{
  "export": {
    "source": "https://urth.darkrealm.vip/thread/urth/4700",
    "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": 4700,
    "subject": "Citadel things: In the crypt and Valeria",
    "messages": 2,
    "voices": 2,
    "first": "2006-08-28T02:46:57+00:00",
    "last": "2006-08-28T11:16:37+00:00"
  },
  "messages": [
    {
      "message_id": "<6.0.3.0.2.20060827213617.024b4ec0@mail.amalar.com>",
      "from": {
        "name": "junk06 at amalar.com",
        "address": "junk06 at amalar.com"
      },
      "date": "2006-08-28T02:46:57+00:00",
      "subject": "(urth) Citadel things: In the crypt and Valeria",
      "in_reply_to": null,
      "reply_link": null,
      "blocks": [
        {
          "kind": "text",
          "depth": 0,
          "text": "I have puzzled together most of the series to be satisfied, but a few \nthings have never clicked for me.\n\nDoes Severian get in the crypt in the citadel? It seems to be clear he is \nthere. I trace his timeline, and it's clear he's remade at some points, but \nwhen does he end up in the crypt? Even at the end of BOTNS, it is mentioned \nhe thinks he will end up there, but then ends up going to the time after \nthe new sun past the time of the guy in the crypt. I don't see any \nextraneous Severian that is not accounted for.\n\nWhat is the significance of Valeria? He meets her very soon in the first \nbook, then suddenly goes off to look for her at the end of the last book as \nif it were the end of some literary story arc. Is she mentioned any time in \nbetween briefly meeting her and when he goes to find her to marry her? He \nmet some other women briefly too, but didn't go back to marry them. Why her?"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "message_id": "<BAY103-F27D068B9D31D5924C7DDDD7380@phx.gbl>",
      "from": {
        "name": "b sharp",
        "address": "bsharporflat at hotmail.com"
      },
      "date": "2006-08-28T11:16:37+00:00",
      "subject": "(urth) Citadel things: In the crypt and Valeria",
      "in_reply_to": "<6.0.3.0.2.20060827213617.024b4ec0@mail.amalar.com>",
      "reply_link": "subject",
      "blocks": [
        {
          "kind": "text",
          "depth": 0,
          "text": "junk06 asks:"
        },
        {
          "kind": "quote",
          "depth": 1,
          "text": "What is the significance of Valeria? He meets her very soon in the first \nbook, then suddenly goes >off to look for her at the end of the last book \nas if it were the end of some literary story arc. Is >she mentioned any \ntime in between briefly meeting her and when he goes to find her to marry \nher? He met some other women briefly too, but didn't go back to marry \nthem. Why her?"
        },
        {
          "kind": "text",
          "depth": 0,
          "text": "Severian does meet Valeria early on then fails to mention her much until the \nend.  He mentions her after he has collected a few female conquests and then \nstarts to replay them in his mind on occasions. It always struck me as \nawkward that a casual afternoon tea suddenly became as significant as \nSeverian's relationship with the other women.  I've even thought the few \nremembrances of Valeria seem like post hoc additions to the story by Wolfe \nso Sev's marriage to Valeria won't seem quite so abrupt and strange at the \nend.\n\nWolfe's (Sev's) descriptions of Valeria are so tender I've always felt there \nwas something autobiographical there.  I often think Severian marries \nValeria because Gene Wolfe married Rosemary (I think that's the name).\n\nJunk06 also asks:"
        },
        {
          "kind": "quote",
          "depth": 1,
          "text": "Does Severian get in the crypt in the citadel?"
        },
        {
          "kind": "text",
          "depth": 0,
          "text": "Just my own theory, but I don't think he does.  Old gods never die, they \njust fade away.\n\nMy current view on the mausoleum is that the five coffins invoke the five \nheads of Cerberus and this is Gene Wolfe's way of putting himself in the \nstory, recognizing Severian as another (the second) of his literary avatars. \n  The funeral bronze that looks like Severian is really Wolfe's face and \nthis is a cameo appearance.\n\n-bsharp"
        }
      ]
    }
  ]
}