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Raskolnikov2089 posted:From the same That was one of my favorite passages as well. Many of Jack's jokes and puns fall flat, but every once in a while he hits on a gem.
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Apr 27, 2011 16:57
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The only historical fiction I've read (loosely using that term here) was Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell, by Susanna Clarke. Oh and those awful novels about the English navyman riding a dragon. But I absolutely loved Clarke's novel, to the point where I've read it several times now and it influenced me to buy and deeply regret the aforementioned dragon books. Would anyone who has read her novel recommend this series? It got me interested in fiction from the Napoleonic period, which seems so interesting and is not really taught, at least in American schools. The most I read about Napoleon was that he sold us the Louisiana Purchase really cheap, and was a pretty cool dude, but his representation to the British of the time seems to paint him as the Devil. Anyway, let me know.
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Apr 27, 2011 17:57
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gowb posted:The only historical fiction I've read (loosely using that term here) was Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell, by Susanna Clarke. Oh and those awful novels about the English navyman riding a dragon. But I absolutely loved Clarke's novel, to the point where I've read it several times now and it influenced me to buy and deeply regret the aforementioned dragon books. Would anyone who has read her novel recommend this series? It got me interested in fiction from the Napoleonic period, which seems so interesting and is not really taught, at least in American schools. The most I read about Napoleon was that he sold us the Louisiana Purchase really cheap, and was a pretty cool dude, but his representation to the British of the time seems to paint him as the Devil. Anyway, let me know. Yes. Edit for real answer: yeah, I would definitely recommend this series to fans of Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell and also to fans of the first of the Temeraire books ["those awful novels about the English navyman riding a dragon" -- I have a sneaking suspicion those novels grew from the author writing a lot of (Hornblower / Aubrey) + Dragons fan fiction] Napoleonic / "Regency" (from King George's regent) era fiction generally means either stuff like Hornblower or Aubrey/Maturin -- british naval fiction -- or it means Jane Austen and all the romance novels derived therefrom. If you want more of that era after reading Jonathan Strange, and you want it to be smart, well-crafted, deeply researched, and written with a deep intelligence; and you don't want to read Jane Austen or Jane Austen derivatives; then the Aubrey/Maturin books are a logical next stop. Alternatively, though, Jonathan Strange draws a little more heavily on the Jane Austen tradition than on the Wooden Ships and Iron Men tradition that Aubrey and Hornblower fall into, so you might want to go back to the source and read Jane Austen. If you want a fantasy treatment, I'd recommend Jo Walton's Tooth and Claw, which is basically a Jane Austen novel where all the characters are dragons (much more smartly done than it sounds like, but a little hard to get into). Hieronymous Alloy fucked around with this message at 19:14 on Apr 27, 2011 |
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Apr 27, 2011 19:00
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gowb posted:Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell, by Susanna Clarke. Definitely. A lot of it was like reading Patrick O'Brian. They're both about manners.
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Apr 27, 2011 20:59
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I'm in the midst of reading "Desolation Island" (book #5), and found these quite excellent diagrams for HMS Leopard. While the specifics may change from ship to ship, I'd imagine that the general layout remains fairly similar, so people can use these to orient themselves to the interior of the various ships in the books: Forecastle and Quarter Deck Upper Deck Lower Deck Orlop Deck
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May 1, 2011 18:14
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Cutaways are awesome.
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May 1, 2011 18:47
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I will admit to being a bit flummoxed at the placement of the capstans, though. On both the upper and lower deck, the support posts are in the way of turning the capstans with the bars shipped...and perhaps they put a hatch over the upper deck companionway just forward of the capstan, or else you'd have a lot of disappearing sailors. (for that matter, is it just me, or does that companionway seem to not actually arrive at the lower deck?)
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May 1, 2011 19:57
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I forget which one this is from, Post Captain I think, but it's giggly inanity somehow struck a chord You ladies of lubricity, Which dwell in the bordello, Hahahaha, haha heehee, For I'm that kind of fellow
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May 2, 2011 00:17
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Ahaha man I was gonna post that! I love how the Williams girls overhear it walking up the drive and are undisturbed, because they don't know what it means. Except Diana, and it takes a great deal more to disturb her.
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May 2, 2011 08:59
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withak posted:Cutaways are awesome. Another excellent resource is: http://www.hms-trincomalee.co.uk/ Which has lots of information, diagrams and photos the HMS Trincomalee a 44 gun frigate similar to the ones constantly being offered Aubry and taken away under some pretext. Check out how large roomy and full of light the Great Cabin is on the photos page.
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May 2, 2011 14:30
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Question from (I think) The Ionian Mission regarding gunpowder... Jack buys up the entire stock of a closed fireworks manufacturer and his guns end up with colored smoke and flashes, was this something the author made up or was it lifted from someone in the actual navy? Also: I made sea biscuits from the cookbook. I put one in the bottom of a bowl and then filled the bowl with stew. By the time I got the biscuit it... was still really hard.
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May 6, 2011 20:50
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Since this the closest thing to a Wooden Ships and Iron Men genre thread, I'll throw out another recommendation for S. Thomas Russell. I'm reading his second book right now (A Battle Won) and it's a great read so far. It's not O'Brian and it suffers a bit from an implausible amount of action happening in one cruise but it's been a thoroughly enjoyable read. The first book was good but it feels like Russell is really hitting his stride in this one. Captain Horatio Nelson just made a cameo a few chapters ago. He also explores some stuff that I haven't seen really explored in other novels, like a Jewish officer having to deal with the Test Act. The main character, Charles Hayden, is also half-French which has made for some interesting plot lines/character development.
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May 6, 2011 21:10
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I love re-reads of this series because each book always has some detail that was lost on me in O'Brian's prose. Reading Master and Commander, and I realized that Stephen and Mr. Florey were dining with knives that were shortly ago used to autopsy a prostitute. Mr. Florey suggests washing the knife. Stephen compliments the blade as "swiss-made" and says that a wipe will surely be sufficient. So gross.
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May 6, 2011 21:33
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Raskolnikov2089 posted:I love re-reads of this series because each book always has some detail that was lost on me in O'Brian's prose. Yes, things were really bad as far as cleanliness and technique went. When Stephen was about to operate on someone's skull... "Had it not been for the need to preserve the appearance of professional infallibility and god-like calm, Mr Cotton would have pursed his lips and shaken his head: as it was he muttered, 'The Lord be with us,' and slid in his flattened probe. Stephen turned back his cuffs, spat on his hands, waited for the roll, placed his point and began his determined cut, the white bone skipping from the eager teeth and Carol swabbing the sawdust away. In the silence the ship's company grew still more intent: the midshipmen's birth, ghouls to a man, craned forward, unchid by their officers. But as the steel bit down into the living head, more than one grew pale, more than one looked away into the rigging; and even Jack, who had seen this grisly performance before, turned his eyes to the horizon where the distant Astrée and Iphigenia flashed white in the sun".
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May 7, 2011 01:57
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Maturin usually just throws the (blood and gore splattered) leather apron he was wearing for a surgery into a corner when he is done. Presumably that's where he picks up from later when it's time to cut up another patient/cadaver/animal/etc and cares to mind his clothes.
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May 7, 2011 02:18
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Does anyone else read that Jack attacked the Cacafuego because he realized otherwise he would have to duel James Dillon, which would end with one or both of them dead, and even worse, both kicked out of the Navy?
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May 7, 2011 05:28
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It was not a given that either would die attacking the Cacafuego. Speaking of that though, Flamepoop or Fireshit?
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May 9, 2011 16:26
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Smashurbanipal posted:It was not a given that either would die attacking the Cacafuego. Fireshitter. Pretty badass imo.
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May 9, 2011 16:50
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I realize this is kind of off topic, but I'm interested in any good histories of the Spanish involvement in the Napoleonic wars. My knowledge on this is fairly limited and it seems to be a generally neglected area. Trafalgar and Salamanca seem to sum it up for most people. Suggestions?
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May 9, 2011 17:21
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Smashurbanipal posted:It was not a given that either would die attacking the Cacafuego. No, but had they both survived they would have probably not fought, as they would each have proven their bravery to each other anyway. As for whether or not it was part of Jacks motivation, probably, but I doubt he would be conciously aware of it. But being at odds with his lieutenant and his general depresion at the time would surely contribute to deciding to go ahead with something extremely reckless even by the young Jack's standards.
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May 9, 2011 18:38
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Smashurbanipal posted:I realize this is kind of off topic, but I'm interested in any good histories of the Spanish involvement in the Napoleonic wars. My knowledge on this is fairly limited and it seems to be a generally neglected area. Trafalgar and Salamanca seem to sum it up for most people. Suggestions? Only Naval or also the land war (from which we got the word guerilla after all)? For the latter this is a pretty interesting book: The Fatal Knot. I don't know of any books especially about the naval involvement of the Spanish fleet, it is however touched upon several dealing with the general naval war between France and Britain.
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May 10, 2011 06:19
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Yep "guerrilla" comes into use in the period after the occupation of Spain by the French in 1808. What interests me is what happened in the time between say, Trafalgar, where the Spanish were clearly allied with Napoleonic France, to 1808 and the occupation. Thanks for the suggestion, I'll check it out.
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May 10, 2011 12:32
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silly posted:... S. Thomas Russell ... Reading his first book "Under Enemy Colors" a few years ago got me into Patrick O'Brian in the first place. Thanks for the heads up on his 2nd book!
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May 10, 2011 19:59
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I was recently compelled to seek out Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World. It is emphatically not a good movie, and a poor adaptation, but anyone who's having trouble wading through the dense technical language of the novels should find it worthwhile viewing. Russell Crowe is a perfect Aubrey, too, which makes me sorry that the film isn't better and they didn't make more.
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May 14, 2011 07:17
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Well, everyone has their own opinion of course, but I thought the movie was very well done. Peter Weir captured the spirit of the characters and stories we've grown to love, and I thought all of the actors did a fantastic job. The music, the sound direction (waves, wind, etc.), the sense of being alone on the ocean with a unique and compressed society was conveyed very well, in my opinion. What was it about the adaptation that so disappointed you? I could have done without the Jonas subplot, but otherwise I really enjoyed it.
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May 14, 2011 08:42
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Far too corny and false in the usual Hollywood way (the books were never this maudlin), some execrably constructed action sequences, and a lamentable botch of Maturin's character in nearly every aspect. It's lovely to look at, though, and I was never bored. The good moments were very good indeed, I just wish there had been more of them.
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May 14, 2011 11:36
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I also enjoyed the movie a lot, despite the freedom they took with depicting Maturin. Having a bunch of amazing actors for basically every role didn't hurt either, even if they weren't quite as the description of the characters in the books.
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May 14, 2011 15:33
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Decius posted:I also enjoyed the movie a lot, despite the freedom they took with depicting Maturin. Having a bunch of amazing actors for basically every role didn't hurt either, even if they weren't quite as the description of the characters in the books. The only character I was actually disappointed with was Bonden. He was fine just not my idea of what Bonden looked like. For the rest I thought the movie was very well done, I'm not sure what was maudlin about it that wasn't expressed similarly in the books.
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May 14, 2011 18:56
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I felt most everything relating to the ships was great, but Crowe as Aubrey I did not like. Jack is such a jolly fellow, and Crowe spends soooo much time being dour. I was going to reread the series in the near future anyway, but this thread fired me up early! It's amazing how much Master and Commander changes each time you read it. Although my favorite part so far is one of my long-time favorites, where Jack serves a pig that could only be carved by someone extremely familiar with morbid anatomy, and has to exhort Killick to "clap on to it's beak-head there".
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May 15, 2011 05:14
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Blog Free or Die posted:I felt most everything relating to the ships was great, but Crowe as Aubrey I did not like. Jack is such a jolly fellow, and Crowe spends soooo much time being dour. Really? I thought that he did a great job capturing the Jack we see in the books. I felt he was trying to convey being oppressed by duty and the loneliness of command, which are themes throughout the series. I didn't think the movie was perfect, but as a whole I think it did a really good job of capturing the characters and tone of the books. Maybe this is going a little off topic, but I thought Russel Crowe was perfect for Jack. Does anybody else have someone else they think would have better fit the role based on how they picture Jack from the books?
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May 15, 2011 05:21
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Thoguh posted:Does anybody else have someone else they think would have better fit the role based on how they picture Jack from the books? If only Brian Blessed was younger 
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May 15, 2011 08:42
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Thoguh posted:Really? I thought that he did a great job capturing the Jack we see in the books. I felt he was trying to convey being oppressed by duty and the loneliness of command, which are themes throughout the series. Seconding this. Why exactly are you people thinking that Maturin was badly represented in the film?
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May 15, 2011 08:44
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One bit I did love was the dinner. I love the dinners in the books so much, and the movie captured a very good flavor there (Jack devouring his Acheron made me laugh out loud, a rare accomplishment))
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May 15, 2011 10:38
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I thought that Preserved Killick was great in the movie "Which it will be ready when it's ready!" Just the right amount of bad temper and weirdly constructed sentences. Has everyone seen Maakies? Tony Millionaire seems to be obsessed with Patrick O'Brian. https://www.maakies.com
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May 15, 2011 18:21
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Nektu posted:Why exactly are you people thinking that Maturin was badly represented in the film? I don't think he was misrepresented so much as we only saw a very small portion of the Maturin from the books on the screen. I can forgive that because it would have been tough to portray more of him and still fit within the time constraints of a feature film. Though it would have been pretty awesome if you saw him tripping balls at some point, or really any kind of acknowledgement of his addictions. I can't think of any way they could have included his secret agent subplot when none of the movie took place in Europe or North America.
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May 15, 2011 21:04
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Starting to read these and my god one part in Post Captain had me in stitches. I wish they would film this: Jack dressed up in a bear suit while he and stephen head to spain.
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May 16, 2011 02:44
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Mahasamatman posted:Jack dressed up in a bear suit while he and stephen head to spain. Especially when they come across some captured English sailors who demand to see it dance. WHAT HO, THE BEAR! And Jack swearing to himself if he ever found himself in command of them he would flog them mercilessly ahahaha
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May 16, 2011 15:10
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I'm reading Reverse of the Medal right now and I am about half way into the book (by page number). It seems like the entire first half of the book has been explanation of what happened before or in the absence of Aubrey/Maturin and character's relations to the pair. It is just now getting the point where things are actually happening. I predict the last book will be 95% back story, 5% new. edit: Still loving the series. Also I made seabiscuits. They lasted about 2 weeks on my shelf before breaking out in a catastrophic amount of mold.
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May 16, 2011 20:03
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Molybdenum posted:I'm reading Reverse of the Medal right now and I am about half way into the book (by page number). It seems like the entire first half of the book has been explanation of what happened before or in the absence of Aubrey/Maturin and character's relations to the pair. It is just now getting the point where things are actually happening. I predict the last book will be 95% back story, 5% new. That book is my absolute favorite in the series, all because of 2 pages. You'll know them when you come to them.
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May 16, 2011 22:15
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Raskolnikov2089 posted:That book is my absolute favorite in the series, all because of 2 pages. You'll know them when you come to them. Had to go read the recap and it all came flooding back. That section embodies what I love about the series as a whole.
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May 17, 2011 00:14
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