Subject: Re: (urth) TBOTNS as political document and the wait for new sun
From: matthew.malthouse@guardian.co.uk
Date: Thu, 10 Jul 2003 10:22:07 +0100

On 09/07/2003 20:40:27 Michael Andre-Driussi wrote:

>Responding to Marc Aramini, Civet wrote:
>>I'm completely willing to entertain the concept of BotNS as a piece of
>>propaganda, but in practical terms I just can't see it as beneficial to
>>Severian's position *politically*.
>
>I want to point out that John Clute first raised the interpretation of 
The
>Book as political.  His essay is in STROKES, a collection of his essays 
and
>reviews.

Severian states that he sent one copy of the manuscript to the library at 
the citadel and will cast the second - the copy we are reading - into the 
void.

Wouldn't a conscious effort at propaganda require a rather more active 
effort at publication and dissemination?  Without that I can't see 
Severain having contemporary politic motives as being credible.  A concern 
for history - one that rulers often have - looks more plausible.

Matthew

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