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Halfway through Post Captain and holy poo poo, I think I have a new favourite set of books. E: Having always been fond of 19th century stuff, I really liked the first section of PC where Jack and Stephen have their Bro-House and are living the life of country squires. Is this something that is a regular thing in the series? Is Steven actually loving Diana Villiers at this point? It's heavily hinted at, what with his midnight 'visits' and all but O'Brian never actually confirms it, and I'm still getting used to his spare, compacted prose. Question, what exactly is tacking? From the little I've read about the period, I think it's something like changing the sails to work the ship through unfavourable wind conditions? It seems to be quite important as O Brian mentions it constantly. VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV - Thanks, that makes sense! BeigeJacket fucked around with this message at 21:06 on Oct 16, 2011 |
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Oct 16, 2011 20:10
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| # ¿ Apr 27, 2024 10:43 |
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I've just started a re-read after doing the whole lot last year, good god I've forgotten what a brilliant writer O Brian is. There's almost no fat to be found in his prose style, even when he's seriously nerding out about sails or seabirds. Something I wondered about occasionally concerns all the booze that they're continually pouring down their throats (and Jack as a young man is a very thirsty chap). Do we know if the wine, brandy and beer back then was stronger, weaker or the same as stuff we guzzle nowadays? There's a scene in M&C where Maturin and James Dillon do over two bottles of brandy in an evening. I would not be able to stand, talk or breathe were I to try this. BeigeJacket fucked around with this message at 21:53 on Feb 4, 2014 |
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Feb 4, 2014 21:51
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What exactly is a 'slime draught' and why is Stephen so fond of prescribing them to his patients?
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May 8, 2014 23:23
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One of my favorite lines in the whole thing is Jacks riposte after Maturin is lecturing him on how his dissolute habits have caused the appearance of his first grey hairs. "My hair is not grey. It is a pleasing shade of buttercup"
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Jun 18, 2014 19:59
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For some reason I've always pictured Bonden as looking like a young Neil Young. The films casting is pretty loving great. I always liked the quick snippet, during the final boarding action, of Killick going absolutely apeshit in the melee with a giant sword. In the books he never seems to take part in the fighting does he? Regarding Maturins accent, it's worth considering that, even though he was bastard born, he came from a monied family and had a first rate education in top universities. I thought Bettanys rather crisp English-ish accent was just fine at showing his background. I recall there's a scene early on in the series, I think when they are prisoners in America, where Jack is dead drunk and cracks a joke about Ms heritage to a guest who had been prosing away on an anti-Irish bent. This fellow is then very embarrassed and attempts an apology, which led me to surmise that Maturin can't have had much, if any, of an accent. BeigeJacket fucked around with this message at 20:34 on Sep 16, 2014 |
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Sep 16, 2014 20:17
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Did O'Brian ever state what part of Ireland Maturin and his family come from? I was thinking the other day that we really know remarkably little about Stephen before he met Jack. 20 books and all we have is "Grew up in Ireland/Spain. Studied in Dublin and Paris. Was involved for a while in republican politics."
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Nov 12, 2014 21:11
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ItalicSquirrels posted:The biography of Stephen Maturin y Domanova Nice recap! Yah, don't disagree that there are lots of bits and pieces of info dropped throughout the series, but they are fragments of biography and even when the prose is of Maturins diary he never goes into much detail, it's generally him commenting wryly on past events. Jack on the other hand will happily yap away for pages on his various youthful exploits. And I've no doubt that's exactly what O'Brian intended - Stephen is a very private man after all. Now I come to think of it, I don't believe that Jack is ever aware of Stephens involvement in the 1798 rebellion - or at best, has a vague inkling but doesn't ask any questions. BeigeJacket fucked around with this message at 22:56 on Nov 12, 2014 |
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Nov 12, 2014 22:51
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Did the Admiralty ever pay out for that ship? I remember Aubrey arguing with some official, (a civilian and a scrub to boot) who said as it couldn't be verified no prize money was due.
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Feb 17, 2015 15:14
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This is the guy Jack thinks he's killed after the dude tried to rob him when he was walking home after a party right?
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Feb 23, 2015 23:12
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| # ¿ Apr 27, 2024 10:43 |
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What book is it where they are somewhere in the, I believe, Arabian ocean and Stephen and Martin go down into the diving bell to get at the 'gold' they think is in the wreck below them?
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Sep 5, 2016 13:50
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