Karsa Orlong

I mentioned over in the film thread that I thought they'd've been better basing it on the fifth book, Desolation Island. It's got a chase/battle very similar to the film (it's the best action scene in the twelve books I've read so far - absolutely terrifying) but it also has the advantage of starting with them at home in England and has an espionage plot too. The film's great, but I think it would've been even better had it given some background and context for the characters. The decision to exclude any mention of Maturin being a spy was a real shame because it could've added so much more to what is a pretty thin story in the film. If they'd given more depth to the movie's plot it might have been just the first of several films. As great as the movie is, it's basically just a chase spread across two hours. I still love it, though

I'm just amazed it's February and it's the first one I've posted

I think you'll find it's in my garden shed

Nooooo, don't believe the hype otherwise you won't like it! It's rubbish, don't buy it, don't touch it, don't even look at it! I'm currently 380 pages into True Detective by Max Allan Collins.

Up to the end of season 2 of Continuum. The finale was equal parts and and even a little bit

I posted some thoughts on that here Basically, it's great at evoking the spirit of the books but I think much of the substance is missing. IMO, they'd've been better basing it on the fifth book, Desolation Island, which has got a similar ship-to-ship chase/battle but also has a brilliant espionage plot going on as well, and could've given some much needed background for the setting and characters. The film as it stands gives not even the slightest hint that Maturin is a spy, it's just a straightforward 'we're on a ship chasing an enemy' story.

Ssssshhhh, nobody had noticed!

Same thing happened to you with Guardians of the Galaxy, didn't it? I'm detecting a pattern Last night I re-watched Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World

Any idea which paper that was printed in? They should be named and shamed. It is, and you are No need to take my word for it, though - there are plenty of other reviews around. I wasn't planning to watch it until after finishing the books, but I've had withdrawal symptoms as I haven't read any O'Brian for a couple of days ( ), so I watched Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World last night. Great film. It gives a flavour of the series if nothing else, and some hints of various things that have happened in the books. I still don't think Crowe and Bettany are well cast but some of the others are spot on, James D'Arcy as Tom Pullings especially, and David Threlfall's interpretation of mumbling, moaning Killick is brilliant. The recreation of the setting and the atmosphere is superb. The plot is an adaptation, of course, and makes a lot of changes (replacing the American enemies with French enemies, for instance). I do wonder if the somewhat thin plot in the film undermines it for people who've never read the books, though. For me it was all crystal clear this time around but, for a non-reader, it might all have seemed a bit vague. It's just one long chase, really, without anything to give it context. It seems a strange decision to base the story, mostly, on the tenth book of the series. Perhaps this was a budgetary decision, i.e. only two ships needed on screen. A stronger overarching narrative might've served the film better and given it more of an epic sweep, and maybe led to more movies. Sadly, I guess we'll never know. Still, I thoroughly enjoyed seeing it again having now read some of the books. The trailer:

Wolf Hall ep 2 - great stuff! Continuum 2x12

I'm a bit late catching up, too, but I hope the new job is going well, Janet

Not me - I think Gaiman's overrated. I thought Neverwhere was decent but far from great.

^^ I just love that it's made by a company called 'Looney Labs'

Watched the first part of Ascension. Not sure I can be bothered with the rest of it.

The Toy Story that Time Forgot

I'm guessing Cornwell's effort isn't big on historical accuracy . . .

The Letter of Marque (Aubrey/Maturin Book #12) by Patrick O'Brian 1988 - Harper ebook - 327 pages Going to put the blurb in spoiler tags because it will ruin the end of the previous book for anyone intending to read it. Note: This book begins shortly after the events of The Reverse of the Medal. I liked: This book sees a very different side to Jack, unsurprisingly, and it works very well because it is exactly how you would imagine the character to react to what has happened. There is a particularly thrilling sequence involving the 'cutting out' of a French ship in a harbour. The lead up to it builds the tension and excitement perfectly. I couldn't turn the pages fast enough. There's a sub-plot involving one of the crew becoming secretly addicted to laudanum that I thought was very effective. I loved some of the interplay between Jack's children, who have - by luck or design - spent a great deal of time in the company of men of the sea. From Charlotte calling her brother, George, a 'fat-arsed little swab' and telling him to 'bear a hand', and Fanny's 'close-reefed topsail screech', to the moment where the two girls push George off a wall, leading two strangers to tell them not to use 'such words as sod, swab, and whoreson beast, because their mama would not like it' Needless to say, Sophie is concerned that they will grow into 'perfect little savages' Had to laugh at Stephen bemoaning the number of the crew kicked or bitten by horses - 'an unreasonable number, for a naval engagement.' I don't usually mention the essays at the end of each book but the one here - Jack Aubrey's Ships by Brian Lavery - is brilliant, and makes a lot of things to do with the frigates of the time that much clearer, from the layout of each deck to the masts, sails and rigging. Naturally, most of this information has already been gleaned from reading the books, so it would have been handy to have this essay presented much earlier in the series, but it's an enlightening read nonetheless. The ending is lovely. After the cliffhangers of the last few books it made for a refreshing change. I disliked: It was hard to get a handle on where exactly the harbour in which the 'cutting out' takes place actually is, and internet searches didn't make it any clearer. A real place was put forward, but it's layout in reality doesn't look at all like the map provided in the book. I have to assume that O'Brian invented the place for his story's purposes. I can say literally nothing about the plot without ruining the previous book. Each book in this series has pretty much become like reading the next chapter in an ongoing adventure, and there's still no let up in the quality. Whilst I would say that The Letter of Marque is not quite on the stratospheric level of the previous book, it's still a brilliant, wonderful read. Memorable Quotes:

Haven't watched it yet. Could you see what was going on? Ep 2x10 of Continuum. So good!

I read last year, when I was wading through the Rome books, that she was very poorly. Didn't stop people pestering her to write more of the series, though

I've been dreading it, too, ever since I was called up about 10 years ago. It was for the Royal Courts of Justice then, so probably quite a big civil case, but I didn't have to go in the end because it was settled out of court. So I've been dreading it since then. Kind of had a premonition about it a couple of weeks ago because one of our consultants at work was out on jury duty, and I thought then that it was inevitable I don't like being forced to do things (kind of goes back, in a way, to the introversion thread) and I have no choice in this, so it's put me on edge a bit. At the moment it's set for the end of March, but I may have to defer due to it being my busiest time of year at work. Lucky you! Maybe I should move to Ireland Depends on the case, I expect Only my usual one

Oh joy, I've been summoned for jury service