Island/Dr./Death + Detective + other topics

MBS · 01 Mar 1998, 20:13 · from urth-v0007.mbox · original

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From: "MBS" <sablof_m at LSA.Lan.McGill.CA>
Subject: (urth) Island/Dr./Death + Detective + other topics
Date: Sun, 1 Mar 1998 15:13:41 EST
Message-ID: <urth-v0007-0575 at digest.urth.net>
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[Posted from URTH, a mailing list about Gene Wolfe's New Sun and other work=
s]

Hello all, a very infrequent poster here.
I had a few things I wanted to mention...
Oh, and if ppl are interested, there may be *Spoilers* below...
though I assume there are those in almost every post to this list

1) I have truly enjoyed all I have read of Gene Wolfe's writings.  In=20
fact, I wrote him a short 'fan-note' back in time and he was kind=20
enough to send me back a personal note. (The man has a beautiful=20
signature!) Nonetheless, often after finishing a story or novel of=20
his creation, though I am satisfied/pleased with it, another part of=20
me feels "huh?", like I have missed something, or some 'mystery' left=20
to solve by the reader was Not solved by me...
This general puzzlement makes me appreciate this list all the more,=20
but perhaps I need to work on my own reader-skills as well as assume=20
when beginning a Wolfe-work that I will need to read it more than=20
once, if not more than twice!
Not really looking for comments or replies here (though=20
advice/pointers are welcome! ) just wanted to share it with the=20
list.. maybe see if others agree.

2)  In a similar vein, I just finished reading "Detective of Dreams"=20
and was wondering if I "got" this one...  Something about a church=20
and Jesus... right?? though again, I am not sure I 'get' the dreams=20
the characters have ... maybe I should read the New Testament first!

3) I just got The Island of Dr. Death &OS&OS out of the library to=20
read for the first time. I was wondering if others on the list are=20
interested in forming an (off-list or on-list) reading group for this=20
collection.  And if not, perhaps I will just post all my queries and=20
hope for guidance!=20
The most difficult thing about this situation is that if someone just=20
tells me, Oh X is Severian father and Y is his mother, well,=20
discovering the same is a much different experience.
well that is more than long enough... hope comprehensible enough
Enjoy the day
Matthew

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