Search the Gunroom Archive

196 Jacket on "The Yellow Admiral" -- rank: 873

As i sat here looking at the jacket, several apparent contradictions came to mind. The ship is under a lot of sail in convoy with several other ships, yet a boat is rowing away from it . Maybe to visit another ship behind, but how would they ever catch up to get back. Also, the upper gun ports are open. perhaps they are airing the spaces? Looking at the boat, it appears to have deep cuts for the oars. I am curious aboout this as I am building a model ship's boat for my model ship. I ...

Poster's Name:	Jebvbva@AOL.COM
Poster's Email:	Jebvbva@AOL.COM
Message Date:	2001-12-11 08:27:06 UTC

197 Re: The Yellow Admiral: Some SPOILERS (was Commentary (not aspoiler)) -- rank: 873

One of my first impressions when I read TYA was that it seemed didactic, with large chunks of exposition thrust on the reader instead of being so subtly introduced that the reader was hardly aware of being informed (I except the navigation and seamanship lessons). My favorite example of POBs skill is in M&C, the scene in which Stephen used the dissection knife to carve the luncheon beef, declining to wash it and declaring that a quick wipe is ample. One sentence makes it clear that the ge ...

Poster's Name:	Gerry Strey
Poster's Email:	gestrey@MAIL.SHSW.WISC.EDU
Message Date:	2001-08-18 15:32:14 UTC

198 Re: The Yellow Admiral -- rank: 873

Yes, there were a number of passages in TYA that seemed - "forced" might be the best word, although it's not quite thoroughly correct. I tend to agree with Gerry Strey that the last books did not have the smooth-as-silk flow of the earlier books (although that may only be a comparison between a satin-weave silk and a slubbed shantung-weave silk...). Details on the Redwood Library's seminar in November sound extremely enticing. My husband says that seems a long way to travel from Tex ...

Poster's Name:	Jennifer Scates
Poster's Email:	jscates@TEXAS.NET
Message Date:	2001-08-17 22:22:40 UTC

199 Re: The Yellow Admiral: Some SPOILERS (was Commentary (not a spoiler)) -- rank: 873

> From: The Patrick O'Brian List of the World! > [mailto:GUNROOM@HMSSURPRISE.ORG] On Behalf Of Jessica Matthews > > In TYA, Stephen asks about the justice-room ("It is > not a term I know" p. 25), inclosures ("Pray, Jack, let > us start at the beginning. Who set about inclosing?" > p. 32), Lord Stranraer ("Now, Jack, pray tell me about > this Admiral Lord Stranraer" p. 43), prize-fighting > ("little do I know of prize-fighting ...

Poster's Name:	Peter Mackay
Poster's Email:	peter.mackay@BIGPOND.COM
Message Date:	2001-08-17 21:58:12 UTC

200 Re: The Yellow Admiral: Commentary (not a spoiler) -- rank: 873

Susan wrote: > > Page 230: Harding came in, bringing the sun with him. > 'Forgive me for bursting upon you like this, sir, but I > have had such a pleasing letter - my wife has just > inherited a little estate in Dorset from a distant > cousin: it lies between Plush and Folly. I am to be > squire of Plush!' > 'Give you joy with all my heart,' said Jack, shaking his > hand. . . . "But I am afraid that I must warn you that > Plush often leads to Folly. ...

Poster's Name:	Martin Watts
Poster's Email:	martin_sj_watts@LINEONE.NET
Message Date:	2001-08-17 21:57:37 UTC

201 Re: The Yellow Admiral: Some SPOILERS -- rank: 873

> I think POB took enough pride in his work that he wouldn't > deliberately lessen its quality just to get back at an interfering editor. My own sad impression > is that he just was not writing with the same ease and fluency in > the last books, particulary from TYA onward. > > Gerry Strey > Madison, Wisconsin I have to agree with Gerry, in general. In this instance, I don't think "explaining" the joke is done badly, but clearly O'Brian didn't reread what ...

Poster's Name:	Marian Van Til
Poster's Email:	rxbach@EARTHLINK.NET
Message Date:	2001-08-17 21:45:19 UTC

202 Re: The Yellow Admiral: Some SPOILERS (was Commentary (not aspoiler)) -- rank: 873

I tend to agree with the worthy Gerry - that POB was not writing with the same fluency. I was saying something near this in my comments a week or so ago about Diana and Bondon (No spoiler! If you know what I mean I needn't explain.). Perhaps it was the loss of his wife's love and editorial assistance; perhaps he was tired of the series and longed for a respite. All are perfectly reasonable, as is his publisher's insistence he keep up the good work. In any event, I think the last three boo ...

Poster's Name:	Aime' Fraser
Poster's Email:	afraser@TRAVELINGBOATWORKS.COM
Message Date:	2001-08-17 21:27:06 UTC

203 Re: The Yellow Admiral: Some SPOILERS (was Commentary (not aspoiler)) -- rank: 873

I think POB took enough pride in his work that he wouldn't deliberately lessen its quality just to get back at an interfering editor. My own sad impression is that he just was not writing with the same ease and fluency in the last books, particulary from TYA onward. Gerry Strey Madison, Wisconsin

Poster's Name:	Gerry Strey
Poster's Email:	gestrey@MAIL.SHSW.WISC.EDU
Message Date:	2001-08-17 21:07:34 UTC

204 Re: The Yellow Admiral: Some SPOILERS (was Commentary (not a spoiler)) -- rank: 873

Susan-- I, too, applaud your explanation of this passage. It jumped out at me when I read it, but I failed to catch it as an editor's recommendation, which of course makes perfect sense to me now. Although I enjoyed TYA (I think it’s one of the funnier narratives), this book in particular seemed weighted with explanations that felt forced. In the case you cite, it is the narrator who does the explaining, but in most cases it is a question from Stephen that prompts an explanation, a se ...

Poster's Name:	Jessica Matthews
Poster's Email:	matthewsjr@ATT.NET
Message Date:	2001-08-17 20:55:35 UTC

205 Re: The Yellow Admiral: Commentary (not a spoiler) -- rank: 873

> From: The Patrick O'Brian List of the World! > [mailto:GUNROOM@HMSSURPRISE.ORG] On Behalf Of Susan Wenger > Page 230: Harding came in, bringing the sun with him. > 'Forgive me for bursting upon you like this, sir, My daughter, just home from school, dressed as young teenagers often are, looking out on the rather bleak world of a Canberra winter, observed, "I wish we could turn up the sun a bit. There should be a knob you could turn to adjust the temperature. A sun dial. ...

Poster's Name:	Peter Mackay
Poster's Email:	peter.mackay@BIGPOND.COM
Message Date:	2001-08-17 18:16:01 UTC

206 Re: The Yellow Admiral: Commentary (not a spoiler) -- rank: 873

-----Original Message----- From: Susan Wenger [mailto:susanwenger@YAHOO.COM] Sent: Friday, August 17, 2001 1:18 PM To: GUNROOM@HMSSURPRISE.ORG Subject: [POB] The Yellow Admiral: Commentary (not a spoiler)    We commented recently on the role of the narrator in "The Unknown Shore," and the rarity of this event in the canon.    Here is an example of the phenomenon from "The Yellow Admiral" which I am certain was the result of an editor (or wife) telling O'Brian that h ...

Poster's Name:	Nathan Varnum
Poster's Email:	NVarnum@ARKAYINDUSTRIES.COM
Message Date:	2001-08-17 18:08:42 UTC

207 Re: The Yellow Admiral: Commentary (not a spoiler) -- rank: 873

An excellent and perceptive find. I can see POB fussing and fuming as he provided the explanation. John At 10:18 AM 8/17/01 -0700, you wrote: > We commented recently on the role of the narrator in >"The Unknown Shore," and the rarity of this event in the >canon. > Here is an example of the phenomenon from "The Yellow >Admiral" which I am certain was the result of an editor >(or wife) telling O'Brian that he'd been TOO subtle in a >joke, and ...

Poster's Name:	John Berg
Poster's Email:	johnberg@MINDSPRING.COM
Message Date:	2001-08-17 17:47:50 UTC

208 The Yellow Admiral: Commentary (not a spoiler) -- rank: 873

   We commented recently on the role of the narrator in "The Unknown Shore," and the rarity of this event in the canon.    Here is an example of the phenomenon from "The Yellow Admiral" which I am certain was the result of an editor (or wife) telling O'Brian that he'd been TOO subtle in a joke, and nobody would get it without explanation. The reason why I think he was told after writing this piece that he had to change it is, the part that follows the explanation is ...

Poster's Name:	Susan Wenger
Poster's Email:	susanwenger@YAHOO.COM
Message Date:	2001-08-17 17:16:45 UTC

209 Re: THE YELLOW ADMIRAL -- rank: 873

I vote with Ray. Isabelle Hayes Ray Martin wrote: > > I don't think that "who him ?" is an "authorial scribble" at all. > > I have heard , and indeed have used the phrase a number of times,(along with > "Who he ?"), when an unrecognised name crops up in the conversation. > > I might guess that the origins of the phrase are in pidgin English, but we'd need > someone with the erudition of Anthony Clover to affirm that. > > > ...

Poster's Name:	Isabelle Hayes
Poster's Email:	bhayes@CATSKILL.NET
Message Date:	2000-03-27 16:34:52 UTC

210 Re: THE YELLOW ADMIRAL -- rank: 873

--- Batrinque@aol.com wrote: > In a message dated 3/24/00 8:58:27 PM Eastern Standard > Time, Stolzi@AOL.COM > writes: > > << What a grand ending, the best ending since LETTER OF > MARQUE! > > Ah tutti contenti saremo cosi, >> > > A grand ending to be sure, but (assuming you are > reading the books in order) > I think I can promise you one more ending which you > will find even more > satisfying. I think that The Marriage of F ...

Poster's Name:	Susan Wenger
Poster's Email:	susanwenger@YAHOO.COM
Message Date:	2000-03-26 18:29:31 UTC