The Wine-Dark Sea, by Patrick O'Brian
May. 6th, 2013 12:47 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
This is #16 of the Aubrey-Maturin series. I liked this one, in fine O'Brian style with lots of ups and downs and sea action and naturalism. It also finally sees the end of the mission Aubrey and Maturin set out on five books ago, so that was cool. I am wondering if they'll make it home in the next book sometime? I am quite anxious to see how their families are. There is an annoying allusion to events off-camera at one point: a character notes he saw 'poor X's widow' and I am like wait what X is dead what happened to him? No one else asks. COME ON. I know this is a minor character from a prior book but STILL.
Anyway, looking forward to reading #17, though I'm gonna take a break and read something else first. For variety. And also I am running out of Aubrey-Maturin books now anyway. c.c
Anyway, looking forward to reading #17, though I'm gonna take a break and read something else first. For variety. And also I am running out of Aubrey-Maturin books now anyway. c.c
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Date: 2013-05-09 01:19 am (UTC)I keep thinking about Jack picking up those two stranded awkward young midshipmen and giving them a place, even if he did demote them temporarily, and for a little while it looked like they'd make something of themselves. But now they're both dead. :(
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Date: 2013-05-10 05:38 am (UTC)redshirtsmiddies.no subject
Date: 2013-05-10 12:11 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-05-13 01:43 am (UTC);-)
Babbs is safe - he's a post-captain now! It's just in the middie stage of life they are so vulnerable *g*
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Date: 2013-05-13 03:56 am (UTC)I kinda figure the motto of these books is "no one is safe but Stephen and Jack", really. c_c
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Date: 2013-05-13 06:14 am (UTC)But anyway. Yes lt's die. But never after you've grown attached (Babbs, Pullings, and Mowett all survive the whole series - there, I've spoiled you ;-) It's only middies who are Too Cute To Live (which ought to be a tvtrope, but isn't :P)
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Date: 2013-05-13 12:32 pm (UTC)He'd also stopped being cute by the time he gave Clarissa a black eye and then kept her in his room so no one else would see. :6 Still, it was sad to hear he'd died.
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Date: 2013-06-28 06:07 pm (UTC);_;
(I'd be more ticked about Diana dying -- off camera! SHEESH -- but her death was spoiled for me so I've been waiting for it for 12 books now.)
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Date: 2013-06-29 02:25 am (UTC)But what upsets people is how he is barely mourned. Jack gives him a fleeting thought later and then that's it.
Diana gets mourned by Stephen for pretty much an entire book.
Yeah, I got spoilt for Diana's death early on too - like FoW. All I heard was something about a carriage, so every time she went traveling I went yay this is it we don't have to deal with her anymore! Only to be disappointed. I hate that POB offed her just when she was finally getting fun to have around :P :P :P
Doing it between books like that was cheap too. But POB lost his own beloved wife about the same time; I think that was part of the reason Diana died. POB himself felt a lot like Stephen did; prolly easier to write that way.
You asked about Killick - Shall I spoil you for future deaths?
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spoiler: there aren't any. of anyone we know & love. there's an admiral that dies but we didn't love him and anyway i think you got to that part already.
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Date: 2013-06-29 02:44 am (UTC)I'd started liking Diana several books ago, so I wasn't looking forward to her death. v_v