Severian - unreliable narrator?

Andrew Wheeler · 04 Aug 2006, 21:52 · from rec.arts.sf.written.2006.mbox

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From: Andrew Wheeler <acwheele at optonline.com>
Subject: Re: Severian - unreliable narrator?
Date: Fri, 04 Aug 2006 17:52:45 -0400
Message-ID: <44D3C1AE.BD234EAA at optonline.com>
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.written
References: <1154702938.622857.74150 at b28g2000cwb.googlegroups.com>

adrianmarley at yahoo.co.uk wrote:
> 
> I'm currently working my way through Gene Wolfe's _Book of the New
> Sun_. I have read quite a bit about this work and know that it is very
> highly regarded among sf critics and fans. A lot of what I've read,
> though, refers to Severian as being an unreliable narrator.
> 
> My question is this: In what way is Severian unreliable? Can anybody
> point out specific instances of where is being unreliable or where he
> is telling lies?

I don't have chapter and verse in front of me, but one big red flag is
that Severian both says that he has perfect recall and then (as the
books go on) says that he has "forgotten" some detail or other.

-- 
Andrew Wheeler: Professional Editor, Amateur Wise-Acre
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