Patrick O'Brian

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jethro
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Patrick O'Brian

Post by jethro »

Is buried in the new cemetery of Collioure, in which town he lived most of his prolific life.I go there yearly to put a flower on the grave of a man who has given so much pleasure to so many readers all over the world. Translator of Simone de Beauvoir, biographer of Picasso, but above all, a supremely entertaining artist of the sea-narrative. Why does Collioure do so little to commemorate a man beside whom Machado is a minor figure who lived only a week in the village ? Why isn't there even a blue plaque ? At the tourist office, they're very discreet about the address of the house which he built himself by dynamiting the rock at the bottom of his garden, but they could at least put together a brochure about the man. If they aren't up to it, I'll do it.
an' the wun' cried Mary.
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polremy
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Re: Patrick O'Brian

Post by polremy »

jethro wrote:Is buried in the new cemetery of Collioure, in which town he lived most of his prolific life.I go there yearly to put a flower on the grave of a man who has given so much pleasure to so many readers all over the world. Translator of Simone de Beauvoir, biographer of Picasso, but above all, a supremely entertaining artist of the sea-narrative. Why does Collioure do so little to commemorate a man beside whom Machado is a minor figure who lived only a week in the village ? Why isn't there even a blue plaque ? At the tourist office, they're very discreet about the address of the house which he built himself by dynamiting the rock at the bottom of his garden, but they could at least put together a brochure about the man. If they aren't up to it, I'll do it.
go arn, go arn, go arn.
i had never heard of him.
i want to read the brochure!
jethro
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Post by jethro »

Well, I haven't got round to writing it yet, but I'll put you down for a copy. Meanwhile, see the Wikipedia article on my hero, and get the video of the film "Master and Commander" whch is loosely based on two of his novels. There are women in all the ex-British colonies who are Patrick O'Brian widows, as their men are permanently curled up with one of his books. Amazon has the lot, if I remember right, including a pile of cheap used copies. The 20/21 volumes of the Aubrey-Maturin series fill even the longest of summer holidays .
an' the wun' cried Mary.
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collioure_bee
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Post by collioure_bee »

I have been in the room he died in, it's been left as it was the day it happened. How he wrote all those novels in that seat is beyond me, it looks so uncomfortable.
Loads of holidaymakers book specifically to stay at that house because of who lived there, they even had a big visit of his fans last year.
"She knew the price of everything, but the value of nothing"

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Post by rogb »

I confess to having read all 20 (or 21) of the Aubrey/Maturin series! A great read, with some fine action set in Port Vendres as well as just about everywhere else on the globe, usually with the French taking a pasting.

Port Vendres has only relatively recently caught up with the fact that Charles Rennie Macintosh stayed and painted in the town, so maybe it's not suprising that Collioure is slow to recognise O'Brien.
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Post by thumbelina »

rogb wrote:
Port Vendres has only relatively recently caught up with the fact that Charles Rennie Macintosh stayed and painted in the town, so maybe it's not suprising that Collioure is slow to recognise O'Brien.
I DO think it's surprising. Port Vendres is much less touristy than Collioure, therefore, I should have thought that the OdT there would have been WELL ahead of the game for exploiting the link. Let's face it, they're not normally backward about things like that!!! Clearly, sadly, his talents have been lost within the long list of geniuses that have inhabited the village.

It would appear that the owner of the house where he lived is not behind with the spin though, as it seems that he died in Dublin, not in Collioure, Bee. :?

http://www.io.com/gibbonsb/pob/
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john
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Re: Patrick O'Brian

Post by john »

polremy wrote:[
go arn, go arn, go arn.
i had never heard of him.
!
Sorry to be such a philistine,but I'm in the same camp as PR here. I'd never heard of the guy. He sounds like he should play second row for Munster or London Irish.......

But ,on the wider point that Thumbs raises,it's certainly the case that the good people of Collioure are not slow to plug the link there with anyone vaguely arty,however tenuous,so it is indeed surprising that more is not made of Mr O'Brien,whose real surname was Russ,according to Google!
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polremy
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Re: Patrick O'Brian

Post by polremy »

john wrote:
polremy wrote:[
go arn, go arn, go arn.
i had never heard of him.
!
Sorry to be such a philistine,but I'm in the same camp as PR here. I'd never heard of the guy. He sounds like he should play second row for Munster or London Irish.......

But ,on the wider point that Thumbs raises,it's certainly the case that the good people of Collioure are not slow to plug the link there with anyone vaguely arty,however tenuous,so it is indeed surprising that more is not made of Mr O'Brien,whose real surname was Russ,according to Google!
Russ!! Now he sounds like a cheesy pianist.
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john
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Re: Patrick O'Brian

Post by john »

polremy wrote:[
Russ!! Now he sounds like a cheesy pianist.
Are you thinking of Mr Conway of that ilk,by any chance,Pol.

We are showing our age if we can remember him. Wasn't one of his hits "Sidesaddle" ?
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polremy
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Re: Patrick O'Brian

Post by polremy »

john wrote:
polremy wrote:[
Russ!! Now he sounds like a cheesy pianist.
Are you thinking of Mr Conway of that ilk,by any chance,Pol.

We are showing our age if we can remember him. Wasn't one of his hits "Sidesaddle" ?

Erm - on second thoughts - now you come to mention it he was years before my time and I heard his name from my Great,great grandma!!
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