From: "Robert Borski" 
Subject: (urth) The Knight
Date: Mon, 25 Aug 2003 03:19:40 -0500

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Hello all once again.

As my schedule currently stands, I will be unable to participate in the =
discussion of Wolfe's latest once it hits the bookstores at year's end, =
and since I am going to have only intermittent access to the net very =
soon, I thought now might be the best time to say what I have to say =
about THE KNIGHT. There are no spoilers in what follows and most of my =
comments fall into the general observation or straight information =
categories. If, however, you wish to know nothing at all about the book, =
please discontinue now.

First off: the book's length is considerable, with at least 430 pages of =
very small print, and it begins, after an apt epigraph by Lord Dunsany =
("The Riders"), with one of those listings of character and place names =
that GW so often utilizes in his various series. This one is a little =
different in that it's addressed in letter form to the narrator's =
brother and contains information that's often personalized by the =
author. (E.g. "Sparreo: My math teacher. She was pretty nice.") But be =
forewarned--there are at least two revelations in the list which you may =
prefer to learn by reading the book. The first of these is not so major =
since you learn within a short span of pages how two certain characters =
are related, but the implications of the second could spoil (at least =
they did for me) what is arguably the sweetest moment in the book. =
Unfortunately, I can't tell you which entries not to read because such =
in itself would be a sort of clue.=20

Sir Able of the High Heart (not his real name, which we must uncover) is =
our narrator and he tells his tale in entirely the first person and in =
straight (despite some allusions to past and future events) =
chronological fashion, using sixty-nine chapters to do so. Most of the =
characters he meets have names based on Old Norse, Saxon, or Old =
English, but Wolfe also draws from German, Hebrew, Greek, Celtic, Latin, =
and Babylonian sources to further populate the Seven Worlds of WIZARD =
KNIGHT.=20

As John Clute has already suggested there are parallels between KNIGHT =
and Lindsay's VOYAGE TO ARCTURUS. Clute is also spot on with his other =
prescient observation. (Damn, the man is sharp--at least if he's based =
his guesses on the Conjunctions' excerpt alone.)

Those of you who enjoy when Wolfe uses dialect to delineate =
characterization will find several occasions to cheer before the book =
concludes; those of you who do not fewer so (though to be fair none of =
the dialect is as bad as Pig's; nor is it as syntactically warped as the =
Dorplanders of Blue, nor as inflected as Remora's. Still...).

Alas, there are no interpolated stories in KNIGHT, but there are several =
wolves, both real and figurative. Unlike Severian or Silk, however, by =
the end of the book Able (excuse me, "Sir" Able) has yet to develop a =
limp.

Like stories with talking kitties in them? I don't. But Wolfe manages to =
make his both interesting and amusing.=20

Much of the KNIGHT's fantasy setting reminded me of the New Sun milieu =
and there are numerous correspondences with characters and events in =
both, as there are with Wolfe's CASTLEVIEW. (Plus maybe a *secret* =
connection or two to NS.)

The book contains, as you might expect, many lessons about knighthood, =
and not just the swordplay, weapon or horsemanship aspects. Some of =
these may or may not strike you as being addressed to younger readers =
(who should be able to enjoy the book on at least a primary level, =
although many of the character names will be intimidating), but Wolfe's =
assertions that there may be little deep structure to KNIGHT, or =
literary significance, or grist for major exegesis, are pure =
unadulterated bullcaca.=20

I hope many people will nominate the book for a Hugo when the time comes =
and I can tell you simply it is a wonderful, wonderful read.

Coming up soon (but with massive spoiler alerts), probably my one and =
only attempt to discuss the novel in detail: "Ragnorak, Kingsdoom, and =
the Tree of Life -- Some Preliminary Notes on Gene Wolfe's KNIGHT."=20

Robert Borski


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Hello all once again.
As my schedule currently stands, I will be unable to participate in =
the=20
discussion of Wolfe's latest once it hits the bookstores at year's end, =
and=20
since I am going to have only intermittent access to the net very soon, =
I=20
thought now might be the best time to say what I have to say about THE =
KNIGHT.=20
There are no spoilers in what follows and most of my comments fall into =
the=20
general observation or straight information categories. If, however, you =
wish to=20
know nothing at all about the book, please discontinue now.
First off: the book's length is considerable, with at least 430 pages =
of very=20
small print, and it begins, after an apt epigraph by Lord Dunsany ("The=20
Riders"), with one of those listings of character and place names that =
GW so=20
often utilizes in his various series. This one is a little different in =
that=20
it's addressed in letter form to the narrator's brother and contains =
information=20
that's often personalized by the author. (E.g. "Sparreo: My math =
teacher. She=20
was pretty nice.") But be forewarned--there are at least two revelations =
in the=20
list which you may prefer to learn by reading the book. The first of =
these is=20
not so major since you learn within a short span of pages how two =
certain=20
characters are related, but the implications of the second could spoil =
(at least=20
they did for me) what is arguably the sweetest moment in the book.=20
Unfortunately, I can't tell you which entries not to read because such =
in itself=20
would be a sort of clue. 
Sir Able of the High Heart (not his real name, which we must uncover) =
is our=20
narrator and he tells his tale in entirely the first person and in =
straight=20
(despite some allusions to past and future events) chronological =
fashion, using=20
sixty-nine chapters to do so. Most of the characters he meets have names =
based=20
on Old Norse, Saxon, or Old English, but Wolfe also draws from German, =
Hebrew,=20
Greek, Celtic, Latin, and Babylonian sources to further populate the =
Seven=20
Worlds of WIZARD KNIGHT. 
As John Clute has already suggested there are parallels between =
KNIGHT and=20
Lindsay's VOYAGE TO ARCTURUS. Clute is also spot on with his other =
prescient=20
observation. (Damn, the man is sharp--at least if he's based his guesses =
on the=20
Conjunctions' excerpt alone.)
Those of you who enjoy when Wolfe uses dialect to delineate =
characterization=20
will find several occasions to cheer before the book concludes; those of =
you who=20
do not fewer so (though to be fair none of the dialect is as bad as =
Pig's; nor=20
is it as syntactically warped as the Dorplanders of Blue, nor as =
inflected as=20
Remora's. Still...).
Alas, there are no interpolated stories in KNIGHT, but there are =
several=20
wolves, both real and figurative. Unlike Severian or Silk, however, by =
the end=20
of the book Able (excuse me, "Sir" Able) has yet to develop a limp.
Like stories with talking kitties in them? I don't. But Wolfe manages =
to make=20
his both interesting and amusing. 
Much of the KNIGHT's fantasy setting reminded me of the New Sun =
milieu and=20
there are numerous correspondences with characters and events in both, =
as there=20
are with Wolfe's CASTLEVIEW. (Plus maybe a *secret* connection or two to =

NS.)
The book contains, as you might expect, many lessons about =
knighthood, and=20
not just the swordplay, weapon or horsemanship aspects. Some of these =
may or may=20
not strike you as being addressed to younger readers (who should be able =
to=20
enjoy the book on at least a primary level, although many of the =
character names=20
will be intimidating), but Wolfe's assertions that there may be little =
deep=20
structure to KNIGHT, or literary significance, or grist for major =
exegesis, are=20
pure unadulterated bullcaca. 
I hope many people will nominate the book for a Hugo when the time =
comes and=20
I can tell you simply it is a wonderful, wonderful read.
Coming up soon (but with massive spoiler alerts), probably my one and =
only=20
attempt to discuss the novel in detail: "Ragnorak, Kingsdoom, and the =
Tree of=20
Life -- Some Preliminary Notes on Gene Wolfe's KNIGHT." 
Robert Borski

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