Castleview

By Gene Wolfe

In the town of Castleview, Illinois, Tom Howard is murdered at the factory he manages—on the same day that Will E. Shields and his family, newly come to Castleview, arrive with a realtor in tow to see Howard's house. From an attic window, Shields glimpses the phantom castle that has given the town its name. They are discussing the house with Sally Howard when the police arrive bearing the dreadful news. Then, driving back to the motel, Shields nearly hits a gigantic horseman in the rain…beginning a series of collisions with the mythological that only Gene Wolfe could tell.


At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Macmillan Publishers
• Release date: Jan 15, 1991
• ISBN: 9781429966689

Gene Wolfe

Gene Wolfe (1931-2019) was the Nebula Award-winning author of The Book of the New Sun tetralogy in the Solar Cycle, as well as the World Fantasy Award winners The Shadow of the Torturer and Soldier of Sidon. He was also a prolific writer of distinguished short fiction, which has been collected in such award-winning volumes as Storeys from the Old Hotel and The Best of Gene Wolfe. A recipient of the World Fantasy Award for Life Achievement, the Edward E. Smith Memorial Award, and six Locus Awards, among many other honors, Wolfe was inducted into the Science Fiction Hall of Fame in 2007, and named Grand Master by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America in 2012.

Reviews for Castleview

[diehardkev · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

One of, if not my all time, favourite reads. Combines supernatural myths with probably the best example of fast paced, cliffhanger thriller writing, that I have come across. Everytime I thought I had worked out what was happening, I'd be thrown off course as soon as I turned the page.Quite possibly, this is the best supernatural thriller to date.

[drinkingtea_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

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

[igor1kh · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

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.

[jim53_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

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.

[randulf-3 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

One of, if not my all time, favourite reads. Combines supernatural myths with probably the best example of fast paced, cliffhanger thriller writing, that I have come across. Everytime I thought I had worked out what was happening, I'd be thrown off course as soon as I turned the page.Quite possibly, this is the best supernatural thriller to date.

[angharad_reads · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Extremely Blaylockian in plot, and – intermittently, mostly in the first half – in atmosphere. Surprisingly less evocative and cohesive than other Wolfe works I've read. Very Started sneaky, got very confusing in the middle, and resolved suddenly at the end (with its big "Arthurian" reveal). At least only two people were named blatantly, and no one was called Jennifer.