Two Siyufs?

Jerry Friedman · 07 Dec 2011, 04:56 · from 2011-December.txt.gz

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From: jerry_friedman at yahoo.com (Jerry Friedman)
Date: Tue, 6 Dec 2011 20:56:30 -0800 (PST)
Subject: (urth) Two Siyufs?
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> From: Dan'l Danehy-Oakes <danldo at gmail.com>
> To: The Urth Mailing List <urth at lists.urth.net>
...

>> ?Ive also put off reading the
>>  Wizard Knight because of the "Connecticut Yankee in King Arthurs
>>  Court" premise which seems too fantasy for my taste. ?I always thought
>>  it was geared toward younger readers (which isnt a bad thing). ?Is it
>>  on the same level as Wolfes other work as far as depth and complexity?
> 
> It's pretty deep and complex, but spells things out a little more.
> There are all the usual Lupine tricks -- lacunae, misdirection, etc.
> -- but on a level that can be handled by a YA reader.

An exceptional YA reader, I'd say.? People who could have followed TWK in their mid teens are undoubtedly overrepresented here.

> It really isn't a "Connecticut Yankee" premise; it's taken 
> much more seriously than that.

In fact, I'd say it's the anti-Connecticut-Yankee.? I don't remember any way in 
which Able's modern knowledge, skills, or values help him in the 
medieval-ish world (but will be happy to be corrected).? I imagine Wolfe was making that point 
intentionally.

I've mentioned my problems with it before, and others here have said they don't
 like it because they don't like Able.? On the plus side, Wolfe seems to
 have solved his problem with weird dialogue that one of the worst 
features of the /Short Sun/ is.? H'if yer see what Jerry means, bucky.

On the whole, I liked it.? I don't know whether I liked it or the /Soldier/ books better.

Jerry Friedman
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