The Mauritius Command by Patrick O’Brian
Fourth book in the series. In my memory, rather drab (maybe because
it’s based on fact, not pure fiction). But very well written, like all
O’Brian’s books.
Looking for a replacement for my missing HMS Surprise, I see that
the ghouls at WW Norton have published the first three chapters of the
last book O’Brian was writing before his death. I’m torn whether I
should get it too. I really need to rejoin the Gunroom and ask the
opinion of the denizens there, but I really don’t have time to keep up
with the flood of mail right now.
Posted on Sunday, 2005-04-10,
in the books » read category.
Post Captain by Patrick O’Brian
The most Austinesque of the series. Perhaps the best.
Unfortunately, I can’t locate the next book, HMS Surprise, which is
a pity, as it’s my favourite.
Posted on Saturday, 2005-04-09,
in the books » read category.
Master and Commander by Patrick O’Brian
I’m re-reading the Aubrey-Maturin series, also known as the Canon.
Posted on Thursday, 2005-04-07,
in the books » read category.
Dict2go
Matt has released
dict2go,
a Python for Series 60 app that’s an interface to the dict
protocol. This means that you
can easily lookup weird words on the hoof.
As usual when reading Patrick O’Brian, I encountered a word I didn’t
know — mammothrept. Having some free time, I used dict2go to look
it up:
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 :
mammothrept \mam"mo*thrept\ (m[a^]m"m[-o]*thr[e^]pt), n. [Gr.
mammo`qreptos; ma`mma grandmother + tre`pein to nourish.]
A child brought up by its grandmother; a spoiled child. [R.]
[1913 Webster]
O, you are a more mammothrept in judgment. --B. Jonson. [1913 Webster]
Truly cool. Thanks, Matt!
Posted on Tuesday, 2005-04-05,
in the comm » mobile category.
Kids these days
I was walking through the Sabbatsbergs hospital area this morning when
I met a gaggle of 9-10 year olds coming in the opposite
direction. When I’d passed one of them called out to me.
“Can I ask you a question?”
“Sure.”
“Who’s most known (mest känd in Swedish), the Beatles or Abba?”
This question through me. Stupidly I said “Abba, I guess.”
My triumphant interlocutor turned to his friend and said “See?”.
I turned to go, but the vanquished Beatles proponent ran after me. “Are you sure?”
On second thought, I had to concede that the Fab Four had the edge
over Abba in global mindshare.
The first kid said “Aaaww, you always have to persuade them!”
Posted on Tuesday, 2005-04-05,
in the alt category.
Down and out in the early Nineties
Shampoo Planet by Douglas Coupland.
This is Coupland’s second novel, and the first by him that I read,
back in the day, when the Nineties were young (it’s written in
1992). I don’t think I’ve read Generation X in the original.
Like all Coupland’s early novels, this is an amusing read.
Posted on Saturday, 2005-04-02,
in the books » read category.
