- floe
- Pilgrim
- Registered: 2001-07-07
- Posts: 586
Paul's age
Just wondering how old you think Paul is?
I thought he was about 30 (give or take a year), but upon discussing it with a friend I found that she thought Paul was in his fifties.
As far as I can tell we're given no real hints to Paul's age, and your opinions would be appreciated.
Goat Advocate-Training for the BDC First I need a golf cart, then all my real plans begin, like the dancing Pandas and flinging real cows....
-the tao of Peter Goat Story
- Jendaiya
- Pilgrim
- From: Canada
- Registered: 2001-06-01
- Posts: 21821
- Website
Re: Paul's age
I got the impression that Paul was somewhere into his thirties. I don't know why, really. Just a feeling.
Beauty will save the world.
~Prince Myshkin,
The Idiot, by Dostoevsky
- Marian
- Pilgrim
- From: Richmond, VA
- Registered: 2001-06-05
- Posts: 17444
- Website
Re: Paul's age
Wow, these age guesses are all over the map, eh? Fifties?
I thought he was about 25. Long enough to be out of college and settled into a career.
I must admit, my view of Paul was heavily influenced by the Whelan cover, since I saw RoBF before I started reading CoGS.
- Garcia
- Pilgrim
- From: Stuttgart, Germany
- Registered: 2001-06-09
- Posts: 1051
- Website
Re: Paul's age
[edit] Don't mind me.
[ August 07, 2001: Message edited by: Garcia ]
»Ohne Musik wäre das Leben ein Irrtum.«
Friedrich Nietzsche
- Allegra DiNetta
- Pilgrim
- From: Delaware
- Registered: 2001-06-02
- Posts: 3542
- Website
Re: Paul's age
I'm still reading the book, but I would guess late twenties to early thirties as well. He thinks an awfull lot about hanging out with his college freinds in bars.
melodramaticLindsy:Why does some paint dry dark, and some light? Me: Because God hates us. Lindsy: OK.
- Marian
- Pilgrim
- From: Richmond, VA
- Registered: 2001-06-05
- Posts: 17444
- Website
Re: Paul's age
Garcia, could you edit your post to warn for spoilers?
- Garcia
- Pilgrim
- From: Stuttgart, Germany
- Registered: 2001-06-09
- Posts: 1051
- Website
Re: Paul's age
Marian, I'm an idiot. Sorry. I deleted my post.
[ August 07, 2001: Message edited by: Garcia ]
»Ohne Musik wäre das Leben ein Irrtum.«
Friedrich Nietzsche
- Marian
- Pilgrim
- From: Richmond, VA
- Registered: 2001-06-05
- Posts: 17444
- Website
Re: Paul's age
It was a good post, though. It was only after Allegra's that I realized how much it could hurt The Otherland Experience.
Do you remember what you said? I seriously think you should put it back. Just write big SPOILERS words across the top.
- Boondocker
- Pilgrim
- From: New Brunswick, Canada
- Registered: 2001-07-27
- Posts: 45
Re: Paul's age
Marian wrote:I thought he was about 25. Long enough to be out of college and settled into a career.
Boy, way to put the pressure on a guy, Marian. Means I got about three months to get a career going here. Geez... :)
Me, I figured Paul for early thirties, late twenties. Not as young as twenty-five, though.
- Marian
- Pilgrim
- From: Richmond, VA
- Registered: 2001-06-05
- Posts: 17444
- Website
Re: Paul's age
S'Okay, Boon, I'm having a quarter-life crisis myself.
My final guess, knowing all I do, which isn't a whole lot, is 27.
Is everyone else ready to ask Tad?
- Marian
- Pilgrim
- From: Richmond, VA
- Registered: 2001-06-05
- Posts: 17444
- Website
Re: Paul's age
So no one here is like The Weird Friend (;)) who thinks he's in his fifties?
- MadMaudlin
- Pilgrim
- From: Sunnyvale, CA
- Registered: 2001-06-03
- Posts: 1717
Re: Paul's age
I say young enough not to have a very long curriculum vitae. somewhat dilletantish with his education? rather dreary job if you ask me....but not qualified for tech stuff...otoh he could have been at the Tate (dead end?) for years. 30? 35?
Kristin
"El-ahrairah, your people cannot rule the world, for I will not have it so. All the world will be your enemy, Prince with a Thousand Enemies, and whenever they catch you, they will kill you. But first they must catch you....Be cunning and full of tricks and your people shall never be destroyed."
--Frith's (God's) promise to the rabbits, from Watership Down
- mrveil
- Pilgrim
- From: orange-tx
- Registered: 2001-06-04
- Posts: 20
Re: Paul's age
I always figured the guy was in his late 20's, just because of some of his flashbacks. Gave me the impression he was still finding his way in the world when he was ripped outta it.
- floe
- Pilgrim
- Registered: 2001-07-07
- Posts: 586
Re: Paul's age
***SoSL SPOILERS******
****STOP NOW IF YOU HAVEN'T READ SoSL****
Today I suddenly remembered that Paul's mother died about two years ago (book years)It says she was 73 I believe. So lets assume for a moment that she had Paul at age 30, which makes Paul 43 at her death and 45 at the end of his two year stay in the Otherland system. But I don't think he really is 45, I don't think it really fits. As it was posted before he has many flash backs to his University days.
Then again, how do we know that women in the future aren't having children at an older age than they are today. Most women had children at age 16 only a few hundred years ago, so what says the age hasn't continued to go up?
Or maybe Tad didn't do his math right...
Or maybe he did, and Paul just really is OLD...
I suppose the only one who can really answer this is the author himself, so Tad we await you wisdom.
Thank you for bearing with the answer to my own question that really has no point to begin with.
[ August 08, 2001: Message edited by: floe ]
[ August 08, 2001: Message edited by: floe ]
[ August 08, 2001: Message edited by: floe ]
Goat Advocate-Training for the BDC First I need a golf cart, then all my real plans begin, like the dancing Pandas and flinging real cows....
-the tao of Peter Goat Story
- Sahi
- Mantis
- From: Assendelft (the Netherlands)
- Registered: 2001-06-04
- Posts: 37876
- Website
Re: Paul's age
"I'm a much nicer person online" - Aan'Allein
First member of the Shadowmarch Council of Sages, Official Quiller's Mint Historian
You may call me the Porcupine Lady, or if you are feeling generous the Erinaceous One.
- Marian
- Pilgrim
- From: Richmond, VA
- Registered: 2001-06-05
- Posts: 17444
- Website
Re: Paul's age
Okay, Tad, I think the group is ready. How old did you think Paul was?
- Allegra DiNetta
- Pilgrim
- From: Delaware
- Registered: 2001-06-02
- Posts: 3542
- Website
Re: Paul's age
I've got another age related question, how old is Emily supposed to be? I've nearly finished River of Blue Fire and I can't figure out weather she's supposed to be like 13 or 20.
melodramaticLindsy:Why does some paint dry dark, and some light? Me: Because God hates us. Lindsy: OK.
- Marian
- Pilgrim
- From: Richmond, VA
- Registered: 2001-06-05
- Posts: 17444
- Website
Re: Paul's age
I think about 13.
The next paragraph has SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS
I think she's also Ava's age, judging by Paul's reaction to her.
- MadMaudlin
- Pilgrim
- From: Sunnyvale, CA
- Registered: 2001-06-03
- Posts: 1717
Re: Paul's age
*spoiler warning*.................................
no, silly! he couldn't exactly love her as an equal! father figure maybe, but i think as far as he was concerned it would have been darn close to pedophilia. he just pitied her....i don't think she had reached the age of consent. So I think she's young enough to have been his daughter if he had had a daughter. He's 40something, she's 15 or so?
"El-ahrairah, your people cannot rule the world, for I will not have it so. All the world will be your enemy, Prince with a Thousand Enemies, and whenever they catch you, they will kill you. But first they must catch you....Be cunning and full of tricks and your people shall never be destroyed."
--Frith's (God's) promise to the rabbits, from Watership Down
- Marian
- Pilgrim
- From: Richmond, VA
- Registered: 2001-06-05
- Posts: 17444
- Website
Re: Paul's age
When did we start talking about love? It's too late to be talking about love! I want hard facts, dammit. Numbers, give me numbers!
:)
- floe
- Pilgrim
- Registered: 2001-07-07
- Posts: 586
Re: Paul's age
Perhaps Tad is purposely avoiding answering the question of Paul's age. This could be because :
A. He never really decided himself.
B. He finds how pathetic and far off we are at guessing so amuzing (in its sad way) that he finds it all to humorus to end with an answer.
Perhaps we shall never know Paul's true age, and more so: perhaps we will never know why we don't know. Kinda sad isn't it....
Goat Advocate-Training for the BDC First I need a golf cart, then all my real plans begin, like the dancing Pandas and flinging real cows....
-the tao of Peter Goat Story
- Marian
- Pilgrim
- From: Richmond, VA
- Registered: 2001-06-05
- Posts: 17444
- Website
Re: Paul's age
Happened upon Tad in the Mint - I don't think he noticed this topic.
The answer was early 30s, probably more toward 30.
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