Date: Mon, 03 Mar 2003 14:48:54 +1100
From: Che Monro 
Subject: (urth) Introduction and Questions

1. Introduction

I am new here. My name is Che Monro, you can find a picture and some=20
details about me at http:\\www.chemonro.com .

In order to communicate successfully, it seems to me that it is necessary=20
for the question and answers and statements of a dialogue to be understood=
=20
and to mean the same thing to both parties. Although I will admit that=20
while unintentional mistakes in meaning can be funny and enjoyable, usually=
=20
they are a pain.

To this end I intend to give you some information about me so that you can=
=20
formulate your responses in a way which you feel will be easy and simple=20
for me to understand, and which, I hope, will give me enjoyment and=20
interest. Alternatively you can use the information to formulate answers=20
which will be deliberately incomprehensible and painful, I can't stop you=20
from doing this, but I tend to ignore messages that I don't understand=20
because I'm not receiving any advantage or enjoyment from them. My=20
apologies in advance if your conversation proves impossible for me, I=20
promise to do my best.

Therefore:

I'm male, 32 from Australia, where I have lived all my life. I am neither a=
=20
crypto-mormon, a Chem or a being from either or any dimension. My=20
personality is quiet, respectful and peace seeking, with a wicked sense of=
=20
humor. I am mentally ill - I suffer from depression and anxiety, brought on=
=20
by stress. My tendency both conscious and unconscious is to avoid stress=20
and conflict at all costs. Peace, happiness and calm, and dark melancholia,=
=20
these are the air I breathe. Plus gently satirical humor.

My mother was raised Catholic, and I'm familiar with Christian philosophy.=
=20
I've made some informal studies of Eastern religions. I don't know much=20
about the Aztec or South American cultures.

As a reader I'm both lazy and thoughtful. Lazy in that I don't put a great=
=20
deal of effort into unravelling details and puzzles, and thoughtful in that=
=20
I obsess over connections and spiritual/symbolic links and unities. I=20
prefer to read more for feeling than for "pointless" detail.

Thus, I'm not interested in the color of the ships of the Pelagic Argosy,=20
or whether they were powered by rockets, light sails, or oars. I don't=20
really care how many alternate Severians were are in TBOTNS, or who's faces=
=20
are seen where or in what mirror. Cunning little paradoxes and puzzles are=
=20
pretty, but I'm interested in the shades and feelings of the deep dankness=
=20
behind and between the pages of the book.

Ferinstance: I love Dorcas for her purity and innocence, and I love=20
Severian's love of her feel the pain of his faithfulness and faithlessness=
=20
of his relationship to her. The way he saved her and was unable to save=20
her, this moved me. As such I am interested in her. Was she Severian's=20
mother? Did Silk and Co Materialize near her house in RTTW? Why? Is she=20
related to Silk too?

Such questions interest me much more than the details of the particular=20
circular time-path used by the Claw of the Conciliator to reach the moment=
=20
of her resurrection, although it's movements are arguably more fantastic=20
than her character. However I'm interested in even the trival details of=20
Dorcas's existance because of all the women in TBOTNS I love her the most.

I guess that my obsessions/interests in Wolfe's work are perhaps unique and=
=20
individual, that's why I chose to talk about myself here, to give you a=20
guide to my feelings so that you could slant your answers in that=20
direction. More about feelings and relationships, less about details and=20
parallel universes and Big Questions, please.

2. Questions:

Two things have puzzled me greatly about Wolfe's work.

2a. The Fifth Head of Cerebus. I never understood this story at all. Who's=
=20
a clone of who? What service does the house provide, just what's going on=20
here? Lovely story, but I can't make head or tale of it. Classic Wolfe,=
 that.

2b. I read somewhere recently that the lies Severian tells are critical to=
=20
understanding some of the mystery of TBOTNS. I've tried searching for lies=
=20
on the list without notable success. There is a lies listing somewhere? I=20
would like to read this.

I'd like to find out what important lies Severian tells. I'm not interested=
=20
in cute or trivial lies - whether he went to a whorehouse once or many=20
times, whether he ever went back to a river or not, they don't seem very=20
important unless I'm mistaken. But, Severian doesn't feel like a liar to=20
me, So, there must be reasons or feelings behind his lies. It's said he=20
lied about how he came to power, yet, why? Did he do something terrible?=20
He's told us honestly about many terrible things that he's done, so what's=
=20
he so ashamed of that he would lie to us? I'd like to know what Severian=20
lie about, and why.

Thank You,

Che


Ch=E9 Franz Joseph Monro -- http://www.chemonro.com
che@chemonro.com    --     flirt@technologist.com



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