dira | (no subject)

I remember, vaguely, that sometime around my senior year of high school, a number of Bujold Listies (does that still need to be asterisked, list*es? Or has that debate gone by the wayside?) were recommending Patrick O'Brian's Aubrey & Maturin books (Bujold often compared to Weber -> H*n*r H*rr*ngt*n a ~~ripoff of~~ homage to Horatio Hornblower -> Horatio Hornblower-esque naval adventures by a then-living author = only two steps from on topic!) As I recall, the books were recommended not least for the friendship between the protagonists which, though I had not yet awoken to my destiny as a slasher, still appealed.

I duly went to the library and checked out Master & Commander, and I vividly remember sitting down on the floor in the living room of my parents house to read it. I made it about ten pages in--I was not clear who any of the characters were, what they looked like, where or when they were or what they were doing, and one of them kept laughing by saying 'ha ha ha' in dialogue--before giving up.

Now I've seen the movie, but, more importantly, I've read

astolat's M&C fic, which is written much in the style of the books (though if she ever wrote Jack saying 'ha ha ha' I didn't notice it) and encouraged me to think that I could cope with the prose style better now.

Well, I am now halfway through Master & Commander, and I would just like to say: OMG SO MARRIED.

p.161 [Jack is on deck through the night as the ship pursues a prize]:

'What, what's this? Walking about in the rain in just your shirt? This is madness,' said Stephen's voice just behind him.
'Hush!' cried Mowett, the officer of the watch, who had failed to intercept him.
'Madness. Think of the night air - the falling damps - the fluxion of the humours. If your duty requires you to walk about in the night air, you must wear a wollen garment. A woollen garment, there, for the captain! I will fetch it myself.'

And, just what I was looking for: on p.163, Stephen addresses Jack as 'dear joy,' in casual conversation.

Now I just have to figure out how I can ILL the eighteen books that our library doesn't own, and I'll be all set...

ETA: On the facing page to the title, the publisher has helpfully listed all of the books in the series under the heading 'Aubrey/Maturin Novels in order of publication.' I call slasher shout-out!