Books
· 20TH OF MAY, THE YEAR 2007THE SURGEON’S MATE, BY PATRICK O’BRIAN
God I love these books. All the old characters, jokes, language, so wonderful. Makes for great beach reading too.
Done
Another good’un, but possibly not quite up to snuff with the preceding books in this mini-trilogy. Not quite sure why I felt that way, just passages that didn’t quite do it for me. Or maybe it was the intrusion of such modern trappings as telegraphy.
Quotes
After Jack delivers a long-winded explanation of how an accurate timepiece can reveal a ships longitude at sea, Stephen replies (in Chapter 9, p. 278),
‘Heavans, Jack, what things you tell me. And I dare say this would answer for let us say Dublin and Galway?’
‘I should not care to affirm anything abou Ireland, where people have the stragest notion of time; but at sea, I do assure you, it answers very well. That is why I should like to borrow your watch.’
In Chapter 10, p. 312,
… on Jack’s first visit to the men it was represented to him that this here French bread, full of holes, could not nourish a man: if a man ate holes he must necessarily blow himself out with air like a bladder, it stood to reason.
Words
accoucher (v): p. 41 Ah, someone else with a passion for P O’B and his obscure vocabulary.
“cry peccavi” (v): p. 77
drabblers (n): p. 78
garefowl (n): another name for the extinct
2 COMMENTS
Bonnets and Drabblers: Pieces of canvas sewn onto the foot of sails to give extra depth.
A
Hi-
I work for Penguin publishing and wanted to offer you and advance copy of UNDER ENEMY COLORS, a sweeping novel of maritime mutiny set against the backdrop of the French Revolution that evokes such masters as Patrick O’Brian and Bernard Cornwell. If this type of thing interests you, please send me and email and I’ll mail you a copy as soon as possible.
Thanks for your time,
Matt