Knygatin Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Sawfish Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > > "Symposium of the Gorgon"
> >
> > Hah! Liked it as well! It almost seemed like
> the
> > narrative POV was a proxy for Smith, himself,
> > when young... :^)
> >
> > An "alcoholically flaming youth", indeed!
> >
> >
> > > the follow-up "The Death of
> > > Malygris" is much richer in imagination.
> >
> > The setting is almost cinematographic, ...
> >
> > Too, it's an odd feeling for the reader when
> the
> > familiar leaves at the end of the story,
> > indicating that this time Malygris is dead. It
> > implies that he stayed in a semi-dead state
> only
> > long enough to wreak vengeance on his rivals--a
> > final act of focused hubris and apparently
> > motivated by Malygris' ability to foresee his
> own
> > end.
> >
> > This is entirely believable within the
> character
> > context CAS created for Malygris. No small
> feat,
> > in my opinion. Here I am, a 21st C cynic in his
>
> > 70s, and I'm publicly admitting to believing
> that
> > there could be a guy like Malygris.
> > ...
>
>
> Thanks Sawfish for your generous comments. So
> heartfelt and true. You must be the ultimate CAS
> fan of deep appreciation. I agree with it all, and
> it enhances my own perspective. Your observations
> transcend academia.
Far, far too generous!
If there is any advantages I've had it's that I've had the time to read the stories many times, at many stages of my life. Needless to say, Smith holds up well, or I'd not be here now.
BTW, this is the same relationship I have with several books. Catch-22 is one of them. Multiple readings, perhaps 10+ in some cases.
>
> I understand that your reading of Smith has mostly
> been from the Ballantine paperbacks published in
> the 70's, and I imagine you read them very
> closely.
All true.
> But have you read "The City of the
> Singing Flame"? It was not in those books, but is
> another of his masterpieces. Its publication is a
> bit confused, some books have only printed half
> the story; the full version has seven chapters.
I have it upstairs.
I read it once. I'll read it again soon. Maybe I'll start a discussion thread.
Thanks!
I just discovered two very pleasant things in life: e-readers, and Project Gutenberg. Between spending $20 for a used Barnes & Noble Nook e-reader, and going to the Project Gutenberg free library, I've read a decent amount of Kipling for the first time. Not the kids' stuff, but The India Stories, etc.
Same with Stephen Crane, Ford Maddox Ford, Gibbon's 8-volume The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire.
Aside from the $20 for the e-reader, all free.
[
www.gutenberg.org]
--Sawfish
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"The food at the new restaurant is awful, but at least the portions are large."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~