The Wizard - questions

James Wynn · 03 Jan 2005, 13:45 · from 2005-January.txt.gz

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From: thewynns at earthlink.net (James Wynn)
Date: Mon Jan  3 13:45:11 2005
Subject: (urth) The Wizard -  questions
References: <20050103211454.38587.qmail at web50310.mail.yahoo.com>
Message-ID: <007301c4f1dd$7f07caa0$4c1e4b0a at vcorp.ad.vrsn.com>

>>The ambulance? That's Arthur Ormsby being taken to the hospital of course!
>>They found him in a coma possibly near death from hypothermia in that
valley
>>where the Moss Aelf took him. Presumably, when he reaches the Most High
>>God, he will awake.
>
>I've been mulling on this, and I think you're saying that he's going to
wake up
>>in America to discover that he's still a young boy, similar to King Peter
and
>>the rest in Narnia reverting to children after their adventures.
Honestly, if
>>this is what Wolfe intends then I feel cheated.  Is this guesswork on your
part or are there more
>clues pointing that direction in the text?  It feels a little small
somehow.

My only real evidence is that Able says HE is in that ambulance. IIRC.

As for it being small, I think this is a small part of Wolfe's intent in the
novel. I was pretty sure that this world was internal in THE KNIGHT when
Able learned he could not drown and that he *was* the sea in some sense.
This is all very standard fair for the fantasy/kidnap novel genre.

What's vital about the novel to me is what Wolfe is saying about honor,
about loss, about existence, and about sin.

High points? 1)Valfather coming to Idnn to bestow his favor having won great
honor in her dealings as King Gilling's wife. 2) The conversation with the
Thiazi when he reveals that Giants love but are never loved. 3) Able's
discussion with Mani about the soul.

Personally, I'm more distressed by the fact that this is the second Wolfe
novel in a row in which being blinded is a key narrative element. Any
reason?

~Crush

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