posted
Jennie, this one's for you dear. I'm not done with the book yet, but I wanted to get a start on some discussing action here.
First of all, after reading all the gazillions of threads about this and other sundry topics, and after having read more than half of the book already, I can pretty much predict the nature of the ending 'graphic' scene. Probably won't be such a big deal.
Second, the beginning religious symbolism is pretty fun. The whole idea that each world has their own scriptures and prophecies about how Kristos will come and what he/she will do to help the world. In this case, Patience has to come to grips with the fact that if/when Kristos comes...or if she herself is the actual savior, the benefit will not just be to human kind, but to "the king's house" which is "all the world." Her adventure has brought her in close contact with the three other species on Imakulata and she's beginning to see that they're all intrinsically good and want saving from the Unwyrm. Right?
I just finished with the conversation that Patience has with Will about choices between good and evil vs. right and wrong. I need to go read it again to make sure I understand it. I did understand his definition of will and choice and it seemed to make good sense to me.
The writing is a little more raw and rough in this book than in more recent ones by OSC. It reminds me of Songmaster and Hart's Hope, just the style. In the case of this book, it doesn't rub me the wrong way. In fact, I like it.
So. I'll finish it today or tomorrow and write more when I do. Meanwhile...discuss.
posted
Has anyone else noticed the great quotable quotes in this book?? They seem to be fast and furious. Here are a few favorites so far:
"The best thing about science," said Reck, walking up behind Patience, "is that it keeps fools from ever discovering the truth, or even discovering that they don't have the truth already." pg 118
"If he wins, we'll know God wanted him to." Will smiled. "Reality is the most perfect vision of God's will. It's discovering God's will in advance that causes all the trouble." pg 220
***********************
What do you think of the similarities between the unseating of the true Heptarch's line that's discussed in the beginning and the unseating of the line of David in the Bible? From a Christian standpoint, it seems like the parallels were drawn on purpose. Mary was descended from the line of kings, but Herod was on the throne and the Romans were in power when Christ came, and those that were familiar with the prophecies were watching and waiting.
I also loved this quote when Angel and Patience mention the School in the city of Heptam.
"years ago, the Wise of the world had come here to teach to all comers. Because of Crossriver Delving and Lost Souls' Island, Heptam was known as the religious capital of the world; the School made it the intellectual center as well. But now, a generation after the FLight of the Wise, the School was no more than a gaggle of scholars who endlessly recided dead and memorized words that they did not understand." pg 34
This seems similar to the descriptions of some of the religious centers in the New Testament. Interesting.
I am also intrigued by the "Wise Ones." It seems that there's more symbolism there that I might be missing (ancient prophets?), and I wonder why they all felt the Cranning Call. What does the Cranning Call represent for them? Was it just a punishment for Heptam to have all of the Wise taken away? Is that the reason that they were called to Cranning? The Gaunts mention taking all of them up to the Unwyrm, so obviously he was the one that called them. Did he just see them as enemies to his overall cause? I'm still not sure why he did that. It seems that many of their prophecies were working FOR Unwyrm and his purposes in getting Patience to Cranning...
I loved the book overall. I agree that the writing style felt a lot like Hart's Hope and Songmaster, and that's part of what I enjoyed. I think I really like the roughness and straightfoward way he wrote back then. It's probably part of what kept me reading Hart's Hope and Songmaster when something inside me was going "Eww! Maybe I should put this down."
But I agree, this one is different. I would recommend it to people a lot more freely (though I would have to at least caution them about the final scene-- It wasn't overly vivid, and it was rather significant to the plot, but it is not appropriate for young readers in my opinion.) I was fascinated with the ideas of multi-species cooperation in the book, and it got me thinking about things that I never would have if I hadn't decided to read it. There's something about OSC's books that make me think more than any other author can.
I think I'll go try and check it out from the library again today. I had to turn it in, but I want to be able to discuss specific ideas that are no longer fresh in my mind.
I'll be back this evening though. Posts: 1635 | Registered: Aug 2002
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posted
The Cranning call is discussed a lot more towards the end, including the purpose Unwyrm had in calling all The Wise. But, it does leave a lot to be wondered, so as soon as you're done and I have a copy to look at to remember my specific questions we'll see what we come up with. Posts: 1635 | Registered: Aug 2002
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posted
Yeah, I figured out the Cranning Call...he wanted all the wisdom in the world to help create the perfect human.
I actually thought the ending scene was rather anticlimactic after all that I'd heard. I guess that's the danger of someone telling you the ending beforehand.
What I really like is that OSC doesn't completely describe exactly how any of the other species look. It left a lot to my imagination, especially with the geblings and the wyrms themselves. I was rather baffled at the end when Reck and Ruin eat their perspective mindstones...I was kind of sad that Reck was no longer Reck.
I did like that they built the university around Heffiji's house and made the Heptarch's center there, closer to Cranning.
I wanted more interaction with Will and Patience, but I'm glad that their ending was a good one. The way he kept saying "I'll serve you how I can" reminded me of Westley in the Princess Bride and how he always said "As you Wish." Posts: 6415 | Registered: Jul 2000
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Yeah, my roommate, Amanda, thought the whole Will and Patience relationship was weird, but I liked it. I was totally reminded of the Princess Bride.
Alas, I was lazy today and didn't make it up to campus to go to the library. Sorry! I definitely have to go tomorrow though because I have a scheduled final, so I'll be better at discussing things then.
Posts: 1635 | Registered: Aug 2002
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Narnia, your interpretation is interesting and provacative, whether it is "right on the money" or not.
There is a short story by Ray Bradbury, in which a space ship keeps traveling from world to world to try to get there at the exact time that the Savior is there, but they keep on arriving just too late.
Does anyone remember the story?
Posts: 74 | Registered: Oct 2003
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Bradbury wrote shorts? Yay!! New stuff to read then!
Edie, thanks for the compliment. I'd love to hear some of what everyone else thinks. Jennie and I just mutually decided to read this book and discuss it and I'd love to hear what everyone else's impressions were as well.
Posts: 6415 | Registered: Jul 2000
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posted
Back to the topic at hand, I reread Wyrms a month or two back. It really is a great book.
I found the genetics aspects particularly fascinating. The short-lived offshoots especially -- what long-term benefit would those have? And since they seem to die out (well, in the wheat, at least ), what is their purpose -- why does the parent organism produce them?
Posts: 32919 | Registered: Mar 2003
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Wow, I thought Bradbury was best known for his short stories. Maybe that's just the vibe I got. Anyhow, that one is called "The Man." Go figure.
I just finished listening to the audiobook version of Wyrms (Emily Janice Card's performance - two thumbs up!) and finished up by listening to OSC's thoughts on it. I cracked up at this point, especially having spent a little time on hatrack in the past few months:
Card says:
quote:Wyrms is one of those stories that I think of as an anomaly in my career. I'm not a very visual writer. I've written quite a few books that are basically talking heads having long conversations interrupted by moments of unspeakable violence.
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I enjoyed Wyrms a lot; it's really a very creative bit of world-building, I thought. And while it's not my favorite OSC novel, Will is probably in my top 5 OSC characters. I really enjoyed the philosophical conversation he and Patience have and I wish I was as self-disciplined as Will is represented as being (I love the bit where he talks about being made to feel like he could not breathe, checking to make sure he was still breathing, and then going out into battle and killing a bunch of people).
Posts: 132 | Registered: Feb 2009
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Sorry! I definitely have to go tomorrow though because I have a scheduled final, so I'll be better at discussing things then.
