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Right. Inaction would do just as well, given a few minutes.
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Sep 3, 2017 18:08
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I think if he'd tried it probably wouldn't have worked though.
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Sep 3, 2017 18:22
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I originally thought that he engaged Martin in a debate in order to distract him while he did something, and yeah he probably would have been successful. I just finished Chapter 8, Stephen's complete faith in Jack's words about the ship soon arriving to rescue them was touching 
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Sep 3, 2017 19:53
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ItalicSquirrels posted:That's what I love about this series. I can't think of a single character that's one dimensional, even the completely unlikable pain in the rear end. The mother in law?
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Sep 12, 2017 21:26
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I am flying through Reverse of the Medal, it's very short compared to the others. I'm really enjoying the political intrigue, Wray is a great, believable antagonist. I'd like to buy the series instead of having to wait to get them from the library. I found a reasonably priced hardcover collection, however I really like the art on the paperbacks I've been reading. Is there a collection from this printing that anyone could suggest? I don't want to buy them individually.  
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Sep 13, 2017 11:02
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The hardcover box set is convenient but if it's the one I have then it has really thin pages and some serious editing and typographical errors. Fava instead of Java, for instance, and some parts with mis-aligned text.
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Sep 13, 2017 15:17
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Professor Shark posted:I am flying through Reverse of the Medal, it's very short compared to the others. I'm really enjoying the political intrigue, Wray is a great, believable antagonist. Reverse of the Medal always makes me tear up. You'll find out why.
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Sep 14, 2017 03:53
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Folio Society or bust. Although a good few of the series are sold out 
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Sep 14, 2017 18:53
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Fire Safety Doug posted:Folio Society or bust. Although a good few of the series are sold out If I ever have a nice, wood filled library with a fireplace I might consider dropping $1600 plus shipping on the books, but not for now!
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Sep 15, 2017 00:05
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What the hell happened with the silversmith and Martin/Maturin?
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Sep 15, 2017 02:12
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you can buy a complete first edition set all signed and in good condition on abebooks for a cool 50k + shipping
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Sep 15, 2017 21:31
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Professor Shark posted:What the hell happened with the silversmith and Martin/Maturin? In case no one can remember it to explain it, I've typed up part of the page: quote:Yet well-founded though it was, his affection would not run to discussing the merits of different kinds of copper-bottomed tin-bodied well-kettles for an equal length of time; he left Martin with the ironmonger's kind and infinitely patient wife and stepped across the street to a silversmith's, where he bought a teapot, cream-jug and sugar-bowl as a wedding present.
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Sep 15, 2017 22:40
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I always thought that Maturin absent-mindedly walked away without getting his change, and when the silversmith came and gave it to him in front of Martin, now Martin would know how much it cost. Which is deeply embarrassing, of course.
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Sep 16, 2017 00:20
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jerman999 posted:I always thought that Maturin absent-mindedly walked away without getting his change, and when the silversmith came and gave it to him in front of Martin, now Martin would know how much it cost. Which is deeply embarrassing, of course. It also demonstrates how stinking rich Maturin is at that point, to the point that he can just forget that much money, which inevitably creates a wall It's always a little rude to be rich
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Sep 16, 2017 00:30
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For some reason I was certain that Stephen was getting scammed somehow and couldn't figure out how it was working, it didn't cross my mind that the silversmith was actually honest
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Sep 16, 2017 01:10
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17 pounds in this time period would be almost six months wages for a working man. Maturin wandered off leaving the modern American equivalent of $5,000 on the counter. And yeah it's rude to be obscenely wealthy and oblivious. Arglebargle III fucked around with this message at 04:29 on Sep 16, 2017 |
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Sep 16, 2017 04:27
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Maturin in Letter of Marquee posted:And from this he moved to the opera, where they had heard a truly brilliant performance of Le Nozze di Figaro, brilliant from the first notes of the overture to what Stephen always looked upon as the true end, before the hurlyburly of jovial peasants -- the part where from a dead silence the dumbfounded Conte sings Contessa perdono, perdono, perdono with such an infinite subtletly of intonation. He repeated it inwardly several times, together with the Contessa's exquisite reply and the crowd's words to the effect that now they would all live happily ever after -- Ah tutti contenti saremo cosi -- but never to his satisfaction. For those who've never heard the duet Stephen is thinking of, this is it from Amadeus: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tTfiboMetpY&t=32s It really is lovely. I mentioned this passage to my husband since it's his favorite opera and he instantly agreed with Stephen's belief about the true end. Full ending here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t2yrDWEoCpc
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Sep 16, 2017 05:05
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Raskolnikov2089 posted:For those who've never heard the duet Stephen is thinking of, this is it from Amadeus: Isn't the marriage of figaro the only opera obrian ever writes about?
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Sep 17, 2017 05:07
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Started this series while I've been waiting for my next job to start, and it's fantastic. I am in the middle of Fortune of War, and it's gratifying that the story basically flow between books as easily as between chapters. There's a few parts I've had some trouble with, especially as I've never really been sailing. In Master and Commander, when Aubrey is at the shipyard when he first gets the Sophie, what exactly does he do with the yardmaster and the mast? I got the impression he pulled a caper, but I couldn't figure out what or why.....
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Oct 1, 2017 20:17
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Someone can probably answer that directly, unfortunately I didn't remember. I'd recommend getting A Sea of Words as a companion, and keep it near you as you read.
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Oct 1, 2017 20:33
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Lockback posted:Started this series while I've been waiting for my next job to start, and it's fantastic. I am in the middle of Fortune of War, and it's gratifying that the story basically flow between books as easily as between chapters. The dockyard bloke is someone whose priority is the wellbeing of his stores, and wants to minimise risk of damage or waste by being very conservative with what he issues out. He doesn't want to give Jack this yard which he considers too big for the Sophie, in his opinion it would increase the chance of carrying away, or straining the mast and hull. Jack is much more daring, and is also a very good sailor who is willing to back his opinion. His priority is to make his new command go fast, so it can catch prizes and make his fortune. The implication seems to be that he's right and the semi-landlubber is a fussy old woman. Jack has the carpenter plane down the tips of the yardarm until they show white, then re-hoists it. This fools the dockyard - seeing it has been cut, he perceives it as shorter, although it's nearly exactly the same length. Jack is allowed to keep this massive, top-quality spar and can sail away a bit faster. Score: Jno. Aubrey, Commander of HMS Sloop of War Sophie: 1 Mean-spirited wretch: 0
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Oct 1, 2017 20:45
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Doesn't he intentionally break the Sophie's first main yard?
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Oct 1, 2017 21:40
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Arglebargle III posted:Doesn't he intentionally break the Sophie's first main yard? I think that was a different incident. They wouldn't give him the new one when he had a functional old one, so he went out and broke the old one in a way that was just barely on the right side of not being on purpose.
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Oct 1, 2017 21:57
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Visited the Royal Maritime Museum in London on Friday, really enjoyed the whole thing but especially the Nelson, Navy, Nation exhibition. Can put up a few photos of the displays if there’s interest.
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Oct 1, 2017 23:22
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It was totally on purpose but deniable. The wind did it. These things happen.
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Oct 1, 2017 23:25
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That yard had a crack in it already anyway. drat shame, that...
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Oct 2, 2017 00:59
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Fire Safety Doug posted:Visited the Royal Maritime Museum in London on Friday, really enjoyed the whole thing but especially the Nelson, Navy, Nation exhibition. Can put up a few photos of the displays if there’s interest. Please post 'em!
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Oct 2, 2017 01:03
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Genghis Cohen posted:The dockyard bloke is someone whose priority is the wellbeing of his stores, and wants to minimise risk of damage or waste by being very conservative with what he issues out. He doesn't want to give Jack this yard which he considers too big for the Sophie, in his opinion it would increase the chance of carrying away, or straining the mast and hull. Jack is much more daring, and is also a very good sailor who is willing to back his opinion. His priority is to make his new command go fast, so it can catch prizes and make his fortune. The implication seems to be that he's right and the semi-landlubber is a fussy old woman. That makes sense, thanks! I caught that he broke his ship to get something he shouldn't have, but couldn't quite smoke it, Thanks!
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Oct 2, 2017 03:51
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PlushCow posted:Please post 'em! Ok, apologies for the middling quality but I only thought of snapping some quick shots right before we had to head off. Ship's biscuit and other curiosities:  The cat:  Surgeon's tools:  Some more surgeon's tools:  Carronade:  Uniforms:  Forgot to get a shot of the tools used for eye surgery, which were also a somewhat chilling sight in all their primitiveness...
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Oct 2, 2017 21:29
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That carronade is extra teeny weeny.
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Oct 2, 2017 23:23
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Fire Safety Doug posted:(pictures) Great pictures, thanks for posting them. Those uniforms look like they're in pretty decent condition, and I thought the cat would've had thicker strands.
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Oct 3, 2017 03:00
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Those photos gave the an extremely vivid flashback of museum-smell.
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Oct 3, 2017 03:42
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Fire Safety Doug posted:Ok, apologies for the middling quality but I only thought of snapping some quick shots right before we had to head off. Oh yeah that's the good poo poo right there
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Oct 3, 2017 04:10
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I can just hear Killick grumbling over those coats
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Oct 12, 2017 21:39
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On the contrary. He would be ecstatic (or at least as close to that as he could physically be) that they are safely behind temperature controlled glass, safe from shot, mould, rats and soup.
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Oct 14, 2017 22:09
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they look faded to me but maybe that is because I'm used to modern dyes/fabric colors.
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Oct 15, 2017 16:35
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I finished The Letter of the Marque last night. I enjoyed it much more than I thought I would. I was worried that Jack without the Royal Navy might lessen the story, however it was very exciting and the various subplots were great, namely Stephen's inadvertent weaning off of laudanum. The book felt like it was almost a "reset" of several plots that had been in the series since the beginning, like Jack's legal and financial issues, Aubrey Senior's death and the resolution to Jack's political issues, leaving Ashgrove. Stephen's trading his opium addiction for cocaine was both sad and amusing. That final chapter showed more of Stephen's untrustworthy addict side than I think O'Brian has ever gone into. It was disheartening to read Diane's concern and apprehension about getting Stephen cocaine after his doctors had cut him off from his laudanum and his rapid reassurance that it was fine and good. I began reading the first chapter of The 13 Gun Salute and I'm saddened to see that Stephen is snappish and angry with his wife and old friends 
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Oct 16, 2017 09:08
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Octy posted:Well, it still seems odd that Jack wouldn't interact with them if they're guarding his cabin and what not, although that's about the only time I can think of that he specifically refers to them. At any rate, it sounds like they had a relatively easy job. Not many opportunities for misadventure outside of combat, I suppose. From a while back but, the Marines were kept as separate from the crew as possible so that they could be relied upon to act against people they otherwise may have known for years. Marines did help with the chores around the ship, even the sailing, but they did it through their own separate chain of command. Jack probably would never have occasion to talk to any of the enlisted Marines, even in an official capacity. The ships officers probably had the authority to give direct orders to the Marine enlisted but it would certainly be a big political problem to do so under any but the direst of circumstances. Pretty much everything requested would be formal through the chain of command. Also the standing orders for someone on guard duty going all the way back to Napoleonic times is to not engage in conversation, even with senior officers other than to report your status, because otherwise you ain't keep a watchful eye guarding is ya? So, even the guard at the door is kind of a non-entity if he is doing his job right. As far as it being an easy job, I doubt it. Being a sailor is a valuable skill and even as brutal as Navy discipline is known to be most of the time there was a certain amount of respect for an old hand, especially the warrants. Your typical enlisted Marine would be another rung or two down the social ladder and kept busy and under strict discipline.
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Oct 16, 2017 13:12
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I've been working my way through this series for a few years, and I've loved every word of it. Is the last, unfinished book (Amazon calls it "21: The Final Unfinished Voyage of Jack Aubrey" any good, or should I stop at the end of Blue at The Mizzen?
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Oct 17, 2017 00:53
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TheAwfulWaffle posted:I've been working my way through this series for a few years, and I've loved every word of it. Not as a book. It’s good as a little extra after the series is over, and of course you have to get it. But it’s not a new book.
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Oct 17, 2017 02:58
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