Because TtH is narrated by Kruppe. The book is his tale to Fisher and K'rul. So the chronology of that book is:
-TtH
-Kruppe begins to tell the story of TtH to Fisher and K'rul (prologue)
-Kruppe finishes the story (epilogue)
The actual events happen before Kruppe tells it, but what we are witnessing is an oral history of that time, and because SE decided to write it like an oral history, it has to follow that chronology, otherwise it won't make sense.
Reading Order
#21
Posted 02 June 2009 - 10:28 AM
Antiquis temporibus, nati tibi similes in rupibus ventosissimis exponebantur ad necem.
Si hoc adfixum in obice legere potes, et liberaliter educatus et nimis propinquus ades.
Si hoc adfixum in obice legere potes, et liberaliter educatus et nimis propinquus ades.
#22
Posted 03 June 2009 - 02:15 PM
^^ Yup, though actually its just the first part of the prologue. The other 2 or so sections of the prologue are still before the rest of the book.
#23
Posted 03 June 2009 - 02:26 PM
Oh yeah, forgot about those. So it goes:
-Parts of prologue
-TtH
-Kruppe begins to tell the story of TtH to Fisher and K'rul (start of prologue)
-Kruppe finishes the story (epilogue)
-Parts of prologue
-TtH
-Kruppe begins to tell the story of TtH to Fisher and K'rul (start of prologue)
-Kruppe finishes the story (epilogue)
Antiquis temporibus, nati tibi similes in rupibus ventosissimis exponebantur ad necem.
Si hoc adfixum in obice legere potes, et liberaliter educatus et nimis propinquus ades.
Si hoc adfixum in obice legere potes, et liberaliter educatus et nimis propinquus ades.
#24
Posted 03 June 2009 - 02:35 PM
#25
Posted 03 June 2009 - 02:37 PM
Of course, then there's flashbacks and timeline difficulties...but for simplicity's sake, i'm fairly sure that's roughly how it goes.
Antiquis temporibus, nati tibi similes in rupibus ventosissimis exponebantur ad necem.
Si hoc adfixum in obice legere potes, et liberaliter educatus et nimis propinquus ades.
Si hoc adfixum in obice legere potes, et liberaliter educatus et nimis propinquus ades.
#26
Posted 03 June 2009 - 03:48 PM
Ah, yes, hence my confusion. (I was remembering only the part with
Spoiler
.)
"Here is light. You will say that it is not a living entity, but you miss the point that it is more, not less. Without occupying space, it fills the universe. It nourishes everything, yet itself feeds upon destruction. We claim to control it, but does it not perhaps cultivate us as a source of food? May it not be that all wood grows so that it can be set ablaze, and that men and women are born to kindle fires?"
―Gene Wolfe, The Citadel of the Autarch
―Gene Wolfe, The Citadel of the Autarch