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I say read 21. It was a nice little closing to the series, even though it stops abruptly. There are also people online who have transcribed O'Brian's handwritten notes. There's a little hint of something happening around the Cape of Good Hope and you get to see Stephen get into a duel (shock). As for the other thing, can you find the passage? I don't remember that and have never had any confusion about it.
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Jun 4, 2014 18:15
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Is it sad that I knew what your username referenced without even reading your avatar text?
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Jun 5, 2014 16:54
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builds character posted:Edit: maybe third best behind him making fun of jack for being fat. Nonsense, the captain has an uncommon genteel figure.
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Jun 18, 2014 12:10
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builds character posted:Goldilocks. I've started to think that Aubrey is just stocky. At his worst he's 16 stone (I think). That's just 224 pounds. Aubrey's 6-ish feet tall and described as muscular, or at least very strong. In one scene he uses one arm to pull Maturin's 9 stone (126 pounds) up through the lubber's hole. That takes muscle. I think Aubrey just has a touch of a beer belly and Maturin likes to give him poo poo about it. Like if I nicknamed a 5'5" guy "Tiny".
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Jun 18, 2014 14:30
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Colonial Air Force posted:The sailing aspect I feel wouldn't be terribly exciting, given what happened to French navy. "Log of Captain Henri: June 18, 1809; Day 585 in port. Exercised hands by sending them up and down the rigging. Winds perfect for escape from blockade, but full moon and presence of British squadron makes survival unlikely. May try in two weeks if winds remain favorable and Indomptable is finally able to receive masts. June 19, 1809; Day 586 in port. Convoy carrying masts for Indomptable intercepted by British squadron, may try escape in two weeks if Robustesse able to get guns in. People employed variously about the ship. Ditto weather. June 20, 1809; Day 587 in port. Robustesse had guns taken away for use by Army. Will try to escape blockade at dark of moon on own if six months provisions can be gotten on board."
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Jun 26, 2014 12:14
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Colonial Air Force posted:If it were to be a privateer or frigate captain, the US would be better, especially with all the various wars we were involved in at sea (Tunisia, War of 1812, &c.). You could always do what Bernard Cornwell did with the Battle of Trafalgar and just invent an entirely new ship. Hooray, the infant USN now has seven frigates instead of six! We've already got the Chesapeake, Constitution, Congress, United States, President, and Constellation, what's wrong with adding, say, the Senator or the Glory?
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Jun 27, 2014 12:07
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On the recipe book: *The grape leaves are a pain to make but are goddamned delicious. Use beef suet instead of lamb, though, so you don't bust your bank. *Raspberry shrub is the most requested drink I've ever made and I brew my own beer and mead. Let it stand for six months and watch your friends demand more. *Lemonade heightened with Marsala - Good, better when it's been bottled for a week. *Arrack Punch - Haven't been able to find proper arrack, made it with arack (grain liquor made with aniseed). To say it smelled like licorice would be like saying the ocean is damp. Clears the sinuses a treat, though, and is good for a winter party. *Lemon shrub - Excellent mixed with 2 parts hot water. *Grog - Meh. A fine experience, but not a drink you'd pass around. *Roast chicken - Also delicious. Use a mechanical spit on your grill if you can and remember to actually sew the stuffing in, not just tie the legs together and think that will do it.
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Jul 14, 2014 15:02
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Hieronymous Alloy posted:Just think of the whole series as one very long book. I've been giving this some thought, Bollig. If you don't want to read the series in one go, the books sort of break themselves up into "acts". I've always considered them to be broken up like this (I'm certain someone will have an issue with the division, but whatever): I) Master & Commander through Mauritius Command II) Desolation Island through Surgeon's Mate III) The Ionian Mission through The Letter of Marque IV) The Thirteen Gun Salute through The Wine-Dark Sea V) The Commodore through Blue at the Mizzen/21 These are more thematic breaks than time breaks, but I'd also be hard-pressed to make a reasonable and roughly even set of acts from time-breaks. So if you want to follow your original plan and read one book per author per year but don't want to be an old fart by the time you finish, try reading them in the above sections.
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Jul 15, 2014 13:11
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Lewd Mangabey posted:This is roughly how I did it. Most of the books are pretty short and many end in the middle of a coherent storyline, so you'll drive yourself a little crazy if you stop after every book. I'm continually impressed at O'Brian's ability to summarize a previous book's plot. He does such a good job that my first time through the series (the second half of which I did entirely on audiobook), I accidentally went straight from The Truelove to The Commodore, skipping Wine Dark Sea entirely and didn't realize it until halfway through when enough hints were dropped at a gigantic amount of missed plot that I jumped on wikipedia and looked up the proper book order. So don't worry about taking time off, either. You'll be filled in on all relevant details.
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Jul 16, 2014 12:04
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Nettle Soup posted:Just started reading the first book, I think I'm missing about 50% of it as I gloss over words I don't entirely understand, and it's taking a while to get used to the weird style, but it's pretty good so far! There's a part in the first book that I really like as a concession to us landlubbers. It goes something like "Jack uttered three bouts of technicalities and plunged into maneuvers more suitable for a sparrow than a commander." I can imagine Jack pointing to three parts of the ship in turn, shouting out a dozen words that sound more like Arabic than English, and then running over to help. Telling me he said, "Dog the mouses under the chainplates, belay that euphroe, trice up the forrard gumbrils, and bear a hand at it" is almost useless though.
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Aug 8, 2014 18:00
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He that would pun would pick a pocket.
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Sep 9, 2014 19:49
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BeigeJacket posted:For some reason I've always pictured Bonden as looking like a young Neil Young. He always takes part in the fighting "curling his pigtail into a tight bun" or something like that. And the problem that I (and others) had with the casting of Boyd was Bonden's a prize-fighter. In my mind he's always looked a bit beefier than Boyd.
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Sep 16, 2014 20:25
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Hogge Wild posted:Didn't he fight like the devil when they defended some island? Yup, I think it was at the start of Nutmeg of Consolation
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Sep 18, 2014 15:48
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AlphaDog posted:Having finished this series and gotten a bit burned out on a re-read, I decided to try Hornblower. Having read Hornblower both in book order and written order, I never really noticed a difference. I definitely preferred Commodore Hornblower, though, just because that's when he seems to break out of a teenage-level funk and only doubts himself when it seems appropriate. You can definitely tell that Forester's writing improved as he went along because in chronological order there's a huge gap in readability between Hotspur or Atropos and Beat to Quarters.
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Sep 19, 2014 13:13
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Raskolnikov2089 posted:Beat to Quarters was written before Hotspur and Atropos. 20+ years before. Yup. Like I said, it's a bit disconcerting to go from great writing to great writing to not so great writing, and it's because Forester improved his writing as he wrote the series, which happened to be out of order, thus putting the first-written book smack dab in the middle 
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Sep 22, 2014 12:24
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Hieronymous Alloy posted:I also watched one of the Sharpe TV series episodes just to get a feel for the setting etc. Highlight: All the french infantrymen attacking while wearing what looked like pouffy chef's hats (apparently they would wear white cloth bags over their fancy hats to keep them looking nice). The highlight for me was realizing Daniel Craig was in the second one. That and trying to imagine that six men form a company of soldiers.
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Oct 20, 2014 14:56
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Late to the party, but the reason that "Dutch" is used so derogatorily so often is that the English spent hundreds of years fighting the Dutch. It's used sort of like "French" (or freedom) is used in the US currently. But yes, the Dutch ships were designed to be shallow-draft specifically so they could navigate the shallow waters around the Netherlands. Great for that purpose, not so great when you're down in the forties.
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Nov 11, 2014 14:17
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Arglebargle III posted:
The rudder is hung on pintles, which are these hooks welded to a strip of iron which is itself bolted to the stern of the ship. The rudder has loops that sit on the hooks and keep it "hung". Because of the quality of the wood behind these strips of iron (it was either rotten or just mangled beyond use) the Leopards would have had to forge new iron strips (gudgeons?) that were long enough to go out further to where there was solid wood. Edit: bondetamp posted:I would think that a shallow draft would mean a lot of leeway, which is a pain in the rear end for a number of reasons. It is indeed a pain in the rear end, but the Dutch were presented with a problem. They could either learn to deal with leeway or they could limit themselves to ships (frigate-sized or smaller) that could fit in their native waterways and thus lose control of the seas to their chief rival, Britain, which was building massive ships-of-the-line. The Dutch decided to learn better navigation/sailing so they could build giant gently caress-off ships. ItalicSquirrels fucked around with this message at 14:52 on Nov 11, 2014 |
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Nov 11, 2014 14:49
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We know about as much about Stephen as we do about Jack. Stephen was born when the American Revolution was at least happening but wasn't yet in britches. He grew up in (please correct me if I've got the wrong relative) his godmother's house in Avilla where his aunt and uncle got into a moral upper-hand war that I believe only ended when one of them died. At 12 he moved to Ireland where Bridey Calhoon (his wet nurse) talked to him in Irish that he didn't understand (which perplexed him since he used to know the language). He went to Trinity College in Dublin where he studied medicine. From there, he did his internship in Paris (he "walked the wards") and danced in the streets during the French Independence in '93. He then returned to Ireland, presumably in a more-or-less private practice. He was deeply attached to a woman named Mona (I think, it's only mentioned once at the very beginning of M&C) as well as Irish independence with the United Irishmen, mainly to further the cause of Catholic Independence but also because gently caress tyranny. The United Irishmen thing went down in flames almost instantly with Stephen's cousin (a Fitzgerald and one of the leaders) being captured at the very beginning. He presumably kept his head low for the next couple years before a patient was convinced to go to the Mediterranean for some undisclosed ailment and Stephen was hired to accompany him. The patient died en route or shortly after arriving and either had no money or had it stolen by his servant, leaving Stephen stuck in Mahon with no money until he decided to go to a concert at the Commandant's house. I'm certain I've gotten some of the particulars wrong, especially names, but I'm almost certain of everything above in general and if I had more free time I could even track all of that down and cite it properly. Edit: But no, I don't remember it ever being mentioned just where in Ireland Stephen spent most of his time. He's more Catalan than anything, really.
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Nov 12, 2014 21:39
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Hogge Wild posted:I think that he wrote it like that because his own wife died when he was writing that book. Bingo. I've always thought that the whole tone of The Hundred Days was in a minor key as it were.
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Nov 28, 2014 15:03
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CroatianAlzheimers posted:I'm making my way through my Aubrey-Maturin audiobooks again for, like, the fifth time. I have every book narrated by Patrick Tull, and I just love that man. I'm almost through Sense and Sensibility and Sailors, and I can't get enough of the bees in Lively's great cabin. They drank to the sentiment in three times three, bumpers all around.
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Dec 19, 2014 17:09
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Owlkill posted:So I just finished Post Captain and there's something that's bugging me - whatever happened with the duel? It seemed like one minute it was all set to kick off, then they got called away for their jaunt to the French coast and after that everything seemed absolutely fine and it was never mentioned again. Did I skip over something? The general assumption seems to be that Jack apologizes while Stephen's patching him up. Or at least shortly thereafter. I think O'Brian does it purposefully since shortly into the chapter Stephen mentions "a little spot, convenient in every way" before it's fully realized that everything's fine again.
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Dec 21, 2014 19:05
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Hieronymous Alloy posted:There is an on screen apology but it's way way later, like maybe not even in the same book? Basically once Jack's wounded it wouldn't be sporting to ask him to duel and they're both over it anyway, it all gets basically resolved, but the officiall apology isn't till much later. I think it's later on aboard the Lively when Jack says he'd never accuse Stephen of lying, "Not when I'm in my right mind at least" or something to that effect, but that's the only one that springs to mind. Am I forgetting an actual apology?
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Dec 21, 2014 23:18
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Also appropriate because there are probably a half dozen times (at least) in the books when Stephen comments on how Jack seems to grow bigger when he's pissed.
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Jan 5, 2015 19:22
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Murgos posted:Part of the joy of reading that passage quoted above is that by the time Jack has opened his mouth in the second paragraph you know they are going to be talking about two different things. I'm actually amazed that O'Brian resorted to explaining the joke and didn't just have them both wander off confused. They know each other too well (although Jack seems perpetually hopeful that Stephen will pick up calculus/trig, astronomy, or sailing) for that. Stephen for sure knows Jack's all about the ladies, given how many times Jack cheats on Sophie, not just times we know about but times that are implied.
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Jan 16, 2015 21:21
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Genghis Cohen posted:'My god, oh my god' 'six hundred men'. Listen to Patrick Tull read it. One of his best performances in my opinion.
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Feb 17, 2015 03:01
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Decius posted:The second book is probably the the most important for the whole series in things it sets up, but also the one I look least forward to with every re-read.[snip] Number one, please don't forget about spoilers. The guy said he'd only gotten a quarter of the way through the book. Number two, really? I think the two things you mentioned are what help define the later actions. Even though the Worcester is a "coffin ship", it's still better than the Polycrest. And the conflict between Jack and Stephen actually sets a limit on their friendship and helps define them further as people. Before this, Jack chased just about anything in a skirt. Afterwards, yeah, he'll still be inclined to cheat, but we know that he won't go after a woman Stephen's interested in. Look at Treason's Harbour. Once Jack 'realizes' that Stephen and Mrs. Fielding are together, he pulls back a bit.
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Feb 23, 2015 13:12
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BeigeJacket posted: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? He was out for a walk after Queenie's rout to "relax the fibers", but yes, that guy.
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Feb 24, 2015 03:38
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Fire Safety Doug posted:O'Brian's writing also improves through the series. This thread got me to start Master & Commander again, and while so far it hasn't been quite as adverb-heavy I remembered, people are still "crying" half the time whenever they say something. This got incredibly distracting when I noticed it, and I was grateful when he dropped this habit in the later books. I had the same problem with Watson the first time I read Sherlock Holmes. The man just would not stop ejaculating.
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Mar 3, 2015 14:41
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Arglebargle III posted:I wasn't really paying attention this morning and Diane teleported three thousand miles from the Channel to Inaccessible Island. You were paying attention just fine. O'Brian does that from time to time and just figures that nothing interesting will happen in the next three months so why bother mentioning they've passed?
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Jul 20, 2015 19:54
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Economic Sinkhole posted:I just got a copy of a companion cookbook from Amazon today: Lobscouse and Spotted Dog: Which It's a Gastronomic Companion to the Aubrey/Maturin Novels and it is fantastic. The recipes seem well-researched and translated into modern ingredients, measures and methods... where applicable. I've only had a chance to skim through it but it is entertaining to read. Make the raspberry shrub. Use raspberry puree (available at any decent homebrew store). Let it age for four to six months (the one week in the book is a flaming lie). Serve to friends, especially lady friends. Watch the drink quickly become a staple of your parties. Just take my old roommate's advice to heart. "I found out last night you aren't supposed to drink shrub by the pint".
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Aug 2, 2015 20:08
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VendoViper posted:Still haven't gotten a line on actual suet, and butter is not really a sufficient substitute. I used suet for the stuffed grape leaves. Got it from my grocery store, although I had to ask the butcher for it special. They seem to have some behind the counter or something. Try there. If you have a proper butcher in your area, I can almost guarantee they have some too.
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Oct 24, 2015 23:10
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I stopped reading after the fifth or sixth Bolitho. Maybe it's just because I'm an Aubrey/Maturin fanboy, but I wasn't impressed. They weren't bad, not really, but something about them just bugged me. Maybe it was how Bolitho seemed to not really have many (any?) flaws, maybe it was that I was never really surprised by the plot at any point, but I felt they really paled next to O'Brian. Decent beach reads, but not much more.
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Jan 19, 2016 13:09
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Hogge Wild posted:What are you going to do first? I can't find the original thread (or the mention of it in this one), but here are the summaries of my contributions: ItalicSquirrels posted:On the recipe book: ItalicSquirrels posted:Make the raspberry shrub. Use raspberry puree (available at any decent homebrew store). Let it age for four to six months (the one week in the book is a flaming lie). Serve to friends, especially lady friends. Watch the drink quickly become a staple of your parties. Just take my old roommate's advice to heart. "I found out last night you aren't supposed to drink shrub by the pint".
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May 29, 2016 17:23
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Raskolnikov2089 posted:Subscribed to that channel, thanks. 1.5 pints fresh raspberries (or 2 cups raspberry puree) 1 cup brandy 1/2 cup sugar 1 tsp lemon juice Crush raspberries and strain through jelly bag, fine strainer, or panty hose. You should get 2 cups of juice. Add sugar, brandy, and lemon. Bottle and set in a cool, dark place. A wine bottle should do fine, or a 750 with a screw top. For the brandy, a good rule of thumb is the cheapest thing in a glass bottle. Cheaper will affect the taste and more expensive is a waste. Ignore the part in the book about letting it sit for a week. Let it sit for four to six months. Serve over ice.
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Jun 1, 2016 23:29
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Haven't tried the fridge. I keep mine in a closet, maybe 65 degrees Fahrenheit at the coolest.
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Jun 2, 2016 13:43
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ZekeNY posted:Absolutely, the subtle little touches give more insight into a character than most authors could get from a whole page. There's one book where an admiral's wife, I think, tosses off a glass of wine "with a very practiced air", and you know all about her, just like that. Pretty sure that's in Master & Commander at the beginning, it's Commandante Harte's wife when she's wetting Jack's swab. Edit: Yup, found it: "She despised her scrub of a husband who truckled to her; and she had taken to music as a relief from him. But it did not seem that music was enough, for now she poured out a bumper and drank it off with a very practised air." ItalicSquirrels fucked around with this message at 18:03 on Aug 17, 2016 |
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Aug 17, 2016 17:59
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Strap in, because they only get better.
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Aug 19, 2016 23:43
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Arglebargle III posted:I'm jealous. The next ten books are really good and don't have the melancholy of Stephen and Jack reaching late middle age. Either Yellow Admiral or Far Side of the World. Not bad books, just not my favorites.
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Sep 5, 2016 21:17
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The Mantis posted:Just finished book three and can already feel JA and SM getting older It doesn't get as bad as you might expect. By the end of book four, we've progressed almost a decade (Mauritius campaign wrapped up in late 1810). O'Brian flat out admitted he made time screwy later on in the series, saying he used hypothetical years, "an 1813a and 1813b, if you will". With everything that happens over the whole series, it ought to be around 1825 by the time the Napoleonic Wars end. I like to think of the book 5-17 Aubrey/Maturin as staying a young middle age. Still able to do a lot, still in the prime of life, but no longer feeling like teenagers.
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Sep 15, 2016 12:39
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