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Originally Posted by Adept Havelock
No kidding. Wolfe writes for the re-reader.
Next up, I'm going to try his "Latro" novels. I'm told they are about a Greek Soldier (400-500 BC or so) who has a peculiar amnesia. Every morning, he reads the scroll he added to the day before to learn who he is and what his life is about.
Wolfe has a serious fetish about memory.
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True dat, on the re-read. I'm re-reading His Wizard Knight novels as we speak, and if you're interested in 'fantasy' these are mo' bettah than the various Urth books. Duty, courage, fidelity are hidden in amongst the knighthood adventures. Wolfe is probably the most 'moral' writer we have these days in any genre. You just don't notice it as you read it, only later when you're thinking, "I wonder if he meant..." yes, he probably did.
I just re-read the Latro books again last month for the umpteenth time, there's a 3rd volume for those due out in October of this year. It'll be called Soldier of Sidon. One tip for you while you read the Latro stories...keep a copy of Herodotus 'the Histories' near by for reference. It won't hurt to have Bullfinch's mythology handy as well. Worth all the effort, they're my alltime favorites of all his books.
Thoughts on memory and how understanding affects it, as well as the 'unreliable narrator' are Wolfe's claim to fame. I saw a recent photo of him, he's no spring chicken. Let's enjoy him while we've got him. A national treasure, even if he can't be everyone's cup of tea.