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NeilNjae
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We also discovered that Severian lost Dorcas, Talos, and the rest during the crush at the wall. This makes his lack of concern for them callous. He may not have much affection for Talos and co, but he did seem rather protective towards Dorcas. I'm …
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A couple of things I noticed. One is Severian's change in status since leaving Nessus. In the city, he was just another faceless member of the crowd; in Saltus, he's a man of significance. The other is the magnitude and duration of the war against…
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A couple of unexplained things popped out at me in this section. First, just how is Talos able to keep people so entertained by a few distinctly amateur actors, including two who don't have the foggiest idea what they're meant to be doing? And secon…
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Of course, in five billion years there will have been a lot of continental drift, with the creation and destruction of many supercontinents. There's also a prediction that the core will solidify in about three billion years, which will both halt tec…
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Not heard of it, but sounds interesting.
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(Quote) Yes, I'd have completely missed that as well going from just the text. (Quote) When Severian visits Agilus and Agia in the cell, Agia's says, "Severian, I love you! I longed for you when we were together, and tried to give myself to yo…
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(Quote) That's an interesting point from both of you: who is the "good guy" in this story? Hiero is our viewpoint character, and from his perspective his motivation is good. But it's unclear whether Aldo wants what's best for people in gen…
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(Quote) Ah, the Falco books. i've got them all, and loved them. The series starts off hard-boiled detective, ends up romantic soap opera with added corpses. (The scorpion incident in Palmyra gets referenced a few times in later books.) I've not read…
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(Quote) It wasn't? The cartoon villains were technophiles and created monsters as servants. The benign demigod (Aldo) was a eco-activist who was espousing peace and harmony with all living things and could kick your arse with overwhelming force if y…
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(Quote) Do you think there's any similarity between the books, or is it just my mis-remembered imaginings of a book read too long ago?
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(Quote) That makes perfect sense. It was utter tosh, but well-written and entertaining tosh. It was a good fun read.
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(Quote) Yes, there's no particular reason given for all the Leetmutes and the other sentient animals. I think the implication is that its an effect of the radiation of the Death. The general eco-friendliness of the book, and the 1975 date, perhaps s…
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I'm not that bothered by the sequel, especially as the reviews for it aren't as good as this one. If this is following the Campbellian monomyth, the next stage in Hiero's journey is the rebirth and apotheosis. That could easily be where Hiero comes…
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I don't think it follows the Campbellian structure. There's no call to adventure followed by a refusal (at the beginning), no deep realisation and rebirth (in the middle), and no return with some boon (at the end). You could argue it's the second qu…
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In D&D terms, Hiero starts as a reasonably competent Ranger, complete with animal companion. During the book, he double-classes into Psionic or something and quickly picks up levels in that. I could easily see this book being a Ryuutama game, w…
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Yep, they're just pantomime villains out to cackle and be evil. It would have been a more interesting book if they'd come across as somewhat sympathetic, proposing a genuine alliance with Hiero and the abbeys. It could then have drawn out the contra…
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I agree with @Apocryphal with the place names and the like. I wonder why the book is set five thousand years after the Death. Why would the story not have worked if it was set a few hundred years after the Death? That would, to my mind, better expl…
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Hiero's beliefs, and his origin in the Metz abbeys, all show a strong christian background. He comes across as a relibious man, but in the tradition of a crusader rather than a monk. The use of mental powers is just an accepted part of reality, con…
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The Metz, Eleveners, and Unclean were all based heavily on tropes. I think that was the right approach for this book, as it was literally based on Hiero's journey through the wilderness. None of the societies were what I would call rich or nuanced, …
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It was a vivid world: I could clearly visualise most of the places Hiero visited. Was it compelling? It was certainly a good read, gripping in places. I thought the earlier parts of the book were better than the last bits: the encounter with the Hou…
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What's Agia's plan? I agree that she's setting him up for some purpose, with the avern duel being the final step in the plan. But if, as seems likely, it's a way for her to get the Claw, it seems very convoluted. Did she really need such a dupe? Did…
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The UK cover I have is almost as bad (mostly-naked Luchare, all four on a raft). Seeing as one of the first things she does is to make some more clothes for herself, I do wonder about the art direction choices. Still, the past was a different countr…
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I didn't get my act together soon enough, but I'm now reading my way through it! I may not be finished in time for the start of the discussions.
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I ought to say that, despite my issues with the pace of the book, I'm enjoying this read. The world we're exploring is rich and interesting, and Wolfe is a good craftsman with an engaging writing style. And a question: do people think the biblical …
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I completely missed the Cas/Dorcas resurrection thing, so thanks everyone for bringing that up! The encounter in the jungle hut, and the viewing of the plane, reinforced the "adrift from time" theme that's been building up, and emphasised…
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Thanks! I realised after writing it that it doesn't tell you much about the book, but says a lot about my feelings about the book. Whether that's more or less useful, I don't know.
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I get the impression that Severian wasn't aware of the time passing in the desert garden. At least, that's the impression i get from how he reacts to Agia telling him how long they'd spent there.
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Yes, it's very picaresque with lots of things happening to Severian without him having any real say in it. There was me, thinking he'd be doing something after he'd left the guild, but he's still just reacting to events. The duel is interesting. Th…
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It seems Gene Wolfe has died. Tor has an obituary: (Quote)