Subject: (whorl) Clute

From: Nicholas Gevers <vermoulian at yahoo.com>
Date: Fri, 05 Nov 1999 23:19:22 +0000

I think that criticisms of John Clute's style ignore
the fact that he is (unlike most critics) an original
prose stylist. His innovative, if sometimes contorted,
writing has vastly enriched SF criticism, not only
because of his cogent insights, but because he has
unlocked a critical vocabulary equal to the complete
expression of those insights. He has his clumsy and
inattentive moments, but I'd rather have him review
OBW than leave the task to pedestrian hacks like the
authors of certain other published reviews cited on
amazon.

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From: Kevin J. Maroney <kmaroney at crossover.com>
Date: Sat, 06 Nov 1999 13:01:33 +0000

At 11:19 PM 11/5/99 -0800, Nick Gevers wrote:
>His innovative, if sometimes contorted,
>expression of those insights. 

He has, but I think that alga was correct in pointing out that his
convolutions sometimes serve the work poorly. The diction and content which
are appropriate when one is writing a review for a general audience who
might or might not have read the work are not the same as those appropriate
for an informed audience, and I think that alga properly pegged Clute as
having used the latter in a work targetted at the former, to his detriment. 

Wombat, a.k.a. Kevin Maroney kmaroney at crossover.com
Kitchen Staff Supervisor, New York Review of Science Fiction
http://ebbs.english.vt.edu/olp/nyrsf/nyrsf.html

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From: Kieran Cleary <kierannwn at tinet.ie>
Date: Sun, 07 Nov 1999 12:03:04 +0000

William Ansley wrote:

>>Interesting is hardly the word for Clute's speculation, quoted above. It
don't make no sense! I think it is pretty clear that Horn has visited and
returned from The Whorl already by the time he has written OBW from the
hints contained within. If that is so, then shouldn't the title of the
final book be _Re-return to the Whorl_?<<

What Clute says in his review is

>>because the last volume seems destined to take place after the text of On
Blue's Waters has been fully inscribed<<

He's basically pointing out that Horn is writing "on the run", as it were,
and so we will continue to find out what happens to Horn as he makes his way
back to New Viron from Gaon.

Kieran C.

North West Labs
Stephen St. Court
Sligo
Republic of Ireland

Tel. +353 71 69441
Fax. +353 71 69451
email: kierannwn at tinet.ie