[soul_elements]

Don't worry. Nobody can confuse themself better than I can. Or it is worse? I think I'm confusing myself again ...

[owleye]

and the person that can get them confused the best goes to (drum roll)... me!

[whitesilkbreeze]

I haven't read the second book yet so someone in the know:

In the first book the author's note at the beginning mentions the Annaren scrolls are translated "in full" for the first time. Does this refer to the first two books or the whole series? Doesn't a translator normally read the whole thing for the first time and understand it before setting about the task of actually translating it?

And there is also mention that the scrolls are used for their shedding of light on the concepts of the Bards, or something (I don't have The Gift with me right now).

This seems to imply that people have read the whole thing and got the gist of it. In which case it seems that they would have read the ending and found out what happened to Maerad and Cadvan -- whether they are dead or not. So why is there an argument about who wrote the Annaren scrolls?

I'm dreadfully confused now and my post is more or less coherent.

[owleye]

do you try and conffuse people, im sorry but the award now goes to you

[Laurie]

the Annaren culture and scrolls etc arent actually real (are they? ) the whole world is simply a display of Alison's sheer brilliance as a writer (especially since so many people seem to believe in its reality when first reading the books - myself included :o )

wait. can someone please tell me that im not just on completely the wrong track or have horribly misinterpreted one thread or other!

there. now even ive confused myself

[owleye]

STOP BEEN MEAN AND CONFUSING ME ITS VERY EASY!

[Laurie]

:o sorry owleye - maybe this thread has become cursed with confusion

[owleye]

it has lol

[whitesilkbreeze]

Okay, sorry, I'll try explaining. (Annar is completely made up. However.)

1. The Riddle of the Treesong is supposedly what the Pellinor series is 'translated' from.

2. The foreword at the beginning of The Gift says that the Annaren scrolls are now 'translated here in full'.

3. 'Translated here in full' suggests that the translator has read the whole set of scrolls and knows what they are about. (I.E. The translator knows the ending and what happens to Maerad and Cadvan.)

4. The foreword also says the Riddle of the Treesong was previously appreciated for the light it threw on Bardic culture. This indicates that other people have read the whole thing as well.

5. Therefore people know the general story of the scrolls and the ending and what happens to Maerad and Cadvan. So everyone (the people who read Annaren) knows what happens.

6. However, there is an argument as to who wrote the Riddle of the Treesong. Some say M&C did, some say that someone else did. Why is there this problem?

(Point out the number where I lose you.)

[Gemini]

Maybe it was never actualy stated who wrote it, and people saying that Maerad and Cadvan wrote them is based on pure speculation :rolleyes: