Free Live Free by Wolfe

Ahab's soul · 22 Mar 2000, 20:30 · from sf-lovers.2000.mbox

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From: barnes.183 at osu.edu (Ahab's soul)
Subject: Free Live Free by Wolfe
Date: Wed, 22 Mar 2000 15:30:00 -0500
Message-ID: <sflovers-v25-53-8 at digest.sf-lovers>
X-Digest-Issue: SF-LOVERS Digest V25 #53
X-Urthmirror-Source: https://archive.org/details/sf-lovers-digest-vol-25

Just read this interesting little book.  Other Wolfe works I have read
include: 
Castleview
Pandora by Holly Hollander
Island of doctor death and other stories and other stories
BotNS (including epilogue)
Peace

_FLF_ is certainly an interesting book.  It is written in a way that makes
the book more of a page turner than many books out there but it isn't as
much of a page turner as _Castleview_.  The humor aspect (especially
involving the mental hospital nonsense) is quite new to me.  I can't
remember another Wolfe work with so much humor in it.  He does a good job
with the humor but it never reaches the quality of the humor in
_Confederacy of Dunces_, _Lolita_, _Don Quixote_, or _Master and the
Margarita_.  However, for a guy who may have been new to using humor in his
writing, one can't expect a classic of comic literature.

_FLF_ reminds me of _Castleview_ in that it goes from on distinct section
to a very distinct concluding section.  _Castleview_ goes from a
breathtaking, Scooby Doo mystery, with cliff hangers at every turn and
turns into something quite different in the last few pages.  _FLF_ goes
from the mystery phase (quite a different approach to mystery than in_PbHH_
or _Castleview_.  Maybe more like _PbHH_ than _C_) to the strange
conclusion phase.  I think the writing style shifts that occur at these
boundaries alone guaranteed that the novels would not become bestsellers.
Of course another thing that separates _C_ and _FLF_ from run-of-the-mill
mysteries or horror stories is the amount of wrapping up Wolfe does at the
end of each.  I was left feeling somewhat confused about events upon
finishing both books and plan to reread each of them to see if all they
need is a second reading.

A question I have is how much confusion he wants people to feel as they
complete these 2 books.  Does Wolfe just write for a more intelligent
reader than me?  Perhaps a person who can tie everything together in
his/her head would not find anything lacking upon reaching the final pages
of each book? Or could it be his goal to leave readers with a feeling that
there is more to the story than they have picked up.

Another question I have is what other Wolfe works are worth taking up?  I
have avoided the Long Sun books because they have been universally reviewed
as worse than BotNS.  A second reason is relates to the fact that
publishers seem so into pushing writers to create multi-volume fantasy
epics right now. I wonder if Wolfe is just cranking the 2 latest Sun sagas
to get cash (not bad in itself) but hasn't any real interest in creating
works of quality like his other material.

Any feedback on where to go in my reading of Wolfe would be appreciated.

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