URTH |
From: m.driussi@genie.com Subject: (urth) Books of Mr. Gold Date: Sat, 17 May 97 23:44:00 GMT [Posted from URTH, a mailing list about Gene Wolfe's New Sun and other works] Reply: Item #0292489 from URTH@LISTS.BEST.COM@INET00# Jason, The Chinese Egg, huh? Hmmm. That's interesting and leads to subtle interpretations. I myself was thinking more of the two books of Mr. Gold (not that this is "right," mind you). Both are forgeries (that is the threat that Weer has over Mr. Gold, which makes daughter Sherry come acourtin'). The one that is more pivotal to the story describes the hiding spot for buried gold, if I remember aright--and Weer, digging, heard his shovel hit something sounding wooden and hollow, then his "partner" pulled a gun on him. All of which ties back into the "True Lies" thread going on over on the Whorl. Was there really gold there? How much? If not, then what =did= they find? The other Gold fake book is not exactly named, but is recognizable to genre readers. The one with the cover that is supposed to be human skin. One wonders if it has as much validity as the buried treasure book? All this gold quest stuff reminds me of alchemy, with its focus on turning lead into gold; which leads to that doctor in PEACE who specializes in turning normal people into circus freaks . . . did he have a journal or notebook? Again, leading back to that second fake book, perhaps. And turning potatoes into pseudo-orange juice into gold. For those interested in these cross-Wolfe references, there is also a "brown book" in the Wolfe story "Forlesen." =mantis=