Tuesday, May 17, 2005

Post Haste? Posthaste? One Word Or Two?

Post Captain by Patrick O'Brien

Last Christmas I unwrapped a present from Tammy and it was Patrick O'Brien's Post Captain. I had recently borrowed a non-Aubrey/Maturin book from her dad and she knew I was interested in tackling the series. Not having access to my boxes upon boxes of stored books, and wanting to avoid giving me a present I might already have, Tammy gave me this second book of the series.

Thing was, I neither owned nor had read previously the first book, Master and Commander. My disturbed psychological profile doesn't allow me to start books or movies in the middle of a series (it's even difficult for me to watch television if I haven't been with a show, more or less, from the beginning: I've really wanted to watch 24 this year but haven't since I've never watched it the first three seasons.

As much as I want to sit around all day (outside and on a beach if it's sunny) reading books I just don't have that kind of time these days. Along with working crappy and time-consuming jobs I don't want to arrive home, ignore everyone and disappear into a book at the expense of social and familial communication. I also have other interests and they had been taking priority these last few months. That's why it took me four months to tackle the book, and one more to finally say a word or two about it online.

After all this build-up what do I have to say? Simply, I loved it. I loved it better than the first book (And I'm usually one to dislike sequels.) It's easier to follow along with what's happening, probably because at least a third of the book is on land and therefore avoiding the nautical terms that stumped me in the first book. When the action was on water I seemed to know what was happening in spite of my having not researched any naval or maritime glossary (It must be some osmosis from reading enough pages.)

It was necessary to finish the preceding book first in order to fully appreciate Stephen Maturin's sometime-occupation as a spy. Knowing before hand that he was supposed to be both surgeon and spy I was disappointed to not see anything of that sort before. Not anymore, and when the time comes I'll be excited to have the next book in my hands.

A week or two after finishing Post Captain I house-sat for my Aunt and Uncle. They have a giant widescreen tv and usually have two or three new DVDs. This time they had Master and Commander. I despise Russell Crowe but wanted to check it out anyways.

Don't you hate it when you're greatly impressed by someone you'd rather see spindled on a cactus wrapped in rusty barbed-wire? Russell Crowe may be a self-loving asshole but he's also a damned fine actor and the movie was worthy of it's Oscar nomination.

What would that be called? I failed English every year of High School (Mainly from being bored and not doing my homework.) Is that irony? Hypocrisy? Judgment-Based Karma? If I'm going to answer that question it'll be on my other site. (But don't hold your breath.)

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