From: "Timothy Reilly" <treilly@ozemail.com.au>
Subject: (urth) Re: Digest urth.v028.n076
Date: Sat, 6 Nov 1999 19:44:13 +1100

Ron Hale-Evans writes:
> Could be; I have only read the first two Long Sun books, and that some
time
> ago. (One reason is they seem to me to lack the richness of tone that I
> find in both TBotNS and Marcus Aurelius.)

Actually, I had the same experience, (though I stopped rather earlier), and
for the same reason: the more straightforward narrative style of the Long
Sun books, (and many others - including short stories - that Wolfe has
written), is I find much less aesthetic than the clear-eyed, calm and
philosophical (and perhaps mildly Proustian) first person voice of the BOTNS
and 5HC.

Are the Long Sun books worth persevering with given this stylistic
preference?  I realise this might be thought the wrong question for this
group, but it's put in the context of someone who has remained blown away by
the first four volumes of the BOTNS for many years.

And does anyone else thing UotNS was a mistake?  It seemed to me to detract
from the grandeur of the previous four volumes, and was clearly not taking
itself seriously near the end (all those silly puns by Valeria on the throne
for example).  And some mysteries in BOTNS are more satisfying left
unexplained than when seen in the light of UotNS, IMHO.

For me, 5HC and BOTNS proper (without the "coda") are Wolfe's real
masterpieces.  While I revere him, like all authors some of his works are
much greater than others, and these would be my choice.

Tim


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