Digest whorl.v010.n095
The Whorl list — 3 messages, 3 voices, 03 Apr 2000
https://urth.darkrealm.vip/thread/whorl/800

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Timothy Reilly — 03 Apr 2000, 02:55

Re the recent discussions prompted by my post on whether the Long Sun series
is worth it or not, it's nice to see that there is a respectable body of
opinion at both extremes.  However for my part I did NOT enjoy reading the
series (which I did once, but with care and assistance from external sources
as I mentioned).  Therefore I am NOT going to reread it, let alone do so
five times a la Patrick O'Leary.  (Martin Amis apparently said in his youth
on TV of one of his early novels that it had to be reread to be understood;
his father Kingsley wrote to a friend "Well then HE'S FAILED hasn't he").
I've reread TBNS (and other good Wolfe) several times, but that was for
pleasure, not duty.

> I say this not to (I hope) labour the point, but because Alice Turner wrote:
> My initial response to the LS series was not dissimilar; it seemed like a
> YA novel to me. But as I got into it, first with mantis and then with >this
> group, I began to take a pecular pleasure in the plotting. It's put together
> like a jigsaw puzzle. Ask yourself how the insurrection started, >how and
> why Viron went to war, and how it is that Silk is chosen as the rebels'

calde. There's nothing in the least accidental about it. Just >about the
only really spontaneous act in the book is Silk's wild decision to leap over
Blood's wall, and his ending up in Hyacinth's >bedroom. From there on, he is
being manipulated nearly every step of the way. In fact, you could put his
manipulation even earlier, as the >Outsider is also manipulating him. Try
making a chart of the various factions in and around Viron and figure out
who is working for whom. >It's fascinating. And one single person (not a
god) puts the whole unwieldy structure in motion. I won't tell you who that
is, but you can >figure it out by keeping track of motivations and
opportunities.

Alice, please do tell all.  I'm not up to working it out myself, and as I
said I don't intend to try in future.  Same for you Patrick.


*This is WHORL, for discussion of Gene Wolfe's Book of the Long Sun.

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Patri10629 — 03 Apr 2000, 10:02
  follows, by subject match Timothy Reilly

In a message dated 4/2/00 11:02:08 PM, treilly at ozemail.com.au writes:

<< 

Alice, please do tell all.  I'm not up to working it out myself, and as I

said I don't intend to try in future.  Same for you Patrick. >>

Dear Timothy,

If it's any consolation I don't know what the hell Alice is talking about 
either:) And, please, never ever read anything out of duty. That's sort of 
like having sex for procreation.

best,

Patrick O'Leary

*This is WHORL, for discussion of Gene Wolfe's Book of the Long Sun.

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Michael Straight — 03 Apr 2000, 13:20
  follows, by subject match Patri10629

On Mon, 3 Apr 2000, Timothy Reilly quoted Alice:

> who is working for whom. >It's fascinating. And one single person (not a
> god) puts the whole unwieldy structure in motion. I won't tell you who that
> is, but you can >figure it out by keeping track of motivations and
> opportunities.
> 
> Alice, please do tell all.  I'm not up to working it out myself, and as I
> said I don't intend to try in future.  Same for you Patrick.

I agree.  If you've got a conspiracy theory, let's hear it so we can argue
about it.  Somehow I doubt you've found an uncontroversially "right"
interpretation that we'd all come to if we only read more carefully.

-Rostrum


*This is WHORL, for discussion of Gene Wolfe's Book of the Long Sun.

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