HOME FIRES finished thoughts (spoilers)

Brian Doherty · 21 Aug 2013, 00:09 · from 2013-August.txt.gz

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From: brianmdoherty at gmail.com (Brian Doherty)
Date: Tue, 20 Aug 2013 17:09:24 -0700
Subject: (urth) HOME FIRES finished thoughts (spoilers)
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Couple of other HOME FIRES questions: I gather from end that Chelle fragged
a commander, but I don't see how this relates to what happens to her---you
merely get discharged for that? Or was she killed for it before the Sims
meld? Is this even the "original" Chelle's body? I mean, reaction of her
old school friend and Skip indicate it is....

Also, are we supposed to guess/does it matter what secret Sims had that the
spies wanted from Chelle? Pure Macguffin or significant?

What would people say the theme/point of the novel is? The tenacity of
love? The fragility of identity? Or the tenacity of identity?

Brian Doherty


On Tue, Aug 20, 2013 at 2:51 PM, Brian Doherty <brianmdoherty at gmail.com>wrote:

> In the end, I'm more convinced that this was (deliberately or not) his
> take on a late-Heinlein feel novel. Skip and Chelle just seem like late
> Heinlein types, Chelle perhaps more vulgar-tough than the vulgar-sweet RAH
> would go far. The dialog style, the heroism, the lawyerly machinations, all
> felt Heinlein. Skip, the aging noble man successful and choosing an
> ultimate sacrifice for both personal love and humanity....(presuming which
> I'm not sure I should that there IS something good for humanity about
> fighting the Os.)
>
> Also in the end, I found myself liking it more than I expected i would
> from first 2/3. Not that the conclusion was anything bang up or that it
> raveled anything together in any WOW way, but just....I was really feeling
> the emotions of everything from the final diner scene when Skip showed up
> on.
>
> Still, what a PECULIAR book. So much felt, like, what? why? Particularly
> the cinnamon toast scene at end. Loved it, but didn't...get the point. And
> as always with WOlfe, you feel dumb because you don't. Maybe it was simply
> to show how tough Chelle was but seemed late in narrative to take time for
> mere character-building.
>
> Some points I picked up I think mostly from this list:
> 1) I believe it is either known or believed by some that Charles Blue is
> an Os. i missed even a hint at this. What's the clue/giveaway?
> 2) Wolfean Q---given that we know SOME characters are brain scans in
> bodies other than ones born with, this makes me assume that some/many
> OTHERS are too. Do others agree, and who are top candidates?
> 3) "so that he can keep running into "Charles Blue" and keep forgetting
> about it, and to show how nobody knows anything about anybody else -
> identification has been lost in that world."---I did not pick up on this at
> all when relating to Blue, but saw a reminder of it in the "lost
> women"/Chelle diner scene. Is that because, again, MOST people in this
> world end up in diff bodies they were born with/are way older because of
> relativistic space effect?
>
> This seems to me to be a Wolfe novel that's received the least detailed
> discussion of mysteries/meaning. If someone can guide me to source for
> same, would appreciate it.
>
> Brian Doherty
>
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