What is life, after all, but a serialized adventure?
February 11, 2025 2:35 AM Subscribe
One of the great joys and curiosities of marriage, in my experience, is the way it opens a private universe governed by its own laws—a space to celebrate, to grow, to weather storms (some more damaging than others). A space for trading backstories, showing the places you’ve carved your initials in the woodwork. A space for exploration, crossing together to the far side of the world, sewing one another’s ears back on as necessary. A space for improvising duets, a “deep mutual comprehension” elevating the results beyond the sum of the players’ individual talents. And if this space could be a semi-enchanted vessel called, almost too perfectly, the Surprise? from Actually, Master and Commander is a Domestic Fantasy About a Codependent Life Partnership! [LitHub]
We sat through the M&C film again at Christmas to introduce a 3rd generation to up-spirits and halyards. Although the relationship between the boys is intense and complementary, the Captain always makes the final call "subject to the exigencies of the service" etc. etc.
On a whim three days ago, I started re-reading The Cruel Sea by Nicholas Monsarrat after a gap of decades. It's another love story: between Captain Ericson and Lieutenant Lockwood [more or less Monsarrat] set in another brutal war. There again, the buck stops with the Captain and that drives a power inequity into the relationship.
Further M&C MetaPrev (2020)
posted by BobTheScientist at 4:25 AM on February 11 [4 favorites]
On a whim three days ago, I started re-reading The Cruel Sea by Nicholas Monsarrat after a gap of decades. It's another love story: between Captain Ericson and Lieutenant Lockwood [more or less Monsarrat] set in another brutal war. There again, the buck stops with the Captain and that drives a power inequity into the relationship.
Further M&C MetaPrev (2020)
posted by BobTheScientist at 4:25 AM on February 11 [4 favorites]
I have read the Aubrey and Maturin series 3 or 4 times, I agree that it is some of the best historical fiction out there. I never noticed the years looping, but it is very possible I wouldn’t pick up on a “detail” like that. And the particular friendship being like marriage? I’d say marriage is a particular friendship, but either way it’s interesting to think about. I should read the series again.
posted by Vatnesine at 4:50 AM on February 11 [4 favorites]
posted by Vatnesine at 4:50 AM on February 11 [4 favorites]
I lived, traveled, hung out with, and worked with a friend for many years. We were for all intents and purposes, a domestic couple. Taking a cue from Jay and Silent Bob, we described each other as heterosexual life partners (until wives came along). Aubrey and Maturin are the Napoleonic Jay and Silent Bob.
posted by conifer at 7:31 AM on February 11 [8 favorites]
posted by conifer at 7:31 AM on February 11 [8 favorites]
So what I’m hearing is I should read this series over the summer, got it.
posted by lepus at 7:32 AM on February 11 [2 favorites]
posted by lepus at 7:32 AM on February 11 [2 favorites]
They do have a special relationship, though wrapping "marriage" around it entirely does feel a bit normie-centric.
I think it goes deeper than what the author says, though. There's more to Stephen and Jack's marriage than just some shared adventures. By my reading in the later books there is a slow change. The relationship kinda stagnates -- another thing marriages can do. Jack becomes closed off and Stephen is more the POV character as he assembles a family and life. One which does not include Jack. Stephen and his analytical brain have consumed Jack and there is nothing left for him. His heart and mind and home are less and less with him. There is still love, but it is tired, reflexive, and it is not very joyous. How does Jack feel about it? IDK it's not there, possibly because Stephen does not wish to see it and so the readers don't either.
I guess it's not the kind of thing you want to see if you're looking for a warm bath.
(No POB fan wants to hear this kind of talk though, believe you me lmao.)
posted by fleacircus at 7:38 AM on February 11 [7 favorites]
I think it goes deeper than what the author says, though. There's more to Stephen and Jack's marriage than just some shared adventures. By my reading in the later books there is a slow change. The relationship kinda stagnates -- another thing marriages can do. Jack becomes closed off and Stephen is more the POV character as he assembles a family and life. One which does not include Jack. Stephen and his analytical brain have consumed Jack and there is nothing left for him. His heart and mind and home are less and less with him. There is still love, but it is tired, reflexive, and it is not very joyous. How does Jack feel about it? IDK it's not there, possibly because Stephen does not wish to see it and so the readers don't either.
I guess it's not the kind of thing you want to see if you're looking for a warm bath.
(No POB fan wants to hear this kind of talk though, believe you me lmao.)
posted by fleacircus at 7:38 AM on February 11 [7 favorites]
So what I’m hearing is I should read this series over the summer, got it.
Everyone should! At least get through Desolation Island.
posted by fleacircus at 7:40 AM on February 11 [3 favorites]
Everyone should! At least get through Desolation Island.
posted by fleacircus at 7:40 AM on February 11 [3 favorites]
Jack becomes closed off and Stephen is more the POV character as he assembles a family and life.
Yes, I remember having a similar response, although I wasn't sure if the shift was internal to the narrative or external (i.e., O'Brian himself getting tired of Jack, whose existing marriage closed off some possibilities, and whose, er, intellectual limitations closed off some others).
The essay is an interesting case of taking a problem inherent in a lot of series set in the "real world," whether present-day or historical--how do you manage time and change when your characters are tied to real events--and turning it into a question of interpretation. Long-running detective series are notorious for weird distortions in the space-time continuum: Ian Rankin recently admitted that (ex)Inspector Rebus was no longer aging, for example, after aging in real-world time for almost all of his run. Most readers just tacitly agree not to think about it, though, even when it produces ludicrous situations.
posted by thomas j wise at 9:21 AM on February 11 [2 favorites]
Yes, I remember having a similar response, although I wasn't sure if the shift was internal to the narrative or external (i.e., O'Brian himself getting tired of Jack, whose existing marriage closed off some possibilities, and whose, er, intellectual limitations closed off some others).
The essay is an interesting case of taking a problem inherent in a lot of series set in the "real world," whether present-day or historical--how do you manage time and change when your characters are tied to real events--and turning it into a question of interpretation. Long-running detective series are notorious for weird distortions in the space-time continuum: Ian Rankin recently admitted that (ex)Inspector Rebus was no longer aging, for example, after aging in real-world time for almost all of his run. Most readers just tacitly agree not to think about it, though, even when it produces ludicrous situations.
posted by thomas j wise at 9:21 AM on February 11 [2 favorites]
What a clever way for the author to write a love letter to her spouse. It’s difficult to talk about a good marriage while in it without merely gloating over something you can’t share.
posted by clew at 12:41 PM on February 11 [2 favorites]
posted by clew at 12:41 PM on February 11 [2 favorites]
I just saw M&C for the first time and let me just say when the one dude is like “no we can’t stop by this island so you can geek out on biology and learn things” let me just say I felt the other dudes disappointment on a cellular level
posted by St. Peepsburg at 2:07 PM on February 11 [3 favorites]
posted by St. Peepsburg at 2:07 PM on February 11 [3 favorites]
For those who do decide to read the books: all of them are on Fanfare waiting for you in fleacircus's most excellent run of book club posts.
posted by We had a deal, Kyle at 6:12 PM on February 14
posted by We had a deal, Kyle at 6:12 PM on February 14
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posted by HearHere at 3:10 AM on February 11 [1 favorite]