Severian / Christ / Logos / Apocatastasis

David Duffy · 26 Nov 2008, 22:31 · from 2008-November.txt.gz

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From: David.Duffy at qimr.edu.au (David Duffy)
Date: Thu, 27 Nov 2008 08:31:12 +1000 (EST)
Subject: (urth) Severian / Christ / Logos / Apocatastasis
In-Reply-To: <W2122230134257051227722830@webmail44>
References: <W2122230134257051227722830@webmail44>
Message-ID: <Pine.LNX.4.64.0811270818090.4302 at orpheus.qimr.edu.au>

On Wed, 26 Nov 2008, Son of Witz wrote:

> It seems a thoroughly postmodern view to embrace any and all readings. 
> while a consensus on objective meaning seems philosophically impossible, 
> and thus it seems "any interpretation is relevant". Which is fine in if 
> you treasure that miasma of postmodern democratic mediocrity and endless 
> relativity. I don't think all readings are truly equal or relevant or 
> consistent. Some speak to the authors intentions, and some completely 
> miss the point.

I don'y have the time or the expertise to argue it, but I think Wolfe is a
bog-standard modernist.  _BotNS_ is his _Ulysses_, filled up with things to
keep readers busy for the next hundred years.  And like Joyce, he has
sometimes had to let out a few hints for the dense -- you may recall that
_Ulysses_ didn't originally have chapter titles.

Unlike Blish, I can't remember any direct allusions to Joyce in Wolfe's
writings, though he channels everyone else ;).

David Duffy.

-- 
| David Duffy (MBBS PhD)                                         ,-_|\
| email: davidD at qimr.edu.au  ph: INT+61+7+3362-0217 fax: -0101  /     *
| Epidemiology Unit, Queensland Institute of Medical Research   \_,-._/
| 300 Herston Rd, Brisbane, Queensland 4029, Australia  GPG 4D0B994A v

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