_The Wizard_ by Gene Wolfe - too much like previous Wolfe

JavaJosh · 04 Nov 2005, 22:54 · from rec.arts.sf.written.2005.mbox

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From: "JavaJosh" <javajosh at gmail.com>
Subject: Re: _The Wizard_ by Gene Wolfe - too much like previous Wolfe
Date: 4 Nov 2005 14:54:23 -0800
Message-ID: <1131144863.855198.223900 at g47g2000cwa.googlegroups.com>
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.written
References: <1131110580.237908.247530 at g49g2000cwa.googlegroups.com> <9oenm15gtl149lt4p1oehgpj1e813evutv at 4ax.com>

Elaine Thompson wrote:
> On 4 Nov 2005 05:23:00 -0800, "JavaJosh" <javajosh at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> >_The Wizard_ is volume two of "The Wizard Knight" saga. It trades
> >engenue magic for the magic of erudition - a dissapointment since
> >Wolfe's work is repleat with the latter, short on the former, and all
> >things being equal innovation would be preferred. Indeed, the plotting,
> >pacing, and most importantly the voice returned to Severian and Silk in
> >force.
> >
>
> I remember reading at least two of the Torturer books, but remember
> absolutely nothing about them except that I eventually realized I
> wasn't getting anything out of the reading.  So I couldn't identify
> the voice issues you have.

Able sounds much older in the second book, and has an academics voice,
much as Severian's and Silk's.


>
> snip
>
> >These Wolfian revelations seem to all take on the same pattern - the
> >protagonist is in one place, and another major character enters with
> >some urgent information, and is interrupted by the entrance of another
> >major character who begins to confess something, when the protagonist
> >must call for a fourth major character to confess something of his own,
> >but as soon as the fourth character enters, the protagonist quite
> >coldly states that they wish to kill the first character, but that it
> >must wait, and finally the protagonist leaves the room to go do
> >something, with all 4 major characters presumably staring at each other
> >wondering what the hell just happened. Mix in a lot of metaphysical
> >confusion and even issues of mundane identity and you get a bitter,
> >choking draught of a scene.
> >
>
> snip
>
>
> >It may occur to someone reading this to deride me for my lack of
> >comprehension and inability to either anticipate these episodes, or
> >failing that, understand them after the fact.
>
> No.  I don't remember being bothered by them as much as you although I
> certainly found them odd.  Not standard novel technique.  Which leads
> to what *I* thought Wolfe's sources were.
>
> I had tried several Wolfe books but kept bouncing off.  I only picked
> these up because several people (here and elsewhere) said they were
> more accessible.  They were.
>
>
> snip
>
> >
> >I'm not sure what Wolfe's sources were for this - probably Lord
> >Dunsany, which I haven't yet read.
>
> I have and I didn't get Dunsany echoes much in the reading.

_The Knight_'s dedication is "Dedicated with the greatest respect to
Yes Meynard, author of _The Book of Knights_".

The epigraph is a poem called "The Riders" by Lord Dunsany.

_The Wizard_'s dedications and epigraphs are reversed: "Dedicated with
love and respect to Lord Dunsany, the author of 'The Riders'". The
epigraph is an excerpt from _The Book of Knights_.

There are strong Arthurian echos, especially in the names of
characters: King Arnthor and his sister Morcaine. Disiri reminds me of
the Lady in the Lake. The Isle of Glas could certainly be Avalon.

> I got
> Malory echoes.  In both characterization - or lack of - style, the way
> events get half started then dropped/interrupted and something else
> goes on...  The non-standard-novel stuff.

Haven't read him. I'm a bad Josh.

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