(urth) Drotte-Roche mixup
James Wynn
crushtv at gmail.com
Wed Apr 20 08:28:55 PDT 2011
>> James Wynn: "Consequently, it is reasonable to assume that the Roche/Drotte mix-up
>> could be a typo..
> Lee Berman:
> I wouldn't go so far as to say it couldn't be a typo. But one reason I lean toward Antonio's
> view and why Drotte-Roche might need a somewhat higher level of typo evaluation than the Maytera
> Marble example is the obvious- Severian is (self-) purported to have a perfect memory. I would
> expect an author to find ways to support and/or undercut the "perfect memory" assertion in the
> first few chapters. So it could be purposeful.
>
> Horn makes no such claim and Wolfe has openly identified the "Marble" mistake as a typo.
Well, Wolfe was specifically asked about the Mint/Marble typos. Has
anyone done so regarding this one? I think it would be a good idea.
It is true that it occurs in the first 5 paragraphs when proof-readers
would be expected to still be paying close attention, but the
Mint/Marble errors do not even require anyone to be paying close attention.
Conclusion: It's either a typo and means nothing, or it is NOT a typo
and re-focuses the whole book.
Reason:
1) This "error" occurs immediately after Severian makes his first claim
to a perfect memory --in highly lyrical form.
2) Sev is told by the Heirogrammates that it is his perfect memory that
makes him a worthy "epitome" for mankind. If he does not have a perfect
memory, then either Heirogs are LYING (ala Peter Wright) or Wolfe is
saying something about what is happening when Severian tinkers with the
Time streams and using Sevs perfect memory to clearly identify that that
is happening.
> Perhaps a third possibility exists..that it was originally a typo but it was not corrected, being
> seen as a happy accident that served Wolfe's purposes nicely. (Does an observed but purposefully
> uncorrected typo cease to be a typo?)
But then we must know what that purpose was.
Still, we must accept (based on the "Long Sun" examples) that Tor has an
established pattern of simply not correcting overt typos in Wolfe's
novels even when they serve no narrative purpose. Even when they have
proved to be confusing to the readers. Even when the errors greatly
annoy the author. So without the author or publishers weighing in, it is
impossible to know for sure.
J.
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