Suzanne Delage again, kind of

Gerry Quinn · 19 Dec 2011, 13:47 · from 2011-December.txt.gz

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From: gerry at bindweed.com (Gerry Quinn)
Date: Mon, 19 Dec 2011 13:47:05 -0000
Subject: (urth) Suzanne Delage again, kind of
In-Reply-To: <Pine.LNX.4.64.1112191015350.17789 at orpheus.qimr.edu.au>
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From: David Duffy 

> Adam Robert's _Land of the Headless_ (2007) has his protagonist fall 
> heavily for _Siuzan Delage_.  Some have thought it a nod to Proust, but 
> the plot I think is more a riff on Wolfe (among other things).
Roberts has reviewed Wolfe extensively ? I think it?s a safe bet that he *knows* Wolfe?s _Suzanne Delage_, and that that will have informed his work.  Whether it?s likely to be a homage, exactly, I?m not so sure.  Roberts? review of _An Evil Guest_ is scathing about Wolfe?s portrayal of women, although some of Robert?s ?Wolfe is rubbish at portraying women? may be entangled with ?I don?t like Wolfe?s politics on the subject of women?. 
That said, I don?t think it is likely to be any sort of direct assault either, simply because a character who appears offstage in a short story isn?t much of a jumping ground for any kind of assault.  I wouldn?t be surprised, though, if there is some implication that the idealisation of women is a form of oppression.  Pure speculation, though, as I haven?t read it.
[I?ve read _On_ and _Salt_ by Roberts.  _On_ was okay but a bit too consciously postmodern and clever.  I liked _Salt_ a lot, though.]
- Gerry Quinn
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