More concerning the manuscript of the BOTNS

CRCulver · 27 Jan 1998, 16:08 · from urth-v0006.mbox · original

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From: CRCulver at aol.com
Subject: (urth) More concerning the manuscript of the BOTNS
Date: Tue, 27 Jan 1998 16:08:21
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[Posted from URTH, a mailing list about Gene Wolfe's New Sun and other work=
s]

Friends,

     After careful study of the BOTNS appendices, I now concur with Mr.
Driussi's opinion that Wolfe did more than simply translate a single
manuscript.
     In _Lictor_'s appendix "A Note on Provincial Administration," Wolfe
begins the second paragraph with "At the period of the manuscripts..." Noti=
ce
that manuscripts is here in the plural.=20
     _Citadel_'s appendix says much the same thing. It begins with "Nowhere
are the manuscripts of the Book of the New Sun more obscure..." Here, we ha=
ve
the plural again. The plural is used a few more times in this appendix, in
paragraph 8.
     We know of two manuscripts. Both written by Severian, one was placed in
Master Ultan's Library (_Citadel_, XXXVIII, paragraph 3), and the second was
placed in a lead coffer and set adrift the seas of space and time (ibid., a=
nd
also in _Urth_).
     Perhaps more copies were made, so that "manuscripts" is especially
plural.

Now for my question:

Is the copy of the BOTNS which is given to Thecla in her cell Severian's
first manuscript, or a copy? (I don't know if we have a definite answer to
this).

     I have many more questions concerning manuscripts, but these will wait
until a future mailing.

Christopher R. Culver <crculver at aol.com>
http://members.aol.com/crculver/index.html
------------------------------------------------
"Ignorance, that light of fools steers a wayward path"
-Brendan Perry

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