Master Ultan's Library

Jerry Friedman · 17 Jul 2010, 03:51 · from 2010-July.txt.gz

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From: jerry_friedman at yahoo.com (Jerry Friedman)
Date: Fri, 16 Jul 2010 20:51:57 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: (urth) Master Ultan's Library
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From: David Stockhoff <dstockhoff at verizon.net>


Gwern Branwen wrote:
> On Fri, Jul 16, 2010 at 9:04 AM, David Stockhoff <dstockhoff at verizon.net> 
>wrote:
>  
>> Some of my favorite passages in Severian's narration involve commentary on
>> literary style. In Shadow, he compares writing to execution of the
>> condemned.
>>
>> What do you all make of the following mention of Master Ultan's Library?
>>
>> Similarly *you, who will some day delve in Master Ultan's library,* 

He thinks we'll read the copy in the library, not knowing that it will probably 
be destroyed by the flood and that we're in a later universe, so we're reading a 
translation of the copy he plans to set adrift.
>
>> My favored interpretation in this: we all agree that Master Ultan is
>> Jorge Luis Borges. What was one of Borges's most famous short stories?
> >"The Library of Babel"*, containing all possible books. From a certain
>> point of view**, there is no writing or creation, but finding - or
>> 'delving' - inside the infinite library.
>
>> The Library of Babel contains all libraries, and so any library you or
>> I find _The Book of the New Sun_ within is also a finding within
>> Borges's/Ultan's library.
>
> (This is an out-of-universe explanation, yes, but I don't think the
> in-universe explanations are tenable, since when Severian writes it,
>> doesn't he already plan to set it adrift it the void?)

> That's exactly my concern: if he throws it into the void, how is it  found?

Mysteriously, the same way it's translated.  If we want to imagine the 
involvement of powers above the stage, there's no shortage in the books.

> But I agree---there seems to be a Borgesian aspect to the  Library, for sure.

Certainly.  I wouldn't say that Master Ultan IS Borges--that would mean Wolfe 
thinks the real Jorge Luis Borges  would be greedy to eat the flesh of the dead 
to get their memories and would reveal this greed though hypocritically trying 
to deny it.  The idea that Borges would have wanted to use the alzabo may not be 
ridiculous, but I think Wolfe admires him too much to show him this way.

This doesn't weaken your argument, though, Gwern.  We certainly agree that 
Master Ultan is supposed to remind us of Borges, so the strangely extensive 
library can remind us of the Library of Babel.  But I thought the Library of 
Babel contained all books, not all libraries.  I'd say the thought that all 
libraries in our universe are part of Master Ultan's library is there for us to 
enjoy, and I wouldn't have thought of it myself, but I don't see it as the 
explanation of Severian's comment.

Jerry Friedman

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