Brandon & Glenn: Sorry I've fallen so behind on the podcast! I have heard the part three episodes on 5th Head & like them. I'm just swamped with other things.
But I did want to make one small note, to file away for a later and longer part of the project. I've been listening to an audiobook recording of David Copperfield while driving around during the day. And it struck me today how much some bits sound like Severian. When Severian talks about memories appearing before him, as if he was reliving him — it's not quite a paraphrase of DC, but it's close. Given how big a fan of Dickens Wolfe is (there having been a David Copperfield reference in 5th Head!), this can't be an accident. I remember Wolfe somewhere saying that the origin of Severian's perfect memory was just in needing to justify the detail in the memoir; I wonder if Wolfe felt (quite rightly) that Dickens rather fails to sell the idea that DC would remember quite so vividly, and decided to do it, so to speak, more rigorously.
The other way in which the Dickens reminds me of BotNS is the way that characters weave in and out of the narrator's life. The first few times I read BotNS I was bothered by the seemingly random and haphazard way that people would appear and disappear from the narrative. Well, Dickens does it too, and how.
Ok. I hope to catch up on 5HoC soon!
Hey Stephen! It's good to see you back. WE all know how it is when things get real busy. I look forward to hearing your thoughts on our coverage of all three books. And thanks for your insight here on Dickens.
I guess we've got some homework to do! I've never read a Dickens novel I didn't like, but I haven't internalized Dickens's stories the way I have so many others, so perhaps it's time for a read through of some of the classics.
It's the time of year to be swamped, but we're very much looking forward to your comments about the wrap-up.