{
  "export": {
    "source": "https://urth.darkrealm.vip/thread/urth/1837",
    "note": "Exported from an unofficial mirror of a public mailing list. Copyright in each message remains with the person who wrote it.  Email addresses are obscured as `user at host`, the form the original archive published. This file was rebuilt from parsed fields rather than retained headers, so it is faithful in content but not byte-exact.",
    "addresses": "obscured as 'user at host'"
  },
  "archive": "urth",
  "thread": {
    "id": 1837,
    "subject": "Greetings!",
    "messages": 1,
    "voices": 1,
    "first": "1999-10-17T20:43:32+00:00",
    "last": "1999-10-17T20:43:32+00:00"
  },
  "messages": [
    {
      "message_id": "<urth-v0028-0205@digest.urth.net>",
      "from": {
        "name": "Daniel Fusch",
        "address": "dfusch at hotmail.com"
      },
      "date": "1999-10-17T20:43:32+00:00",
      "subject": "(urth) Greetings!",
      "in_reply_to": null,
      "reply_link": null,
      "blocks": [
        {
          "kind": "text",
          "depth": 0,
          "text": "Hello.\n\nThis is my first post to this list. I first came across The Book of the New \nSun two years ago, at the recommendation of a literary agent, and I have \nbeen hooked ever since. (How could I not be? What an astounding book!) I \nthink my favorite parts of the book are the vast vistas and varied \nencounters in \"The Sword of the Lictor.\" Especially the cliff near Casdoe's \nhouse. And Mount Typhon. And...\n\nBut I can go on like that for a long while. Dr. Talos remains an extremely \nmemorable character in my mind (but then, so do most of the characters), and \nthe storytelling contest in the fourth volume is excellent (I'm partial to \nHallvard's story myself, but I like the fact that Severian does NOT end up \njudging the stories--they are all left on an equal footing).\n\nAnd, of course, Severian's encounter with Rudesind the curator in volume \none...where he (Severian) sees the picture of the armored warrior (what \nsubtlety!) and longs to set it against a tree, with its frame resting on the \ngrass.\n\nAnd the sequence of short scenes when Severian is walking beside the sea \nnear the end of the fourth volume...\n\nand and and....\n\nWell, from a brief glance at the URTH archives, I can see that there is a \ngreat deal of discussion on this mailing list. I'm looking forward to it!\n\nFirst, as a newbie, may I toss out a few questions?\n\n1. I have to admit I am puzzled by the miracle of Apu-Punchau. Wolfe (in his \nusual fashion) tells us that the attentive reader might well be able to come \nup with one or two plausible explanations, but I find myself at a loss to \ncome up with anything particularly plausible. Help! (I keep thinking this \nshould be a simple one.) Does anyone have any suggestions?\n\n2. I have heard it said that Severian may be an unreliable narrator. I can \nthink of a few slight inconsistencies in his narrative that might support \nthis. Has anyone discussed this subject in detail? Could anyone provide me \nwith some examples of the (alleged) unreliability of Severian?\n\nFor one thing, I notice that Severian often \"leaves out\" some small detail \nof the plot, which is mentioned later. This does not make him intentionally \ndeceptive, perhaps--since it may be that Severian does not himself consider \nthese details of importance at the time, or else he might assume that the \nreader does not need to be told these details explicitly, since he has \ndropped hints--but it does make him an unreliable narrator in the technical \nsense. (It also makes him an even more interesting narrator!) I am thinking \nof A) the fact that Severian does not mention the healing of the man-ape's \nhewed hand at that point in the plot, but he alludes to it later, and B) the \nfact that Severian does not mention his physical intimacy with Thecla at \nthat point in the narrative, although he alludes to it in \"Claw\" and \n\"Sword.\"\n\nThoughts, anyone?\n\n3. I'm curious...has anyone pondered the question of how closely (or in what \nways) Wolfe's character of the Cumaean corresponds to the Cumaean in \nVirgil's Aeneid? (I ask because I have not yet read the Aeneid; it is on my \nlist of books to read over Christmas break--a very long list!) As far as I \nknow, the Cumaean in \"The Aeneid\" advises Aeneas in the matter of descending \nto hell and returning (\"hoc opus, hic labor est\"). The connection of Aeneas' \ndescent to the hell with Severian's encounter with Apu-Punchau seems (to me, \nat first glance) tenuous at best. Any thoughts?\n\n\nAlso, a comment....\n\nI received my copy of Andre-Driussi's \"Lexicon Urthus\" only this last week, \nand I've had fun looking through it! The section on \"onomastics\" was \nenlightening, and the section on Terminus Est was especially interesting. \nAlong the lines of Terminus Est as Excalibur, might I volunteer a few \nthoughts? These associations may be unfounded, but still, I think the topic \nbegs for such connections!\n\nHere are my suggestions:\n\nAgia, in a sense, serves the role of Morgan le Fay. In a sense. She schemes \nto obtain Terminus Est, as Morgan le Fay schemes to obtain Terminus Est. \nAgilus is somewhat like Sir Accolon (I believe that was the name), who \njousted with Arthur (with the sword Excalibur at stake, though Arthur did \nnot know it).\n\nOf course, these connections break down with any deeper analysis. For one, \nTerminus Est is not involved in the combat at the Sanguinary Fields; both \nSeverian and Agilus wield averns. On the other hand, one might recall that \nSir Accolon (if that was his name) had superior weaponry in the combat with \nArthur, since he wielded Excalibur...in secret. Similarly, Agilus holds an \nunfair advantage at the Sanguinary Fields, since Severian's avern works \nagainst him.\n\nSecondly, Agia is not a sorceress, though she nearly \"bewitches\" Severian.\n\nStill, I think there might be some slight connection there, if only an \nunconscious one.\n\nAny thoughts?\n\nAnyway, I'm glad I found this forum!\n\n\nSincerely,\n\nDaniel Fusch"
        }
      ]
    }
  ]
}