I like Laurie's and Alec's parallel aimless anomias on the slowly cooling Rock. Philippe's story resonates in a very Monsarrat/Sartrian way (and how's that for a 1950s crossover?)... and of ycourse you had to end it on a cliff- (well, rock-) hanger!
I've dug out my copy of The Cruel Sea, and coming from that, I'm not at all surprised at the content of Laurie's usual nightmare. :(
urban, useless and effete Laurie always comes off worse when he compares himself to Ralph; he ought to stop it. :) And it doesn't improve the way he treats Ralph, either.
If Laurie had had less experience in recognising the signs he would have said he had been drinking.
Eeek.
he would break off from some cool, clinical speculation about the nature of "the fever then raging at Gibraltar" which had accounted for so many of those marble plaques on the walls of the chapel by the Governor's residence to look Laurie over with a detachment almost equally cool and clinical, as though assessing him for the emergence of dangerous symptoms.Very characteristic Alec; I'd be interested to know what he thinks of Laurie at this point. He always seems to be dealing with Laurie at a certain distance. I get the vibe from the book that he doesn't care much for Laurie except in relation to Ralph
( ... )
I suppose it's only natural that Laurie doesn't like feeling sixteen again. When I think of it, Andrew of course has the opposite effect on him; could that be part of the attraction?
It's part of Andrew's attraction all right; but Ralph as the young hero's ideal is a configuration that's also very attractive to Laurie. In the book he experiences a small letdown when Ralph ceases to be the halo'ed crusader and talks of his life at sea matter-of-factly, such as when Laurie brings up the book illustration with the shark, and Ralph explains how shark's teeth are aligned.
I think Alec, at the end of the day, doesn't dislike Laurie, because he thinks (he thought in the book, anyway) that Ralph needs him - and what Ralph needs he must have, in Alec's mind. Also, just when they meet, even before he knows Laurie is the famous Odell, Alec answers Laurie who's just apologised for coming to his party "under false pretences" "It seems to me you're very much lacking in pretence." Alec has spotted Laurie as being somewhat special.
Right. Until now, in canon, Alec has been the witting catalyst - the wise guide who nudges Laurie in the right direction. He does it for Ralph, of course. And here, everything being equal, he still must see that Laurie has been, until now, good for Ralph. Given that he is himself in complete turmoil, with his whole life being pulled from uner his feet, he still must have an opinion on all this...
Perhaps a tiny little hint more? Because calling it "France" without mentioning or alluding to the war leads to some amount of confusion; I think people think "bombs and fire" before they think "France" when you bring up Dunkirk; and the gunfire at birds did not quite achieve it. Plus, France as a place to travel to (or across) has already been brought up into the story by Alec. And by Ralph before that, as a place to have a week-end of sex.
Until the growth in the package holiday type boom which happened quite late in my childhood a reference to someone of my parent's generation or older having been "in France" tended to carry with it the inference "being shot at" without more.
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I like Laurie's and Alec's parallel aimless anomias on the slowly cooling Rock. Philippe's story resonates in a very Monsarrat/Sartrian way (and how's that for a 1950s crossover?)... and of ycourse you had to end it on a cliff- (well, rock-) hanger!
Now waiting feverishly for more...
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urban, useless and effete Laurie always comes off worse when he compares himself to Ralph; he ought to stop it. :) And it doesn't improve the way he treats Ralph, either.
If Laurie had had less experience in recognising the signs he would have said he had been drinking.
Eeek.
he would break off from some cool, clinical speculation about the nature of "the fever then raging at Gibraltar" which had accounted for so many of those marble plaques on the walls of the chapel by the Governor's residence to look Laurie over with a detachment almost equally cool and clinical, as though assessing him for the emergence of dangerous symptoms.Very characteristic Alec; I'd be interested to know what he thinks of Laurie at this point. He always seems to be dealing with Laurie at a certain distance. I get the vibe from the book that he doesn't care much for Laurie except in relation to Ralph ( ... )
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Very shrewd, this...
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I suppose it's only natural that Laurie doesn't like feeling sixteen again. When I think of it, Andrew of course has the opposite effect on him; could that be part of the attraction?
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I think Alec, at the end of the day, doesn't dislike Laurie, because he thinks (he thought in the book, anyway) that Ralph needs him - and what Ralph needs he must have, in Alec's mind. Also, just when they meet, even before he knows Laurie is the famous Odell, Alec answers Laurie who's just apologised for coming to his party "under false pretences" "It seems to me you're very much lacking in pretence." Alec has spotted Laurie as being somewhat special.
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Laurie lived in France for a while?
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Perhaps a tiny little hint more? Because calling it "France" without mentioning or alluding to the war leads to some amount of confusion; I think people think "bombs and fire" before they think "France" when you bring up Dunkirk; and the gunfire at birds did not quite achieve it. Plus, France as a place to travel to (or across) has already been brought up into the story by Alec. And by Ralph before that, as a place to have a week-end of sex.
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