Posted by teaser on June 26, 1999 at 19:41:01:
In Reply to: Unspiek, Baron Boddissey - any thoughts? posted by Nick Edwards on June 25, 1999 at 12:13:25:
: This BBS is pretty impressive for the education and erudition of its contributors so I would be interested to know you're thoughts on Baron Boddissey.
: Is he Jack Vance's mouthpiece?
: If not what is his role?
I've always loved Bodissey's presence in the Demon Princes, and the chapter headings in general are delightful ("Smell your best!" is my favorite.) I don't interpret the Baron as a mouthpiece for Jack Vance, but simply as a character in the world, adding richness and texture to the novels. "The Critics discuss Baron Bodissey's Life" from Chapter 10 of the Killing Machine contains some of the pithiest, most acerbic critical comments I have ever read. Let me remind you of the timbre by quoting a few:
"A monumental work if you like monuments."
"Six volumes of rhodomontade and piffle."
"Egregious, ranting, boorish, unacceptable --"
"Impossible not to feel honest anger."
If anything, these critics represent Vance's opinion more than the Baron, I would suggest. While it would be interesting to know if Vance had any particular work in mind when he created Bodissey's philosophical treatise, I doubt that Vance, the past master of the scholarly aside, had anything more special in mind for the Baron than adding a richness to his Milieu.
But I would welcome other views.
teaser