Book of the New Sun

Ross TenEyck · 28 Jan 1997, 22:48 · from sf-lovers.1997.mbox

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From: teneyck at u.washington.edu (Ross TenEyck)
Subject: Re: Book of the New Sun
Date: 28 Jan 1997 22:48:54 GMT
Message-ID: <sflovers-v22-59-2 at digest.sf-lovers>
X-Digest-Issue: SF-LOVERS Digest V22 #59
X-Urthmirror-Source: https://archive.org/details/sf-lovers-digest-vol-22a

"William H. Graham III" <WIlliam.H.Graham at cdc.com> writes:
>I just re read Wolfe's centerpiece for the third time in ten years, and I
>still don't know: What the hell happened at the Wall of Nessus?  How did
>the characters get separated.  All I know is that there were uhlans
>blocking the road, then commotion as the travelers apparently panicked and
>crushed themselves a la General Admission Who Concerts.

I just finished the series.  At least, I finished the main four, and I'm
working on "Urth of the New Sun" now, after having started it when it came
out and never finishing.

Anyway, it seemed to me that there was just some kind of traffic accident,
insofar as anything that happens to Sevarian is an accident, and the road
was very crowded, and, as you say, everyone got separated in the confusion.

>Does anyone have any other thoughts?

I really like it, mostly... I think the fourth book is weak, though, and
the third book isn't as good as the first two.  The fourth book struck me
as though Wolfe had largely run out of material, but had to wrap things up;
so he just spent the first three-quarters of the book vamping.

The background kind of reminds me of Vance's Dying Earth books, not
surprisingly, perhaps.  Both have that sort of air of terminal decadence
about them... what was the line from one of Vance's stories, "Earth festers
rich as rotting fruit"?

Overall, a good read; although it helps to read it with a dictionary handy.

Ross TenEyck

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