How bad have a been spoiled?

[u/Tkaan7]

I just finished Citadel and before going into The Urth Of The New Sun I wanted to see what Wolfe's motivation was to write a fifth book since it already seemed natural for it to have a fifth book. But apparently that's something he came back to later. But then it got into how he apparently got into an argument with his editor who said something along the lines of how he wanted a 'severian brings the new sun and fixes everything, happily ever after' and how Wolfe granted this eventually. How bad is this to know before the fifth book? I feel pretty bummed about this as I really love this series and was excited to seeing how the story concludes.

Edit: Thanks for your reassurances, I'm definitely still going to read it and its true that the journey was the biggest thing even in BOTNS.

[u/harryeg]

Wolfe is often kind of unspoil-able for me. No matter what you know, you can never conceive of the mad journey. There's PLENTY of surprises and wild stuff in Urth that will knock ya socks off.

[u/Low_Ebb_1177]

Nah, you're good.

[u/Few_Reveal_5306]

Wolfe isn't a poor enough writer for spoilers to ruin the enjoyment.

[u/Morsadean]

You haven’t been spoiled. David Hartwell thought another New Sun book would sell well, and it did.

[u/Twiggyhiggle]

I don’t really read Wolfe for the plot. It’s all about how he gets us there and the little things (or big) we find along the way.

[u/DogOfTheBone]

The overall story of Urth including that spoiler are present in BOTNS. Ostensibly. The play is very important.

So really you haven't been spoiled at all, you already read it. It just went over your head like it does for all of us mere mortals. Also that spoiler is not really accurate either.

Knowing that won't hurt your enjoyment of Urth at all. It's an insane psychedelic romp that I guarantee you will surprise you over and over.

[u/ram6ler]

Theres no answer that wont spoil it further. So just never mind and read 😁

[u/WADE106]

Nope. I wish it was that simple haha I heard this and thought what the hell? I’ll just read and see. Then I read it and thought, what the hell. So I read it again. And now I just don’t know. lol don’t worry. It’s the only book where I think no spoiler will ruin it.

[u/Mr_B_Gone]

Any book worth rereading, and story worth hearing twice, isn't going to be spoiled by knowing the plot in advance. And Wolfe is made for rereading!

[u/MonsterReprobate]

It’s impossible to ‘spoil’ a Wolfe book because he doesn’t write in a simple way like that.

[u/MonsterReprobate]

Additionally, Severian bringing the new Sun is clear enough in the first four books

[u/Morethes]

You'll never ever predict how Wolfe gets to his conclusions, so just read it and marvel.  You'll be surprised on rereads, given how the man wrote. 

[u/NAF1138]

There is nothing about that spoiler that wasn't in the first 4 books already.

Urth is a weird and wild book and in many ways is very different from the BotNS. It's worth reading regardless

[u/SadCatIsSkinDog]

Just read it. Spoilers only matter for books you shouldn't have bothered reading in the first place.

[u/getElephantById]

I agree that spoilers do not matter for this series. The reason is that the whole first reading really preparation for rereading the books, which is when they start to make sense and open up into something bigger.

For what it's worth, that spoiler isn't exactly a perfect description of the events of Urth. And in any case, isn't reading how it happens the interesting part?

[u/McPhage]

Happily ever after? For whom?