Introduction and Breath

David Stockhoff · 19 Apr 2011, 12:02 · from 2011-April.txt.gz

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From: dstockhoff at verizon.net (David Stockhoff)
Date: Tue, 19 Apr 2011 08:02:38 -0400
Subject: (urth) Introduction and Breath
In-Reply-To: <829692.26715.qm at smtp816.mail.ird.yahoo.com>
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	<829692.26715.qm at smtp816.mail.ird.yahoo.com>
Message-ID: <4DAD79DE.8080109 at verizon.net>

I agree that errors so proximate to a claim of perfect memory are 
particularly suspect. But I would think they would be more significant, 
i.e., intended to misdirect the reader from something Severian does not 
want the reader to see, not simply highlight his fallibility, although 
that's possible.

On a related note, the other day I saw in a used book sale a dictionary 
of premodern sexual slang. Why oh why did I not pick it up?

On 4/19/2011 4:01 AM, Mo Holkar wrote:
> At 20:26 18/04/2011, Roy wrote:
>> In the first chapter of SHADOW, Severian says that Vodalus handed his 
>> pistol
>> to the big man we later learn is named Hildegrin. Thea then took the 
>> pistol
>> from Hildegrin. But near the end of the first chapter of CLAW, while 
>> going
>> on again about his memory, he recalls that night in the necropolis 
>> and says
>> that Vodalus had given the pistol to his mistress.
>
>
> I suppose readers who hold the view that when Severian makes errors, 
> they are significant, might interpret that as meaning that actually 
> Hildegrin is Vodalus's 'mistress' -- or at least that Severian thinks 
> he is. Hildegrin is often referred to as Vodalus's 'badger' -- perhaps 
> that term has a further, illicit meaning besides the three obvious ones.
>
> best,
>
> Mo
>
>
>
>
> # ~ # ~ #
>
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