Severian the Memorious

Dan Parmenter · 17 Dec 1998, 12:44 · from urth-v0022.mbox · original

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From: Dan Parmenter <dan at lec.com>
Subject: (urth) Severian the Memorious
Date: Thu, 17 Dec 1998 12:44:26
Message-ID: <urth-v0022-0051 at digest.urth.net>
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From: David_Lebling at avid.com

>Another one.  After describing his near drowning on the day he rescued
>Vodalus, he says "I never went back" to the river.  Yet a few chapters
>later, ("The Last Year", I think) he describes taking the apprentices down
>to swim in the river, "though I could never dive in deep water without
>fear."

Hmmm, perhaps a better list would be "Severian inconsistencies" since
it's conceivable that they are not lies.  I for one have always
championed the example of the old Autarch's robe, described as yellow
many times, but later described as saffron "as I had always seen him"
(sorry I don't have the exact quotation, but its from CITADEL).  Now
admittedly saffron is a shade of yellow, so perhaps it's forgiveable,
but given his constant reminders about his perfect memory, it
certainly gives one pause. =20

Of course the saffron robes themselves are significant, evoking
buddha, etc.

D

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