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Post by ketch22 on Nov 16, 2013 1:25:20 GMT
Surely I am not alone in my love for this classic series! I've read the whole series twice and will soon be embarking on my third voyage. O'Brian is, by far, my favorite author (no offense, you Forester fans ).
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Post by Sharpiefan on Nov 16, 2013 10:34:19 GMT
No, you're not alone!! (If you're on LJ or Dreamwidth, there are communities devoted to what we call the Aubreyad - just look up perfect_duet on either site.)
It has been a while since I've read any of the books, but you're definitely not alone.
SF
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Post by Dolphin on Nov 17, 2013 21:55:33 GMT
Definitely not alone! I, too, prefer O'Brian over Forester, the style, the characters, the wider range of topics that could be introduced because there was a character like Maturin (who's one of my favourite characters of all times and books...) I read the Hornblower books once and that was fine and fun, bit I suppose I like it mainly because I like the movies. But I keep coming back to the O'Brian books again and again - even though I usually only re-read some chapters and not the whole series from the beginning to the end. But fortunately we can have both, Forester and O'Brian!
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Post by ketch22 on Dec 20, 2013 4:31:25 GMT
I'm so glad they are available as e-books now.
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vixie
Midshipman
flirting with the new Laser Vago!
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Post by vixie on Jan 3, 2014 13:28:01 GMT
Not alone at all! I am in my second reading of the series - absolutely mesmerised by O'Brian's writing style and the entrancing tempo of his plot line - and his superb and insightful historical knowledge coming out subtly, so as not to write down to the reader whilst at the same time enlightening each minute detail of the times as if his audience were transported to the era to watch events unfold. Yes, I find a great deal of pleasure in reading the Aubrey/Maturin novels, and that is no disrespect to Forrester or Cornwell.
Would it be okay here to ask: what are some of the most memorable or favourite moments from the series for you? (I would gladly share mine if it is not offensive to the rest of the forum!)
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Post by Sharpiefan on Jan 3, 2014 16:11:35 GMT
OK, long quote ahoy... From HMS Surprise (pp149-154):
Stephen arrives on the Surprise holding something Jack takes to be a vampire: a greenish hairy thing, like a mat - a loathsome great vampire of the most poisonous kind, no doubt.
'This is a sloth,' Stephen said, smiling at him. 'A three-toed sloth, the most affectionate, discriminating sloth you can imagine!' The sloth turned its round head, fixed its eyes on Jack, uttered a despairing wail and buried its face again in Stephen's shoulder, tightening its grip to the strangling point.
There then follows a picture of how the sloth took to Naval life:
Indeed, apart from its distress at the sight of Jack's face it was perfectly adapted for a life at sea; it was uncomplaining; it required no fresh air, no light, it throve in a damp, confined atmosphere; it could sleep in any circumstances; it was tenacious of life; it put up with any hardship. it accepted biscuit gratefully, and pap; and in the evenings it would hobble on deck, walking on its claws, and creep into the rigging, hanging there upside down and advancing two or three yards at a time, and with pauses for sleep. The hands loved it from the first, and would often carry it into the tops, or higher; they declared it brought the ship good luck, though it was difficult to see why, since the wind rarely blew east of south, and that but feebly, day after day.
However, from the first, the sloth does not like Jack, and he does his utmost to change this.
Jack was of a sanguine temperament; he liked most people and he was surprised when they did not like him. This readiness to be pleased had been damaged of recent years, but it remained intact as far as horses, dogs and sloths were concerned; it wounded him to see tears come into the creature's eyes when he walked into the cabin, and he laid himself out to be agreeable. As they ran down to Rio he sat with it at odd moments, addressing it in Portuguese, more or less, and feeding it with offerings that it sometimes ate, sometimes allowed to drool slowly from its mouth; but it was not until they were approaching Capricorn, with Rio no great distance on the starboard bow, that he found it respond.
The weather had freshened almost to coldness, for the wind was coming more easterly, from the chilly currents between Tristan and the Cape; the sloth was amazed by the change; it shunned the deck and spent its time below. Jack was in his cabin, pricking the chart with less satisfaction than he could have wished: progress, slow, headwinds by night - unaccountable headwinds by night - and sipping a glass of grog; Stephen was in the mizzen-top teaching Bonden to write and scanning the sea for his first albatross. The sloth sneezed and looking up, Jack caught its gaze fixed on him; its inverted face had an expression of anxiety and concern. 'Try a piece of this, old cock,' he said, dipping his cake in the grog and proffering the sop. 'It might put a little heart into you.' The sloth sighed, closed its eye, but gently absorbed the piece, and sighed again.
Some minutes later he felt a touch on his knee: the sloth had silently climbed down and it was standing there, its beady eyes looking up into his face, bright with expectation. More cake, more grog: growing confidence and esteem...
'In this bucket,' said Stephen, walking into the cabin, 'in this small bucket, now, I have the population of Dublin, London and Paris combined: these animalculae - what is the matter with the sloth?' It was curled on Jack's knee, breathing heavily: its bowl and Jack's glass stood empty on the table. Stephen picked it up, peered into its affable, bleary face, shook it, and hung it upon its rope. It seized hold with one fore and one hind foot, letting the others dangle limp, and went to sleep.
Stephen looked sharply round, saw the decanter, smelt the sloth, and cried, 'Jack, you have debauched my sloth.'
SF
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Post by Dolphin on Jan 5, 2014 21:06:52 GMT
I think I'll have to re-read the whole series with a stack of post-it notes next to me to find my favourite passages... There are so many of them! SF's passage is certainly among them, I loved Stephen's sloth, and later also the potto he becomes "absurdly attached to" (I think that was the expression he used, was it?)
Things I could have done without: Jack disguised as a bear; the "Amazons" who rescue Stephen and Jack; Brigid; how unceremoniously O'Brian disposed of Diana.
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vixie
Midshipman
flirting with the new Laser Vago!
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Post by vixie on Jan 6, 2014 11:41:37 GMT
Well said, Dolphin, though I think one of my favourite 'episodes' did contain Brigid: it was when Stephen was with Reade sailing the Ringle and they were begin chased by the Spanish privateer - and someone was ordered to toss a biscuit! I loved that bit of sailing!
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Post by QueueMistressMags on Jan 6, 2014 17:56:41 GMT
Stephen looked sharply round, saw the decanter, smelt the sloth, and cried, 'Jack, you have debauched my sloth.' That's nearly everyone's favorite line, isn't it?
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vixie
Midshipman
flirting with the new Laser Vago!
Posts: 29
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Post by vixie on Feb 25, 2014 23:44:47 GMT
How 'bout those rats on cocaine??
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HMSCody
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Post by HMSCody on Feb 26, 2014 13:07:41 GMT
I remember something about a flock of birds, but I'm so busy right now that I can't allow myself to crack open the books and find the passage. I do remember it being so funny that I HAD to share it and read it out loud to my husband.
HMSCody
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vixie
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Post by vixie on Feb 26, 2014 19:01:58 GMT
Was it the time Stephen was marooned on St Pete's Rocks (I think that's the name) and had to eat "liquid bird shit" because the boobies pooped in the only drinkable rain water?
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HMSCody
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Post by HMSCody on Feb 26, 2014 21:55:29 GMT
No, it had something to do with a whole flock of birds roosting all over the ship. Or something. Large numbers of birds.
HMSCody
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vixie
Midshipman
flirting with the new Laser Vago!
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Post by vixie on Feb 27, 2014 21:55:43 GMT
the migrating swallows - happens every year in the Med...
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Post by Sharpiefan on Feb 27, 2014 23:41:55 GMT
the migrating swallows - happens every year in the Med... Quails, HMSCody. You're thinking of the flocks of quails... though I can't for the life of me remember which book. SF
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