From: Charles Dye <raster@highfiber.com>
Subject: (whorl) Re: Wounds and food
Date: Wed, 12 Mar 1997 18:41:57 


[Posted from Whorl, the mailing list for Gene Wolfe's Book of the Long Sun]


This is from Jim Jordan:

>>	Speaking of that book, the ex-investigator Aladdin Blue has a
>>wound that a lot of Wolfe's heros have - a leg wound. Silk of course
>>has a break in his leg, Severian says some call him "Severian the
>>lame" - that seems to be all I can think of. Latro has a wound, but in
>>the head. 
>
>	See also "The Hero as Werewolf."
>	I asked Gene about the foot wound and possible connection to Genesis 3.
>He said he had not thought of it in connection with "Werewolf," but I did not
>ask about Severian (and this was before Silk). I think Silk's foot wound is
>clearly from Genesis 3; Severian's likely is. I don't think Latro's head
>wound identifies him with Satan/serpent, though, because it does not fit at
>all. Also, Gene had hoped to take Latro to Palestine and to the New World
>before it is all over. I'd love to see what Wolfe would do with Latro
>visiting Jerusalem!

If you haven't already, grab copies of three of Robert Graves's magni opi:
"I, Claudius," "Claudius the God," and "King Jesus."  These will explain a
great deal about Severian and company, including the prevalence of leg and
facial wounds.  They're also damn good books in their own right.  I nurse
a deep, dark, ugly suspicion that the grave robbers in Chapter I of "Shadow"
are a veiled homage / name pun.


And this from Ranjit Bhatnagar:

>I noticed a lot of very vivid descriptions of food in the
>Long Sun books.  Somehow Severian's story never made me
>hungry.

Hum ....  From memory, as I don't have the books here:  bread and mutton,
leeks and lentils ("That's the difference; torturers get mutton.")
Severian's stolen meal near Orithyia:  bread and cheese, jerky and an onion
(brings tears to my eyes); larks stuffed with almonds and candied figs
(described in Dr. Talos's play;) and doesn't Vodalus pass the larks?
Severian often drinks mate, probably an homage to Borges.  Most of the food
in the "Book" is plain peasant fare, but Wolfe describes it with the same
depth of emotion you'd get from the Frugal Gourmet.  I've never met Mr. Wolfe
myself, but I strongly suspect that the man is Not Anorectic!

raster@highfiber.com


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