(urth) HOME FIRES finished thoughts (spoilers)

Dan'l Danehy-Oakes danldo at gmail.com
Tue Aug 20 17:53:10 PDT 2013


Or maybe the fragility of tenacity?


On Tue, Aug 20, 2013 at 5:09 PM, Brian Doherty <brianmdoherty at gmail.com>wrote:

> Couple of other HOME FIRES questions: I gather from end that Chelle
> fragged a commander, but I don't see how this relates to what happens to
> her---you merely get discharged for that? Or was she killed for it before
> the Sims meld? Is this even the "original" Chelle's body? I mean, reaction
> of her old school friend and Skip indicate it is....
>
> Also, are we supposed to guess/does it matter what secret Sims had that
> the spies wanted from Chelle? Pure Macguffin or significant?
>
> What would people say the theme/point of the novel is? The tenacity of
> love? The fragility of identity? Or the tenacity of identity?
>
> Brian Doherty
>
>
> On Tue, Aug 20, 2013 at 2:51 PM, Brian Doherty <brianmdoherty at gmail.com>wrote:
>
>> In the end, I'm more convinced that this was (deliberately or not) his
>> take on a late-Heinlein feel novel. Skip and Chelle just seem like late
>> Heinlein types, Chelle perhaps more vulgar-tough than the vulgar-sweet RAH
>> would go far. The dialog style, the heroism, the lawyerly machinations, all
>> felt Heinlein. Skip, the aging noble man successful and choosing an
>> ultimate sacrifice for both personal love and humanity....(presuming which
>> I'm not sure I should that there IS something good for humanity about
>> fighting the Os.)
>>
>> Also in the end, I found myself liking it more than I expected i would
>> from first 2/3. Not that the conclusion was anything bang up or that it
>> raveled anything together in any WOW way, but just....I was really feeling
>> the emotions of everything from the final diner scene when Skip showed up
>> on.
>>
>> Still, what a PECULIAR book. So much felt, like, what? why? Particularly
>> the cinnamon toast scene at end. Loved it, but didn't...get the point. And
>> as always with WOlfe, you feel dumb because you don't. Maybe it was simply
>> to show how tough Chelle was but seemed late in narrative to take time for
>> mere character-building.
>>
>> Some points I picked up I think mostly from this list:
>> 1) I believe it is either known or believed by some that Charles Blue is
>> an Os. i missed even a hint at this. What's the clue/giveaway?
>> 2) Wolfean Q---given that we know SOME characters are brain scans in
>> bodies other than ones born with, this makes me assume that some/many
>> OTHERS are too. Do others agree, and who are top candidates?
>> 3) "so that he can keep running into "Charles Blue" and keep forgetting
>> about it, and to show how nobody knows anything about anybody else -
>> identification has been lost in that world."---I did not pick up on this at
>> all when relating to Blue, but saw a reminder of it in the "lost
>> women"/Chelle diner scene. Is that because, again, MOST people in this
>> world end up in diff bodies they were born with/are way older because of
>> relativistic space effect?
>>
>> This seems to me to be a Wolfe novel that's received the least detailed
>> discussion of mysteries/meaning. If someone can guide me to source for
>> same, would appreciate it.
>>
>> Brian Doherty
>>
>
>
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-- 
Dan'l Danehy-Oakes
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