Subject: (urth) Hunting the WeerWolfe

From: Reusch <newsun at freeway.net>
Date: Sat, 03 May 1997 18:21:53 +0000

[Posted from URTH, a mailing list about Gene Wolfe's New Sun and other works]

Mantis,

I've just finished rereading Peace, and I'd like to take on some of your 
Peace mysteries.

1. What is the situation of the narrator? 

He's dead. Although why a ghost would consult a doctor for advice on what 
to do or not to do for a stroke is still a mystery to me. The fact that 
Weer is dead is supported by Wolfe in his interview with Jim Jordan. Weer 
is the "...soul of the dead man seeking now in all the chambers under the 
vault of the skull its old resting places."

2. Did Weer murder some/most/all of the characters in Peace?

You've lost me there. Other than Bobbie Black and the mysterious kid in 
the freezer, do you have any evidence for others? Any thoughts on who the 
ghost in the freezer might be?

3. What is the name of the town? 

I've only noticed Cassionsville and/or Cassonsville. Have I missed others?

4. Was Sherry Gold pregnant at the doctor's office? Does she have the 
baby, or is she killed?

We know that Sherry is dead, Weer tells us that she died the day before 
he had his stroke (pg. 14). Are you suggesting that Weer killed Sherry 
because she was pregnant, which then caused his stroke? I don't know, I'd 
need some more evidence before I subscribe to that.

We also know that Margaret Lorn/Price has an appointment to see the 
doctor, which implies that she is also dead. Killed because she married 
another? Hmmm... Maybe you've got something there.

5. What is "The Book of Gold" in Peace?

I'm not sure what you're asking here. Weer's Canadian axe, perhaps?

Now I've got to add some mysteries of my own:

6. Why is Julius Smart "...actually the central character of this book"?

7. How did Weer become president of Smart's company?

Vance

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From: m.driussi <m.driussi at genie.com>
Date: Mon, 05 May 1997 05:24:00 +0000

Reply:  Item #0568605 from URTH at LISTS.BEST.COM@INET00#

Vance,

I haven't re-read PEACE recently, these are just things off the top
of my head that I recall PEACE-niks going on about, over and through.
(I have been reading some interesting PEACE articles, though--check
the "New York Review of Science Fiction" on-line index if you're
interested in recent developments in this department.)

Right, Weer is dead.  Nutria gave that one away right off <g>.
Supposedly Weer's been disturbed ("awakened," "sent a haunting") by the
blowing over of his grave tree.

Re: murders.  Well there's Bobbie Black and the freezer kid, for
sure.  But some readers have gone on to look at the next tier of
likely candidates: Librarian Lois (gold fever), Aunt Olivia ("if she
were hit by a car, the town's creative intellect would die" line), Sherry
(avoid scandal/blackmail), and so on until it seems that practically the
whole town is on the roster.  Then there is the curious fate of Weer's
father--what happened to him?  The odd rant against hunters (and that
Weer's father was a hunter) suggests to some that Weer may have killed
his father in a "hunting accident."  And, to continue this thread into a
FIFTH HEAD manner, that Weer did some jail time for this (or maybe another
murder).

Re: names of town.  Right, at least those two.  In "The Changeling"
it is "Cassonsville,"  fwiw.

Re: book of Gold, I was asking about biblio(s) from Mr. Gold.  But
within the context of Urth's "Book of Gold."

Hey, isn't anybody else going to talk about PEACE around here?

=mantis=