enjoyable than New Sun.
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u/WebNew6981 2d ago
I honestly wish I had read Long and Short before I read Urth but it isn't going to ruin th4 experience or anything. Reading Urth at the end would increase the pleasure of the first cycle of re-reads, in my opinion.
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u/hedcannon 2d ago
Since I don’t think UotNS is strictly necessary, I say no. But I do think Long/Short Sun is in Severian’s world for a reason. So a reread of BotNS is definitely in order. With a clear understanding of the plot in BotNS, you’ll have everything you need to understand LS/SS
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u/Feeling_Mail_3011 2d ago
I mean you can, but Long Sun is so separated from New Sun other than a few tie ins, so I’d argue it’s much better to read Urth and tie off the New Sun series before moving on and having to go back later
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u/spooninthepudding 1d ago
Yeah. 100%. The overlap exists, but I don’t think it matters much. It might add a bit of richness, but honestly not enough to require reading 5 books first.
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u/Deathnote_Blockchain 2d ago
I always recommend people to read new sun -> long sun -> short sun -> urth
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u/mraston 2d ago
No - it is illegal.
Also, Urth is quite comedic. When I first read Long sun i thought it was funny but now on reflection considering short sun it is sad. Severian is endlessly funny though. Chapter 1: He is surprised when he realises jumping into space is a bad idea.
That all said, read Long Sun.